Anyone who goes to Pepperdine knows that finding good and proper food in Malibu and Ventura County is akin to looking for water in a desert during drought season; and anyone who knows me knows that I love ethnic food with a real kind of passion -- I was brought up (very liberally) in a (very) traditional Chinese and Indonesian household in Jakarta. Unfortunately, many of the best traditional Chinese and Vietnamese establishments are tucked far away in the San Gabriel Valley, and there is not one Indonesian or Malay restaurant that does its cuisine any justice whatsoever. Not to worry, though, as L.A. has more than a handful of gems of its own. Thrillist ranked Ktown the 11th food neighborhood in the USA. This list is expansive and still growing, so thankfully, this isn't the last you will see of these eats. This week on the Food Hunt: Koreatown, Los Angeles.
1. "Traditional" Korean
Beverly Soon Tofu House
God bless you, Madam Monica Lee.
I first heard about Beverly Soon Tofu House from Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown series, in which, interestingly, he only ate in Ktown. Nothing says Korean food more than a hot bowl of soul-igniting soup served lovingly by matronly Korean "aunties" - it feels just like home. Served with the obligatory selection of Kimchi (pickled cabbage) and side dishes, the sundubu jjigae (tofu and Kimchi soup) set is enjoyed with rice, with the option of your choice of spiciness, and a hot-plate of your choice of protein. If you are hungry, there is also a small selection of other dishes. The soup is the highlight and it is so rich that it almost seems as though it was made with a perfectly prepared roux (it isn't). They make a pretty mean Bibimbap (clay pot rice) too. A big plus is that Beverly's is never too crowded and I've only had to wait twenty minutes, tops.
Beverly Soon Tofu Restaurant $$
2717 W Olympic Blvd #108, Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 380-1113
Hours: 10:30am to 10:30pm daily
BCD Tofu House
While no restaurant can ever dream to match Beverly Soon Tofu's sundubu jjigae, that is usually the only dish I have there. For its large selection and for being open 24/7, the BCD Tofu House chain of restaurants gets an honorable mention. It is the perfect teaser to Korean Cuisine, serving almost everything Korean, from stir-fried rice cakes to herbal chicken soup. The food is quite refined for a busy chain restaurant, and is my go-to after a night out in L.A. Do avoid their kimchi soup; It lacks richness and is too lightly seasoned. Just go to Mdm Lee's place for that, seriously.
BCD Tofu House $$
3575 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 382-6677
Open 24 hours
2. KBBQ
For the uninitiated, Korean Barbecue is usually an all-you-can-eat-styled meal where raw cuts of meat are cooked on a grill, usually built into the tables.
Hae Jang Chon
That special clay pot grill I've been raving about.
Hae Jang Chon is one of my favorite KBBQ places, although I absolutely abhor dining there, because the wait sometimes takes a full two hours of your life. But not without good reason. The secret to their barbecue is the fact that instead of a steel grill, the food is cooked in a large clay pot - this allows for a lot more heat to be transferred to the food resulting in caramelization on a scale I have not seen elsewhere - the meat is instantly seared, leaving a golden-brown crust which seals in the juices on the inside; hot, but still tender. After you are done with your food, rice can be cooked on the grill, the rendered fat of the meat imparting flavor and crispiness to the rice. There is an all-you-can-eat menu, which means you can order and eat your own weight in volume (yes, please). You can also bother the aunties to cook your meat for you, but I usually do not as they are always already serving three or four tables at pace. In addition, their Kimchi is surprisingly refined and very excellent in my opinion.
Hae Jang Chon $$
3821 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 389- 8777
http://haejangchon.com/new/
11am to 2am daily
Yakiniku Yazawa
Tell the kids to look away.
Korean Barbecue specializes in the provision of voluminous of food for voluminous appetites. However, if you do have a voluminous wallet, or just happen to have your parents around, look no further than Yazawa. This restaurant isn't even in Ktown but it is by far the best barbecue I have had in L.A. The restaurant is eponymously named after a famous Japanese butcher. What sets this place apart is their in-restaurant butchery and meat distribution, which allows them to serve the highest quality A-5 Grade Black Wagyu, in their very own unique cuts. This allows for unreal marbling and thinness. The cuts shown above were the Yazawa-Yaki and, believe it or not, they only took four seconds on each side to grill. The meat is dipped in a sauce of raw egg yolk, and all I can say is wow. Descriptions cannot adequately describe how good it was. Top quality ingredients, presented simply and unassumingly. Like watching Jimi Hendrix live, but without his famously ear-piercing feedback.
The atmosphere is understandably fancy and a tad bit pretentious, but it is a small price to pay for the experience. Be sure to try out their beef tartare as well, and if you feel lost as to what cuts to order, there is also their dégustationmenu.
Yakiniku Yazawa $$$$
9669 S. Santa Monica Blvd, #2, Beverly Hills, CA. 90210
(310) 275-2914
5 to 11pm Tuesday to Sunday
3. Korean Fried Chicken
Kokio Chicken
Crunch crunch.
It's a lot like KFC, but turned up to eleven. Crispier, spicier and tastier, Kokio serves a good selection of chicken in a good amount of crispy and spicy variations. it even comes with the boneless option. The side dishes are rather mediocre, so I would only order the chicken and then go for a second, more balanced meal elsewhere.
Kokio Chicken $
3977 W. 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90020
11am to 11pm daily
4. Live Seafood
Wassada Restaurant
They crawl down your throat.
Korean sushi places are not for the faint-hearted, but for those willing to take the plunge, it can be an interesting experience. The sushi is prepared moments before being served - the live octopus I had was practically alive as it squirmed and sucked on my chopsticks and then my gullet. However, the freshness is no joke. Sashimi served in conventional sushi restaurants is usually days old (except on Thursdays and Fridays when most restock on their seafood) and hence, is soft and mushy, while live sashimi retains the crispy and hearty texture of fresh meat. Wassada serves quality seafood, including oysters, abalone and other shellfish.
Korean sushi places are not for the faint-hearted, but for those willing to take the plunge, it can be an interesting experience. The sushi is prepared moments before being served - the live octopus I had was practically alive as it squirmed and sucked on my chopsticks and then my gullet. However, the freshness is no joke. Sashimi served in conventional sushi restaurants is usually days old (except on Thursdays and Fridays when most restock on their seafood) and hence, is soft and mushy, while live sashimi retains the crispy and hearty texture of fresh meat. Wassada serves quality seafood, including oysters, abalone and other shellfish.
More interestingly is that the meals always come with complimentary side dishes, of which there are many. Understandably, this volume of food fits perfectly in the drinking culture of the Korean community - it is an energetic and boisterous crowd. However, you can be sure to be fully stuffed by the time you leave.
Wassada Restaurant $$$
377 N. Western Ave, Larchmont, CA 90004
(323) 464-3006
3pm to 1am daily
