Anima Pizza & Pasta

Back when I used to eat here I was told by the two sons of the owners, that next door alchemist coffee shop owner is the same owner who owns the whole building. This landlord would know where Anima went.
Phillip-​D…
I too have developed Bipolar disorder since this restaurant closed. This was my Italian escape when law school attempted to take my sanity. I miss sitting at their counter and watching the chefs make my beloved and homemade linguine w/​clams, my custom pizzas and both sons the mother and father could be found working the restaurant. It was truly the Diamond in the Rough of this beat down Korea Town strip mall with terrible parking.

Does anyone know what happened to this restaurant or if the chef moved his restaurant somewhere else?

This place was the shit. All of their staff were amazing and awesome and had shining personalities. I have bipolar disorder now that they closed. Everthing dies, sadness forever.

Great eats. My friend and I were tired of eating the same ‘olé food in the area for lunch. The parking lot is small with valet as most do K-​town. I also highly suggest coming early, because there is a lunch crowd in the restaurant and the parking lot.
We ordered their salad and Al“Ortalana pizza and added ham to it. The ham was odd. I was expecting more of a Canadian bacon type ham, except we got something that looked like packaged meat. That was a disappointment. I think I would’ve been perfectly satisfied without the ham. Despite the deli meat ham, we agreed the food and service was very good.
We sat at the bar overlooking the prep area. It was cool, except a bit cramp with waiters/​waitresses passing back and forth which didn’t make for a great enjoyable meal. The place does get crowded, so expect to be elbow to elbow with a stranger.

We discovered this piece of gem spontaneously when we were stuck in the long line for kobawo house, but because the wait was way too long we decided to try this place out. I have to say, their pasta was surprisingly DELICIOUS. The price was also really cheap (under$ 10) for awesome oriental Italian pasta.
The waiters were all Italian. I ordered the peciutto, my friends ordered the tailagante with meat sauce and penne ala boscayiola The pastas were cooked in perfection in rich sauces. Each dish was special in its own way. I will definitely come back again to try their pizzas next time:

The bestie and I came here with only 30minutes to spare before she had to work at 9:30p.
We got seated instantly and service was fast! We placed our order and received our caprese salad and Anima pizza (without prosciutto) within 15 minutes. Mmmmmm truffles. A 10′ pizza, which is the perfect amount of food for two hot girls, was only $ 16.
Everything was so delicious! Both of us were pleasantly surprised. The check was only $ 25 for both of us… We will most certainly return again.

This place is delicious and the service was excellent. We made a reservation, which I strongly recommend you make because it gets busy. Valet parking outside, like $ 2.50 or something reasonable.
My friend ordered a lobster pasta which was good. I asked my waiter for food recommendations since the menus have a lot of Italian names. He brought a spicy spaghetti and added chicken. I loved it!
We ordered the Chardonnay which was really fruity and good. For dessert we got Crème brûlée and a macchiato because they were out of tiramisu and I wasn’t disappointed.
Management is extremely kind and attentive. It’s so rare to get good service and good food like that these days. Really great bunch of people. Thanks!

Am I the only person who feels Anima is just. Eh?
I was actually really excited to try this place out.
1. It’s really close to my place.
2. I’ve heard good things
3. I’ve read good reviews on Unilocal!
4. I’ve been craving pizza and pasta.
I ordered all of the seemingly popular items:
A plate of fried appetizers (calamari, zucchini, baby octopus?)
Seafood pasta
And a meaty pizza.
Everything was just okay.
The pasta wasn’t my favorite and I was immensely disappointed!
It was so watery (no seasoning/​flavor) and SUPER fishy. Like whoa. Hopefully it was just a bad night.
Prices aren’t cheap but not too steep, either.
I think the ambiance is cute and wow… The service was amazing! Our server was so sweet and attentive! I would give five stars just for him but… Food is important, too.
All in all, I most likely would not recommend to friends.
BUT I might be willing to try it again.
(Giving out second chances is my thang)

I took my family here on Wednesday night for dinner. One wouldn’t think there would be a great Italian restaurant judging from the outside but, lo and behold, Anima exists.
Parking can be difficult but there is a valet. The restaurant was close to empty when we arrived at 7pm but then got more crowded as the night progressed.
We got the fritto misto (tender calamari), emilia romagna pizza (i don’t eat meat so i took off the prosciutto but even without it, the flavors were delightful), romana, linguini all’adriatica, tiramisu and crème brûlée.
Service was excellent and attentive. They even had crayons for my little boy. Prices are also very reasonable.
The only thing missing is alcohol!

Great pasta. Great pizza!
I had the special of the day beef ravioli and the carnivore pizza. Both very good. The pizza was Very tasty with a thin crust and great toppings. The ravioli was very tasty with the fresh sage. My girlfriend and i had a great meal.
BUT
Really $ 15 for 5 ravioli? WOW no way i am going to do that again. Although they were 5 very good ravioli they were not worth $ 15 dollars. This dish should of been listed as an expensive appetizer not a main dish.
I’ll come back for the pizza TO GO.

