Destini Café

$ 8.50 beef bibimbap weekday lunch special is SO GOOD. this is probably the most underrated place in the area because not many people know about it. It looks very unassuming from the outside, but the inside is very clean and zen.
I’m so happy that I found a Korean food spot on the west side that doesn’t charge $ 15 for lunch.
Take it from a Korean, eat here.

So happy we came across this place when looking for a casual place to eat in Playa. Good, authentic Chinese food along with other Asian cuisines. Price is very good. It’s our new go to when we want Chinese food!

This is one of my favorite places. It’s asian fusion and the menu sometimes varies. There’s a lot of good stuff! They are located in such a tiny, hard to notice location, I want to see them get more business. They deserve it! STAY HUNGRY CALIFORNIA! (my review catchphrase)

Love this place! Cozy, great food. I love the ramen and the yellow/​green curry. Can’t go wrong here. :)

Destini Café makes the best chicken fried rice that I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. I have a serious addiction and I probably eat this dish twice a week. Also recommend Kung Pao Chicken, and the teriyaki chicken plate. Tonkotsu ramen is amazing. Enjoy!

I like the lunch here, on a hot day it will be incredibly hot, but the food will still taste good. That’s a good sign, right? They also have fans out in the seating area, but you may run into the customers who stop the oscillating fans to only blow at themselves. Pick a good spot to sit if this is the case!
They do have some lunch specials, they are good if you want the items on there.
Two card max if you wanna split the check– extra charge for more. Parking in the rear (limited). Ice cold water.

Came here for lunch on a Friday and food was pretty good. I think on a regular day it’s I would be ok to come and sit outdoors when it’s not hot but we came when it was 90 degrees and I was so hot!!! Thankfully they had fans which helped a little bit but I was dying just a little bit.
I got the beef bibim bop and vanilla chai latte and was pretty satisfied with the portion and taste. The chow mein didn’t blow me away. Parking is in the back but keep in mind there’s only like three spots.

Was craving some good bibimbap and it’s pretty good here, parking is a hassle though! Missed the sign that said that they had parking in rear, it’s a dirt lot for parking, but other than that I am pretty satisfied with it.
Good for sitting down and enjoying a casual meal with friends, pretty small looks to have about 20 or so seats to sit down

Everything’s in the menu is simply delicious. I’ve been coming here for 2 years and within that time I’ve tried mostly everything from Ramon Soups to Pad Thai. I have never been disappointed on the quality of the food, very traditional and the restaurant is also very tradition!
The customer service that’s provide it simply 5 stars to top it off !
Highly, highly recommend anyone to come and try it !

How did I not know about this amazing hidden gem!?! This place has great food, a nice atmosphere, and friendly waiters. I got the Hot Stone Bibim Bap with the Wild Boar. This was extremely tasty. Only problem is it comes out extremely hot so it takes a little while to eat but once it is cooled down, it is worth every second you have to wait. Their tea selection is amazing and fresh as well.
They have a lot of other dishes on here as well that look equally delicious! I can’t wait to come back and try them all! Please do yourself a favor and try this place. You will not regret it.

Yummy food & super quaint atmosphere. Love getting there hot stone bowl.
Nice stop after El Porto.

LOVE the Buddhist atmosphere. Very friendly and GREAT service. The passion ice tea and Wild Boar hot pot is so. F#%Kn GOOD!!!

It has stars because of the service. But it lost a lot of stars because of the food.
My friend and I came for dinner and we both split a tonkotsu ramen and a green curry. The green curry was fine, but the chunks of chicken didn’t look great. It’s edible and fine, but seemed so lazily cut up and dropped in.
It’s definitely not traditional considering there’s broccoli, zucchini in it, but to be honest, it’s the least of their ramen’s worry. If you want ramen, you’re better off buying a pack of ramen for $ 1 – 2 at an Asian market and throwing in random chunks of chicken and broccoli instead of the $ 10 (or spending $ 10 going to an actual ramen joint on Sawtelle or closer at Santouka in the Mitsuwa Marketplace on Centinela.) And to be quite frank, I’m pretty sure the ramen was PACKAGED ramen (it tasted really familiar.) Real tonkotsu ramen is a lot heartier than the limpy soup they offer. Once again, the chunks of chicken were edible but were really lazily cut up and placed in.
The only pluses are the waiter was nice, the food was quick and it had a cute atmosphere. But based on what we got for the price we had to spend, it simply isn’t worth it.

Great place for a cheap date, I was here waiting for my date to show up and noticed that when you park in the back, there is really nice view of the wetlands and surrounding area at sunset. I found the waiter to be gentle and not forceful when he realized I was on a date (for us guys, this means usually we pay, so some waiters will try to stick it to us with extra item suggestions). Although I did not eat, the food looked delicious. I had a Chai tea and it was delicious. Then, after oue dining, we did a short walk to the beach and back. Really nice, would repeat.

Interesting, but I liked it. Healthy and tasty. We had the veggie Bim Bap and the chicken Bim Bap. I like how they used marinated veggies and with am egg over easy on top. Their chicken is delightfully marinated and whatever they put in their rice is delicious! Portions are kind small for what you pay, but it’s quality ingredients, so it’s worth it. I’ll be back!

