clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Banchan from Soban in LA’s Koreatown.
Banchan from Soban in LA’s Koreatown.
Matthew Kang

20 Exceptional Korean Restaurants to Try in Los Angeles

Where to find Korean barbecue, soups, stews, and banchan

View as Map
Banchan from Soban in LA’s Koreatown.
|Matthew Kang

Los Angeles’s Koreatown is without question themecca在美國的韓國菜。t的食物his vibrant neighborhood, full of neon lights and late nights, is so stellar that even food obsessives visiting from Seoul marvel at its sheer quality and quantity. While most diners are quick to limit Korean food toall-you-can-eat barbecue feasts, there are a tremendous number of regional specialties worth seeking out in and beyond Koreatown. From knife-cut noodles swimming in seafood broths to bubbling cauldrons of spicy stews, here now are 20 essential Korean restaurants in Los Angeles.

Read More

Sun Ha Jang Restaurant

Copy Link

流行的韓國鴨燒烤點太陽Ha張成澤opened up a front outdoor patio for one of LA’s most unique tabletop grill styles. After a parade of fatty, delicious duck seared on a skillet, diners get flavor-packed fried rice to end the meal.

Sun Ha Jang
Sun Ha Jang’s duck fried rice

Soban Restaurant

Copy Link

Seafood staple Soban can do no wrong, starting with an amazing array of banchan to begin each meal. The menu features terrific raw crab dressed one of two ways, either in a garlicky soy sauce or thick spicy red pepper sauce, as well as pan-fried fish and spicy braised black cod (or opt for the spicy beef short ribs instead).

Soban Restaurant
Soban Restaurant
GastronomyBlog

Mapo Dak Galbi

Copy Link

There’s basically only one menu item at this Koreatown classic: large cast-iron pans of spicy Korean dakgalbi, a dish that develops through the course of the meal with tender pieces of chicken thigh, rice cakes, cabbage, and a sweet-spicy sauce that reduces over time. And at the end of the meal, servers take the last portion of each serving and make an amazing seaweed-and-perilla-infused fried rice.

Dak galbi from Mapo in Koreatown in a steel pan.
Dak galbi from Mapo in Koreatown.
Matthew Kang

Chosun Galbee

Copy Link

One of Los Angeles’s longest-running Korean barbecue restaurants continues to excel at two things: quality and classic flavors. With a large outdoor dining space and a solid takeout situation, Chosun has endured because of its dedicated following and impressive execution. Try the naengmyeon with a combination meat platter to impress anyone looking for great Korean barbecue.

Chosun Galbee kkotssal arrayed on a plate
Chosun Galbee kkotssal
Chosun Galbee

Pelicana Chicken Los Angeles

Copy Link

One of South Korea’s most prolific fried chicken chains, Pelicana has opened in Koreatown with its selection of sticky, saucy fried chicken pieces served with pickled radish cubes. The spicy variants actually bring a real punch while the soy garlic and non-sauced fried chicken are among the best in the genre thanks to juicy, well-seasoned birds.

Fried chicken from Pelicana.
Fried chicken from Pelicana.
Pelicana

Han Bat Shul Lung Tang

Copy Link

The cloudy bone marrow broth here is legendary, as are the tender slabs of brisket and various organ meats floating in it. The menu here is very simple — seolleongtang only. Build the meal with seasonings, kimchi, and rice, along with a dash of salt and sprinkling of green onions.

Han Bat Sullungtang

HanEuem by Chef Kang

Copy Link

Chef Kang. The name pops up in restaurants around town like Sul Box, Food Truck, and Salmon Talk, but chef Wonsuk “John” Kang’s best restaurant might be HanEuem, a modern Korean drinking spot with upscale versions of classic dishes that would feel appropriate in Gangnam or Apgujeong in Seoul. The modeum jeon, a basket of various bits of battered fried meats and vegetables, is the most popular thing to order, but the stews and braised wagyu beef ribs are tasty too.

Fried jun from HanEuem in Koreatown in a wicker basket.
Fried jun from HanEuem in Koreatown.
Matthew Kang

Jun Won Dak

Copy Link

Koreatown’s longtime mom-and-pop (in this case, mom-and-son) restaurant Jun Won has reopened as a takeout-only spot serving some of the city’s best samgyetang, a comforting cold weather soup of ginseng chicken. Jun Won Dak also serves some longtime favorites, from galbijjim to eundaegu joorim (spicy braised black cod) to enjoy at home.

A brown bowl with chicken in soup and jujubes.
Samgyetang from Jun Won Dak.
Stan Lee

Yuchun Restaurant

Copy Link

Known for its terrific mul naengmyeon, this casual restaurant indeed serves one of LA’s most refreshing versions of the buckwheat noodle soup, which is great with a sizzler plate of grilled galbi. The menu is otherwise reasonably compact, and while cooler days might not lead to cravings for cold, tangy noodle soup, things like boiled mandu and kalguksu (hot knife-cut noodle soup) are worth trying outside of the summer months.