Hey! Finally some good pasta for a fraction of the cost, and best part of all, they do takeout! Last Friday after a long day of work, I had been craving some good ol’ Italian homemade pasta. I looked up on Unilocal a good pasta place in my area, and most places that came up were on the pricier end and required reservations. Then I stumbled upon this unexpected gem in Koreatown, which happened to be open at 9:40 at night and were gracious enough to take my order before closing time.
I ordered the Tagliatelle a la bolognese, which is exactly what I was craving, a meaty, flavorful pasta, that tasted fresh and was not overly oily, which is a problem I get with a lot of authentic Italian restaurants. The great thing about this little shop is that it looked very neat, everything was at a great price and the food was surprisingly, tasty. I love places like this that can offer you freshly made pasta for less and don’t skimp on quality or quantity, I hope to return here again!

Al. Friggin’. Dente.
Italian food in the middle of Ktown? Yes.
Quality: Pasta was cooked perfectly. I had ordered the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. Meat sauce was generous and it’s description on the menu was accurate. I first came here when they first opened and liked how they’ve been fairly consistent since then. It also seems like they’ve simplified and consolidated their menu since then. My coworker had also ordered a Margherita pizza, which was very tasty. They do mostly everything from scratch, so it can a fair amount of time to be served to you, but well worth it.
Service: Waiters were nice. I don’t know what to say besides that.
Price: Extremely affordable. Most dishes were between $ 10 — $ 17, which is actually a steal in my opinion.
FYI: Establishment is fairly small. I wouldn’t bring a party that’s greater than 4. Valet parking available unless you’ve got great eyes to snag street parking.

Llegamos aqui por los reviews en Unilocal y certificamos lo bueno de este restaurante! Staff super amigables, el chef salió de la cocina a comprobar q nos gustó su comida y todo en un ambiente relajado y como entre amigos.
Pedimos la sopa del día: tortelini in brodo, los raviolis de carne, la pizza de salmón y rugula, y el Brasato de Manzo con puré.
Todos los platos de primera.
Felicidades! Muy recomendado!

All of the waiters were very polite and caring. They always came by to check up on how i was doing
I loved the pasta that one of the workers recommended my friend and i (the name was hard to pronounce) a delicious cream pasta that just melted right in my mouth~ i recommended eating pastas that the waiters recommend
Only reason why i am leaving a 4-​star is because we had ordered a pizza as well but… it was very salty… i had to drink alot of water which made me full really quickly… only if the pizza was less salty, it would have been better.
Overall, thumbs up to the waiters and chefs! thank you for a good meal, i will be coming back!

This place was a little fancy, but the food was delicious. I ordered a pesto pasta, and also had a bite of a meat pizza that was a bit spicy. They were both extremely delicious.
This place also gives you some complimentary bread which is also amazing. I can’t wait to go back and try a different dish! :)

The previous restaurant that occupied this space in the heart of Koreatown was a pathetic pupuseria called Texis #666, #187, or whatever. Fortunately, for all our sakes, the Salvadoran place shut its doors and Chef Giuseppe and crew moved in to concoct some of the best Italian food in the city.
Yea, I said it. B-​E-​S-​T.
Just be forewarned that I don’t give a shit about ambience or fancy poser chefs. I care about taste. So if you want to overpay for food with no complexity, stick to the Westside. But if you want amazing Italian food that is priced right, go to Anima where the food is stupenda! Capiche?
I can proclaim now that after multiple lunch time visits with my coworkers, I’ve really grown to appreciate the food that Anima puts out. Their food is simple yet refined. And true to their motto, «quando cucino, ci metto l’anima», which loosely translates into «when I cook, I put my soul into it», the food here is truly Italian soul food. And if you haven’t caught on by now, Anima means «soul».
Now don’t get me wrong, there were some dishes that did not work for me like the baked cannelloni with veal and the strozzapreti. But over time, I have found go-​to dishes that truly endear me to Anima.
So… Anima serves complimentary bread that is freaking amazing. Although, I think if you ask for more they charge you $ 1.50. The bread is served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. However, here is a pro-​tip from being a regular here. Ask for the spicy olive oil. This hot dipping oil is forget-​about-​it-​Donnie-​Brasco tasty.
As for appetizers, I heart their fritto misto which is fried calamari, shrimp, and zucchini served with a zesty marinara sauce. Another great appetizer is their costolette di maiale which is baby pork ribs. Also, their salads are bountiful as well and my favorite is their insalata verde which is a spring mix salad with beets, goat cheese, and balsamic vinegar.
All their pizzas are all mama mia delizioso and I really liked their Anima pizza served with mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, prosciutto di parma, and black truffle.
However, the pièce de résistance (pardon my French for an Italian restaurant review) is the linguine all’ adriatica ($ 14), a tomato-​based seafood pasta with fresh clams, mussels, shrimp, and calamari that is tossed with handmade linguini, which is so fucking unbelievable that you will be jumping up and down and proclaiming that life is beautiful «la vita è bella» like Roberto Benigni. In other words, GET THIS.
So if want Italian food that is handmade and cooked from the heart, definitely try Anima, a soul restaurant amongst Seoul restaurants. LOL. Che figata!
*I hate the strip mall Anima is located in because it is a clusterfuck if you try to park here. Kobawoo, Simply Phở You, and Bourbon Street Café made it a headache, but now with the badass Anima, it’s become a freaking nightmare. It’s a good thing I can walk here from my office a few blocks away.
*They now serve bottled beer such as Moretti La Rossa (doppelbock) and wine.