I recently moved to Playa Del Rey and, looking for a spot to satisfy my frequent craving for good Asian food, I stumbled upon this hidden gem. My first visit here I got chicken bibim bap. I’ve never had bibim bap before and I honestly don’t think I pronounce it right but it sounded delicious. And it was delicious! The variety of veggies were flavorful and fresh, the chicken was tender and seasoned well, and the Korean chili paste made an excellent condiment. I loved the addition of the over-​easy egg on top as it added a richness to the dish. While the rice was bland and could’ve benefited from some salt in the cooking water, it was delicious when mixed with the chili paste.
My second visit here I ordered the spicy chicken plate. This was one of the most delicious Asian dishes I’ve ever had… seriously. The dish consists of chicken sautéed with a variety of veggies in a perfectly-​spicy, flavorful, and finger-​lickin-​good sauce. Unlike the fatty, gross, «mystery» chicken you may get at your standard Americanized Chinese restaurant (ahem…Destini’s neighbors), the chicken is actually really good chicken! It was extremely tender and flavorful while maintaining its meatiness. Again, the rice was bland, but when mixing it with the sauce it was awesome. The dish also comes with a tiny salad which is nothing more than a filler though the dressing is good.
I’m ecstatic that such a great spot is right down the street. I’ll probably be back next week!

super cute and easy to miss hole-​in-​the-​wall.
you can park along culver but they also have a lot in the back. drive slow and you will see the driveway — there’s a dirt lot all the way in the back.
most of the place is outside, which is awesome. there’s a cover for the cooler, less sunny days, which is a nice touch.
got the hot stone beef bibimbap and it was frickin incredible. super tasty, fresh ingredients, huge portion, and the rice was nice and crispy! and a perfectly over-​medium egg.
my friend ordered the kung pao chicken and thought it was fantastic.
service was great. coffee was delicious — they have an extensive coffee/​tea menu. very laid back atmosphere, casual.
definitely will come back and try their other items.

I liked this place. Nice quiet place to enjoy a pot of tea and a good meal. Ordered the green curry which was very tasty (4 stars). Also ordered the bibimbap which was just ok 3 stars.
Will definitely come back for tea and to try other items from the menu.

Has the Destini Café changed ownership or management.
Wow. I used to love this place (and have eaten there over a dozen times) but something is clearly not the same. What a drastic difference in service and food!
Very disappointed and had such a poor experience I doubt if I will go back. — Took two clients there is afternoon for lunch, the place was completely empty and it took over ten minutes for any one to acknowledge we were even there (I hate that).
Service was poor, once we placed our orders and after the food came, (one meal wasn’t cool properly) we never saw the waiter again until he decided to bring us the bill. The prices they charge were not justified in regards to the portion of food you were served (never saw that as a problem, until now). I ordered Veggie Chow Mein. basically a plate of noodles (noodles aren’t costly) the portion was so small, when I got back to my office I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich cause I was so hungry!
The back patio (dining area) is like a green house, hot and stuffy, no air circulating it’s very uncomfortable on a warm day. The meals (even lunch specials) really are over-​priced for a hole in the hole with little to no atmosphere and now factor in bad service and weak portions. Hard to believe this was the same place I once loved!

LOVE this place!!! How did my husband and I live here TWO YEARS and not know about it???
We had the Tom Yum Chicken Ramen which had basically the best broth I’ve ever f*cking had… I’ll be dreaming about it.
Also, the spicy chicken dish I forget what it’s called but I was going to order the General Tso’s Chicken but our lovely server said I definitely had to get this other chicken dish.
Service — A+! I know people said its slow but our food came out super quick.
We also got two small pots of tea… cranberry apple for my husband and the beautiful and delicious oolong blossom for me… both were excellent.
Very cute and tranquil, with a small view of the wetlands.
So so lovely. Already dying to go back.

Destini Café…it is destiny that has brought us together.
Okay, with that cliché out of the way and out of my system I’ll share with you why you should stop by Destini Café.
Food:
Though I’m no connoisseur of Thai food, I gotta tell you that whats being served up here is pretty damn good and leaves me feeling healthy. So far I’ve tried the red and green curry seafood bowls (each served with a side of multi grain rice) $ 12.
See my pic of the Red Curry bowl.
You can taste all these seasonings coming together with the curry spice and the coconut milk having a good time with the veggies and sea food. Its a curry-​palooza in every bite that you wish would never end. The menu has a pretty good selection of other Asian dishes too.
Herbal Tea is the other thing DC is big on. Im a fan of the Jasmine Golden Dragon tea.
Service:
Its true. Its a bit on the slow slide but it did improve on the second visit but only by a few minutes. Still very friendly tho.
Miscellaneous:
Parking is a bit tricky. Its a dirt lot at the back of the property and can only be accessed through one narrow passage. Ive been lucky to have not encountered a car coming out as Im coming in. That would suck. So for me this is the only wrinkle. I do enjoy eating in the covered patio listening to the Pure Moods relaxing music and the sound of a water fountain. I dont know… it just feels right.
Oh, this place offers a weekend brunch too.
Overall:
Looking forward to a 3^rd visit and beyond. I’m impressed with the freshness and quality of food and the place inspires me to eat healthier. But thats me.
Cheers!