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Damso
Category: Restaurants Korean Korean [Edit]
867 Denman St.Vancouver, BC V6G 2L9
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 632-0022
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 1:30 am
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 am
Sun 11:30 am - 1 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
14 reviews for Damso
14 reviews in English
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Review from Joey H.
5/20/2012
this took over the top spot of our favorite restaurants. this place has amazing dishes. we had the kimchi stew, awesome flavor. we ordered the kalbee osso buco and the spicy pork bulgogi. the meat was so tender and had great flavors. i kept on taking bites to find something negative but i just couldn't. we also had three different soju and sake mixes which were great. we loved this place so much, if we ate here the first day in vancouver, we probably would have eaten here two or three more times.
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Review from Diana L.
5/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
I went here with a chef friend of mine, and he told me an interesting factoid about this restaurant. Apparently, they use some very modern and state of the art ways of cooking; it has to do with slow cooking in a special plastic bag.
Anyhow, I had the beef tongue, pig skin, gizzard, meatballs, and seafood pancake. The meatballs, pancake, and beef tongue were my favourite. However, the beef tongue topped them all. It was so tender and flavourful. The seafood pancake was a close second, which was coupled with a nice balsamic vinegar syrup type sauce.
The restaurant itself is small and intimate. It is quite cute. It's fun for snacks and a quick bite. -
Review from Roni L.
Vancouver, BC
I was referred to Damso by a friend and popped in there the same evening as another friend and I were trying to figure out where to go for dinner. This looked like a traditional Korean restaurant, with a few fusion items.
Ok, why not? Lets give it a try. We had the an appetizer to start, the scallops for about $9. These were three pan seared scallops, each served on a half shell and each with its own type of sauce. It was quite good, although perhaps a little on the expensive side.
My friend had the noodles in seafood soup while I had the (Bulgogi?) pork on rice. Each came with a bowl of rice, some potatos, kimchi and another small veggie and we did enjoy it. The noodles in soup were quite delicious while the pork was served on its own iron skillet and was quick flavorful.
What is great about this place is that it doesn't use MSG, which most Korean restaurant do. I certainly would go again. -
Review from Jay C.
Vancouver, BC
3/30/2012
Despite the Fact that Im a friend of Chef Eric Lee I'm givin away my 5 stars to him for great modern Korean cuisine in Vancouver only place in Vancouver that doesn't use MSG in Korean restaurant.
I've had ssam, burger, seafood boullibasse, seafood waffle, pork skin, ALL good and also the drinks... open late great place to be if you are in industry of food service -
Review from Larry L.
I was told there was a place that served Bulgogi burgers stuffed with Kimchi and yam fries.
Yeah, sure, dude, lets go!
And off we went to downtown to try this place out.
It's next to Kingyo and that could be a tough location just by being next door to them, but I have to say, they hold their own here.
The burger was most excellent dude and the fries, although I couldn't eat them, (but had a taste for Yelps sake) were crispy and drizzled with a honey type glaze. Sweet and sticky and tasty.
The burger was so good, I smelled like garlic and kimchi the rest of the day no matter how much mouthwash I used!
So if you don't want something potent or going on a date, make sure they eat the same as you do and then they won't notice. Just everyone else.
My other two companions had more traditional Korean dishes and the nice thing that I noticed and give them extra stars for is the multi-grain rice option.
Glad to know that there are places that are starting to serve better healthier options as our generation gets older.
Staffing was friendly and service was quick.
Not very busy, but the reviews are great and we just had to try it for ourselves.
No worries here mate.
Give it a whirl. -
Review from Robin M.
10/4/2011 5 Check-ins Here
Adorable!
I'm the type of girl who loves me a slightly dirty, could-be-closed-down-at-any-point, extremely authentic restaurant. So I wasn't sure about this cute and modern little Korean joint on Denman -- especially after my last few West End Korean food excursions (ketchup and tomato paste mixed with copious amounts of sugar, anyone?).
But I'll spare you my skepticism and get right to it: Damso is sensational.
Traditional flavours weaved in a fresh and contemporary presentation, the food was out of control good. Sauces on the side, spice the way I like it (and, by the way, the way my not-so-loving-of-spice companion likes it), crisp and distinct flavours and textures, every dish was such a fantastic surprise. And by every dish, I mean it -- there wasn't a miss in the bunch. And a Korean Mojito? For real?? Delicately sweet and adorable in presentation, it complimented each dish to perfection.
Finally, the server. Incredibly sweet and respectful of our space, she not only earned a big tip, but also bumped Damso to a 5 star in my books.
Final note: the portions are for regular-sized people with regular-sized appetites. Read: no rolling out post-dinner.
By faaar my favourite Korean restaurant in Vancouver proper. -
Review from Jacqueline T.
Lunch was nothing worth raving about.
Ordered Lunch specials: Bulgogi rice dish, Bulgogi burger with Yam fries, and seafood waffle to share.