Mul naengmyeon from Yuchun.
Mul naengmyeon from Yuchun.
Matthew Kang

Yerim Korean BBQ

Copy Link

There’s a lot of all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue in LA, but perhaps none has stood the test of time as well as Yerim, which retains excellent overall quality for a modest price of under $50 for most menu options. The tender, flavorful meat coupled with free-flowing drinks and attentive service make this a solid pick for groups that need a lot of KBBQ in one sitting.

MDK Noodles (Myung Dong Kyoja)

Copy Link

Formerly known as Myung Dong Kyoja, the easier-to-pronounce MDK has the same carb-laden menu of knife-cut noodles, pork dumplings, and chewy spicy cold noodles called jjolmyeon.

Pork dumplings from MDK Noodles in a white tray.
Pork dumplings from MDK Noodles
Matthew Kang

Mapo Kkak Doo Gee

Copy Link

This classic K-Town restaurant had an ownership change in recent years, but longtime customers likely won’t be able to tell the difference on the plate. Everything from the stellar radish banchan (the restaurant’s namesake) to the seared fish tastes as it should, which is to say, just like a grandmother’s cooking. The tiny, packed dining room filled mostly with Koreans should be a key indicator that this place remains a community fixture.

Fried atka mackerel fish from Mapo Kkak Du Gee in LA’s Koreatown on a white plate.
Fried atka mackerel fish from Mapo Kkak Du Gee in LA’s Koreatown.
Matthew Kang

Hangari Kalguksu

Copy Link

With some of the finest knife-cut noodles in town, Hangari regularly fields ridiculously long waits. The dumplings and boribap-style banchan starter are also terrific here. As for the noodles, both the clam and the chicken noodles are worth trying.

Sun Nong Dan

Copy Link

Koreatown’s all-night galbi jjim destination serves it with tender chunks of short rib, chewy rice cakes, and tons of spice. While the soups are more than respectable, crowds wait in line for the meat festival in a stone bowl. Top the galbi jjim with cheese to take it to the next level. There’s a big new location along Western Avenue as well — in the former Sizzler building.

Surawon Tofu House

Copy Link

Koreatown loves soondubu, the silken tofu stew popularized at places like BCD and Beverly Soontofu. But Surawon Tofu House makes its own tofu on the premises, resulting in a rich, almost nutty tofu with a lot more complexity. The combo deals here are fantastic too, such as the one with fried mackerel big enough to split for two.

Soontdubu and fried mackerel combo at Surawon in Koreatown.
Soontubu and fried mackerel combo at Surawon
Matthew Kang

The Prince

Copy Link

An iconic Koreatown cocktail spot with an impressive midcentury interior, the Prince offers a modern Korean pub menu of crispy whole-fried chicken, seafood pancakes, and other classic drinking fare in a dining room resembling a movie set. This makes sense since the venue has been used in countless movies and television shows.

The Prince’s long room with deep red booths.
Inside the Prince in Koreatown.
GastronomyBlog

Seong Buk Dong

Copy Link

This restaurant might be on the small side, but it serves up well-crafted traditional Korean dishes with huge flavor. The braised short ribs are a table-pleaser, along with the strong pot bibimbap. The spicy-braised mackerel is the show stopper, with layers of rich flavor that go perfectly when spooned over multigrain rice.

Seong Buk Dong
Seong Buk Dong
Byron Y./Yelp

Park's Barbeque

Copy Link

This is the premier Korean barbecue restaurant in Koreatown, and Park’s delivers with prime-grade meats served at the table, along with a slew of other traditional Korean dishes in a clean, smoke-free ambiance. The quality of the meat and banchan is simply unsurpassed, rivaling some of the best in Seoul itself. The front parking lot has been converted into an outdoor Korean barbecue setup for additional seating.

Raw pieces of thinly sliced beef at Park’s Barbeque on a steel tabletop grill.

KobawooHouse

Copy Link

Though lunchtime crowds go for the bossam, a Korean specialty featuring pork belly slices and accoutrements, it’s worth trying the traditional dishes as well. The hulking seafood pajeon is a classic, as well as the kimchi stew in a stone pot. The classic, dimly lit dining room is now open again.