Perfect restaurant for a nice dinner or dinner before going out in Ktown!
PARKING: Just do valet, it’s $ 1.50 and hassle free because otherwise you’d have to circle around.
RESERVATIONS: I called at 5:45pm on a Saturday night to make reservations for 7 at 8pm and they were able to take me! When we got there, they reserved the long table for us which could actually sit 9 total.
ATMOSPHERE: The inside is actually pretty small with a semi-​open kitchen. The long table is in the middle with the trendy looking light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Then, there are smaller tables that line the edges of the restaurant. The owners seem legit italian, which is funny for a random ktown plaza. Our waiter (owner?) was really nice and took care of us giving us more cucumber water and bread before we needed to ask. He was also patient with us ordering.
The overall feel is casual trendy. It kind of reminded me of a less hipster version of Osteria La Buca. We came in dressed up for the night to come and it was fine, I didn’t feel out of place.
FOOD:
BEET SALAD — pretty good, plenty for 2 people to share (4 beets).
MUSHROOM TAGLIATELLE — so this was the special tagliatelle because the one on the menu is a bolognese but I knew I would like it. It was a brown butter/​wine type sauce with mushrooms and garlic. They must handmake their pasta because it was so chewy and al dente. Very tasty. Everyone else liked all their dishes too. My only gripe is that when the bill came my pasta was $ 15 compared to $ 8 pasta dishes on the regular menu. I guess that’s what I get for ordering the «special.»
BREAD — good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The bread was kind of like a soft focaccia with some olives in the first batch. I think the bread might have changed when they brought us more because I swear the first one was crustier than the second.
Overall, a great experience. Fresh, tasty pasta and good atmosphere.

The food was excellently prepared. One of the best Italian restaurants I’ve ever been to. I ordered the chicken Parmesan and I couldn’t even finish it! It’s big enough to share with someone else.
As for the atmosphere, it’s very romantic and intimate. I came with my boyfriend and felt as though I were in a movie lol.
The waiters were extremely kind and attentive. I never had to call them over. Not even once. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends and family. Coming back next weekend!!!

Let’s talk about
Value: for your money quantity wise. The lasagne sheets are about 2.5″ by 2.5″ and the whole lasagne stacked about 2.5 inches tall. For about $ 10. I could have bought a Stauffer’s tray of lasags for that price. NO, just hell no.
Quality/​Taste: layers of lasagna sheet, silky ricotta cheese, very dry meat sauce, and Powdered Parmesan cheese. Yes really. As in Kraft… yes really… and repeat. Stauffer’s is still winning here. So is Sbarro. Lol… I know those are fast food, just goes to show…
I’m pretty hungry so this meal is edible definitely but not memorable, I’m sorry. It shall serve its purpose but I really doubt I’ll be returning.
At least it came with a side of focaccia bread. That should fill up some space .
I wouldn’t come here with high hopes .
The staff was nice however. The experience was very much just average. Meh.

This place screams WE ARE ITALY. It’s very authentic and they have all these Italian pictures and and italian map on the wall. Even the people working here were Italian. At least they talked to me in Italian.
I can tell, that the paste is definitely fresh and pretty much everything else is fresh made. Maybe after your visit at this little, cute authentic italian place you will still leave with an hungry stomach, because the dishes are not really big. But I can guarantee you, that you will get quality. And sometimes that’s worth more than a full stomach.
The price is decent, the quality is great and the service is very friendly. I will definitely come again.

Kind of random to find a purely Italian restaurant in Ktown, but I enjoyed everything I had for dinner here. Make sure to bring your appetite with the carbload here.
Romagna Pizza — My favorite item I had that night. Melt in your mouth prosciutto with fresh parmigiano and arugula makes a refreshing and tasty pizza. The great quality of the ingredients they use here is really showcased on this pizza. I could probably just order this and be happy with my meal.
Al Tonno Pizza — The Italian tuna they use is canned, and they tell you this beforehand when you’re ordering so there are no surprises. I’ve never had a pizza with tuna, eggplant, and zucchini, but they all make for a good combo of toppings.
Penne alla Boscaiola — The pasta here was cooked perfectly. Cream sauce isn’t my first choice, but with the chicken sausage, peas, and mushroom it was pretty delish.
Def coming back here, especially for their pizza! MMmmmm