Mama

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So doughy and raw on the inside of the taiyaki :/​I got the red bean filled one.

I give 3 stars because I asked for a «plain» cake/​no filling, and they obliged. However-​I was hoping for a cake-​like/​waffle-​pancake snack (like the hello kitty shaped side of the street cake snacks) and this was not that. It was crisp on the outside and unfortunately raw/​doughy on the inside.
I imagine if it was cooked more it would be what I expected… Very disappointing:(

Mama is tucked away in the Food Gallery in Koreatown, as soon as you enter look left and there you go. I come here for one reason and one reason only — taiyaki! For those of you who have never tried it, you are seriously missing out. Taiyaki is a tapioca cake in the shape of a fish with two flavor selections, red bean or cream cheese. I always opt for the red bean myself. Each individual cake is generally made fresh and comes to you piping hot.
Taiyaki has varying layers of textures, from the crisp outside, to the gooey solid cake inside and the sweety and soft red bean interior. At 3 dollars, it is a bit steep for such a small snack but it does the trick when you are looking for a small snack.
Mama also carries buns and pocket buns in various flavors both sweet and savory. I did try the red bean bun once and was not impressed. The exterior of the bun was a bit mushy and the dense red bean filling was very contradictory. Although I have heard great things about their savory buns…

Formerly known as «Bunn,» this is a simple food stand that is located inside Food Gallery 32. If you are in a hurry, you will likely miss it because it is located first thing to your left when you walk into Food Gallery 32.
The staff here have always been friendly. I always stop by here if I need a snack or I am still hungry after dining at a fancy restaurant. I have tried its pork, beef, bacon kimchi, and sweet potato bunns. They are meaty, filling, and delicious! The bacon kimchi is on the spicy side but has a «healthy» amount of bacon alongside kimchi. The ingredients include red pepper powder, onion, vermicelli noodle, green cabbage, scallion, sesame oil, mozzarella cheese, and of course bacon! Super tasty. I actually really liked the sweet potato too! It is one bunn for $ 3 and it is not cheap. (And the price was 1 bunn for $ 2.5 last year.) But I always leave this place happy and stuffed.
Now they have an expanded and improved menu. For bunns, you get to choose from: beef, pork (spicy), chicken curry, kimchi (spicy), bacon kimchi (spicy), red bean, and sweet potato. For pocket bunns, you get to choose from marinated beef or spicy pork. If you get two pocket bunns, you pay $ 5.75. They now also offer taiyaki (plain fish or cream cheese) as well as croissant taiyaki (custard cream, cream cheese, or strawberry). I cannot wait to return and try it out!
Great place for take-​out or dine-​in as Food Gallery 32 offers plenty of tables and seats on the ground floor and on the upper levels.
Extra points for no credit card minimum!