<span data-author=Kobawoo House" data-upload-width="1000" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/of0OILTBO0CE8YH3qDAh_17gVQg=/0x0:1000x667/1200x900/filters:focal(420x254:580x414):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62571069/ir.1543520612.jpg">
K obaw oo House
Irving B./Yelp

Yangmani

Copy Link

Enduring Korean barbecue specialist Yangmani treats intestines on the same level as primal cuts, and the crowds every night as evidence of the restaurant’s popularity. Owner Jennifer Choi, who also owns Ong Ga Nae in Koreatown, and has recently expanded Yangmani to Rowland Heights, is always ready to get creative with her dishes, including a stellar kimchi fried rice studded with nubs of crisped gopchang.

Kimchi fried rice with gopchang from Yangmani in Koreatown.
Kimchi fried rice with gopchang from Yangmani in Koreatown.
Matthew Kang

Loading comments...

Sun Ha Jang Restaurant

流行的韓國鴨燒烤點太陽Ha張成澤opened up a front outdoor patio for one of LA’s most unique tabletop grill styles. After a parade of fatty, delicious duck seared on a skillet, diners get flavor-packed fried rice to end the meal.

Sun Ha Jang
Sun Ha Jang’s duck fried rice

Soban Restaurant

Seafood staple Soban can do no wrong, starting with an amazing array of banchan to begin each meal. The menu features terrific raw crab dressed one of two ways, either in a garlicky soy sauce or thick spicy red pepper sauce, as well as pan-fried fish and spicy braised black cod (or opt for the spicy beef short ribs instead).

Soban Restaurant
Soban Restaurant
GastronomyBlog

Mapo Dak Galbi

There’s basically only one menu item at this Koreatown classic: large cast-iron pans of spicy Korean dakgalbi, a dish that develops through the course of the meal with tender pieces of chicken thigh, rice cakes, cabbage, and a sweet-spicy sauce that reduces over time. And at the end of the meal, servers take the last portion of each serving and make an amazing seaweed-and-perilla-infused fried rice.

Dak galbi from Mapo in Koreatown in a steel pan.
Dak galbi from Mapo in Koreatown.
Matthew Kang

Chosun Galbee

One of Los Angeles’s longest-running Korean barbecue restaurants continues to excel at two things: quality and classic flavors. With a large outdoor dining space and a solid takeout situation, Chosun has endured because of its dedicated following and impressive execution. Try the naengmyeon with a combination meat platter to impress anyone looking for great Korean barbecue.

Chosun Galbee kkotssal arrayed on a plate
Chosun Galbee kkotssal
Chosun Galbee

Pelicana Chicken Los Angeles

One of South Korea’s most prolific fried chicken chains, Pelicana has opened in Koreatown with its selection of sticky, saucy fried chicken pieces served with pickled radish cubes. The spicy variants actually bring a real punch while the soy garlic and non-sauced fried chicken are among the best in the genre thanks to juicy, well-seasoned birds.

Fried chicken from Pelicana.
Fried chicken from Pelicana.
Pelicana

Han Bat Shul Lung Tang

The cloudy bone marrow broth here is legendary, as are the tender slabs of brisket and various organ meats floating in it. The menu here is very simple — seolleongtang only. Build the meal with seasonings, kimchi, and rice, along with a dash of salt and sprinkling of green onions.

Han Bat Sullungtang

HanEuem by Chef Kang

Chef Kang. The name pops up in restaurants around town like Sul Box, Food Truck, and Salmon Talk, but chef Wonsuk “John” Kang’s best restaurant might be HanEuem, a modern Korean drinking spot with upscale versions of classic dishes that would feel appropriate in Gangnam or Apgujeong in Seoul. The modeum jeon, a basket of various bits of battered fried meats and vegetables, is the most popular thing to order, but the stews and braised wagyu beef ribs are tasty too.

Fried jun from HanEuem in Koreatown in a wicker basket.
Fried jun from HanEuem in Koreatown.
Matthew Kang

Jun Won Dak

Koreatown’s longtime mom-and-pop (in this case, mom-and-son) restaurant Jun Won has reopened as a takeout-only spot serving some of the city’s best samgyetang, a comforting cold weather soup of ginseng chicken. Jun Won Dak also serves some longtime favorites, from galbijjim to eundaegu joorim (spicy braised black cod) to enjoy at home.

A brown bowl with chicken in soup and jujubes.
Samgyetang from Jun Won Dak.
Stan Lee

Yuchun Restaurant

Known for its terrific mul naengmyeon, this casual restaurant indeed serves one of LA’s most refreshing versions of the buckwheat noodle soup, which is great with a sizzler plate of grilled galbi. The menu is otherwise reasonably compact, and while cooler days might not lead to cravings for cold, tangy noodle soup, things like boiled mandu and kalguksu (hot knife-cut noodle soup) are worth trying outside of the summer months.