- Seafood waffle was noted as a fan favorite. I guess my friend and I wasn't such big fans of it. But it was something different to try, and it had a different kick to it.
- I love bulgogi! Cause I think its simple, meaty, and delicious with rice. It was good - with a squirt too much of sauce. Bulgogi meat taste good alone, so why cover up that awesome taste.
- Bulgogi burger with kimchi, was deemed as only ok as well. Yam fries were good, but cold :O Cold fries? Atleast they were still good :P
I think it the taste of the foods was a little bit too forced. Or maybe I came in expecting to eat Korean food (yes, i blame myself for ordering weird options as well.. as its hard NOT too), but I find Damso to taste a bit too westernized. Everything was soo sweet. Bulgogi, fries, and waffles. Where's that tint of korean spice?
Price: $9-11 for lunch, which is reasonable, as portions were decent, and I left very full.
Atmosphere: Cute tiny tables, and cute korean waitress.
Free parking not on Denman, so makes it a desirable place to have lunch away from the crowd.
Would like to come back to try their more, but I know a lot of other korean restaurants that serve the basics much better, and for a slightly more affordable price. -
Review from Jenna L.
This little hide away on Denman serves modern Korean food. I came here for lunch and dinner and left satisfied on both ocassions. The price is very reasonable, set dinner of Korean bean soup (kinda like miso but darker, spicier, better), bowl of mixed grain rice, and three different refillable side dishes comes at $11.99 for dinner. They also serve cocktail soju which I haven't tried but would be good to try next time!
The ambiance is clean, cozy, dimly lit at night. It is a very small space so the noise level can go up........ The service is very friendly, you can see the kitchen from the seating area. The owner tries hard to check everything runs smoothly. I thonk this place is better than the sum of other Korean restaurants on Robson taste-wise and presentation-wise. -
Review from Sherman T.
Vancouver, BC
7/4/2011
My girlfriend took me to this place and it was right beside Kingyo. It was hard to find but it's a nice cozy place. We ordered the Kalbi and it was super juicy and tender. We also had their beer special for $2.99. The seafood soup was my girlfriend's favorite and she loved it with the generous amount of seafood in it.
The thing that took my breath away was the Yuzu Snowman dessert. It was super cute and was so delicious and refreshing.
I highly recommend you to take your date here and it won't break the bank. -
Review from Judy H.
Vancouver, BC
9/14/2011
For Korean food aficionados, Vancouver is a city of shameful disappointments. I have found that Korean food, especially on Robson, ranges from disgusting-dirty to sugar-doused sweet (to cover up the lack of flavor), so I had long given up on finding anything half way decent. Damso is a step in the right direction -- I went there with 2 others today and all of us found the lunch special quite decent. I thought two out of the three banchan were too sweet, but the kimchi wasn't bad, and the overall presentation was adorable. They've obviously taken the cue from the Japanese izakaya craze, presenting things in bento style. But the flavors were there, the place is clean, service friendly, and I would definitely go back. Oh please oh please oh please let there be one decent Korean restaurant in town.
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Review from Raffy E.
Vancouver, BC
2/25/2011
Damso isn't your ordinary Korean restaurant, being that they're pretty upfront with their claim to "Modern Korean Cuisine". And sure enough, they do attempt to give little twists to the typical Korean menu, like serving their dolsot bibimbap with a multi-grain rice option, as well as an all-BBQ stone bowl alternative for meat lovers who'd much rather skip out on the greens and get to the protein. They also have a bulgogi burger that was very good but not nearly as successful as the bibimbap, however they made an unfortunate misstep with their spicy sauced chicken lettuce wrap, which tasted more Indian than Korean.
Otherwise, the service at the place was fast and super friendly, and the portions relative to the cost were just enough, if not exactly at Western-style proportions. I'll definitely be coming back to this place soon. -
Review from Liz M.
Updated - 6/30/2011
I'm all about ambiance. To Dine - I prefer a spot where I can decompress and enjoy the talents of a chef/kitchen staff, the creativity revealing in full force. I am a poet and I like to eat poems. There is something about Damso that I find so chill. I predict this hotspot of goodness will be a fixture in the West End for a long, long time. They are holding their own and the steady stream of customers I see walking by agree, for good reason. Be good to your soul and your stomach and make it a plan.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/11/2011
Thankfully, I have eaten here about 4 times. Each time, I appreciate it more. I find the food… Read more »
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Review from Kevin K.
8/17/2011
It is not your typical Korean restaurant but definitely worth a visit.
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Review from Robert J.
Port Moody, BC
2/27/2011
It's very different. But good different. Not your everyday Korean restaurant. Me and my wife shared couple of tapa dishes and Pork bossam(awesome). Kimchi salad was very creative and addictive. Seafood soup was not too spicy and left me with clean after taste. ( Server explained that they don't use msg at all) Price is very good. Service is very good, too. I like to try different dishes next time.