Mul naengmyeon from Yuchun.
Mul naengmyeon from Yuchun.
Matthew Kang

Yerim Korean BBQ

There’s a lot of all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue in LA, but perhaps none has stood the test of time as well as Yerim, which retains excellent overall quality for a modest price of under $50 for most menu options. The tender, flavorful meat coupled with free-flowing drinks and attentive service make this a solid pick for groups that need a lot of KBBQ in one sitting.

MDK Noodles (Myung Dong Kyoja)

Formerly known as Myung Dong Kyoja, the easier-to-pronounce MDK has the same carb-laden menu of knife-cut noodles, pork dumplings, and chewy spicy cold noodles called jjolmyeon.

Pork dumplings from MDK Noodles in a white tray.
Pork dumplings from MDK Noodles
Matthew Kang

Mapo Kkak Doo Gee

This classic K-Town restaurant had an ownership change in recent years, but longtime customers likely won’t be able to tell the difference on the plate. Everything from the stellar radish banchan (the restaurant’s namesake) to the seared fish tastes as it should, which is to say, just like a grandmother’s cooking. The tiny, packed dining room filled mostly with Koreans should be a key indicator that this place remains a community fixture.

Fried atka mackerel fish from Mapo Kkak Du Gee in LA’s Koreatown on a white plate.
Fried atka mackerel fish from Mapo Kkak Du Gee in LA’s Koreatown.
Matthew Kang

Hangari Kalguksu

With some of the finest knife-cut noodles in town, Hangari regularly fields ridiculously long waits. The dumplings and boribap-style banchan starter are also terrific here. As for the noodles, both the clam and the chicken noodles are worth trying.

Sun Nong Dan

Koreatown’s all-night galbi jjim destination serves it with tender chunks of short rib, chewy rice cakes, and tons of spice. While the soups are more than respectable, crowds wait in line for the meat festival in a stone bowl. Top the galbi jjim with cheese to take it to the next level. There’s a big new location along Western Avenue as well — in the former Sizzler building.

Surawon Tofu House

Koreatown loves soondubu, the silken tofu stew popularized at places like BCD and Beverly Soontofu. But Surawon Tofu House makes its own tofu on the premises, resulting in a rich, almost nutty tofu with a lot more complexity. The combo deals here are fantastic too, such as the one with fried mackerel big enough to split for two.

Soontdubu and fried mackerel combo at Surawon in Koreatown.
Soontubu and fried mackerel combo at Surawon
Matthew Kang

Related Maps

The Prince

An iconic Koreatown cocktail spot with an impressive midcentury interior, the Prince offers a modern Korean pub menu of crispy whole-fried chicken, seafood pancakes, and other classic drinking fare in a dining room resembling a movie set. This makes sense since the venue has been used in countless movies and television shows.

The Prince’s long room with deep red booths.
Inside the Prince in Koreatown.
GastronomyBlog

Seong Buk Dong

This restaurant might be on the small side, but it serves up well-crafted traditional Korean dishes with huge flavor. The braised short ribs are a table-pleaser, along with the strong pot bibimbap. The spicy-braised mackerel is the show stopper, with layers of rich flavor that go perfectly when spooned over multigrain rice.

Seong Buk Dong
Seong Buk Dong
Byron Y./Yelp

Park's Barbeque

This is the premier Korean barbecue restaurant in Koreatown, and Park’s delivers with prime-grade meats served at the table, along with a slew of other traditional Korean dishes in a clean, smoke-free ambiance. The quality of the meat and banchan is simply unsurpassed, rivaling some of the best in Seoul itself. The front parking lot has been converted into an outdoor Korean barbecue setup for additional seating.

Raw pieces of thinly sliced beef at Park’s Barbeque on a steel tabletop grill.

KobawooHouse

Though lunchtime crowds go for the bossam, a Korean specialty featuring pork belly slices and accoutrements, it’s worth trying the traditional dishes as well. The hulking seafood pajeon is a classic, as well as the kimchi stew in a stone pot. The classic, dimly lit dining room is now open again.

<span data-author=Kobawoo House" data-upload-width="1000" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/of0OILTBO0CE8YH3qDAh_17gVQg=/0x0:1000x667/1200x900/filters:focal(420x254:580x414):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62571069/ir.1543520612.jpg">
K obaw oo House
Irving B./Yelp

Yangmani

Enduring Korean barbecue specialist Yangmani treats intestines on the same level as primal cuts, and the crowds every night as evidence of the restaurant’s popularity. Owner Jennifer Choi, who also owns Ong Ga Nae in Koreatown, and has recently expanded Yangmani to Rowland Heights, is always ready to get creative with her dishes, including a stellar kimchi fried rice studded with nubs of crisped gopchang.

Kimchi fried rice with gopchang from Yangmani in Koreatown.
Kimchi fried rice with gopchang from Yangmani in Koreatown.
Matthew Kang

Related Maps

Baidu
map