Los Angeles · Cuisine
Korean
Koreatown barbecue, pork ribs, Busan gukbap, noodle shops, soy crab, soondubu, stew houses, and a classic pojangmacha for anju and soju.
Los Angeles Koreatown is one of the densest Korean dining districts outside Korea. The headline format is tabletop barbecue, but the neighborhood also runs on kitchen-grilled pork ribs, Busan-style pork rice soup, cold soybean noodles, knife-cut soup, soy crab, soft tofu stew, stew houses, bakeries, late-night rooms, and wooden-booth pojangmacha taverns built for skewers and soju. Start with the dinner you want (premium beef, charcoal, pork ribs, gukbap, kongguksu or kalguksu, soy crab, soondubu, galbi jjim, or anju after dark), then pick a restaurant page below.
Focus areas: Koreatown
Restaurants
Park’s BBQ
$$$$Koreatown
Premium Korean barbecue on Vermont Avenue; staff-grilled beef and a long-running Koreatown benchmark.
Quarters Korean BBQ
$$$Koreatown
Modern Koreatown barbecue in Chapman Plaza with quarter-pound portions and first-timer-friendly energy.
Soban
$$$Koreatown
Small Koreatown room for soy-marinated crab, galbi jjim, braised black cod, and a serious banchan grid; no tabletop grill.
MDK Noodles
$$Koreatown
Wilshire Boulevard knife-cut noodle and dumpling shop for kalguksu, cold jjolmyeon, pork mandu, and garlicky house kimchi.
Ma Dang Gook Soo
$$Koreatown
Western Avenue noodle shop for cold kongguksu in soybean milk broth, hand-cut kalguksu, and big solo-lunch portions.
Sun Nong Dan
$$Koreatown
Koreatown 24-hour stew house for blowtorched cheese galbi jjim, seolleongtang, and galbitang on Western Avenue.
Surawon Tofu House
$$Koreatown
Olympic Boulevard soondubu house for daily house-made tofu, black-soybean upgrades, and stew combos with short rib or soy crab.
Dan Sung Sa
$$Koreatown
Sixth Street pojangmacha tavern for charcoal skewers, kimchi pancake, cheese corn, and soju until late; a Koreatown nightlife landmark since 1997.
Sandeomi Hamjipark
$$Koreatown
Sixth Street revival of Ham Ji Park for gochujang-glazed pork ribs and gamjatang; kitchen-grilled, scissors at the table, mountain portions.
Jinsol Gukbap
$$Koreatown
Third Street Busan-style dwaeji gukbap for long-simmered pork rice soup, suyuk belly slices, and kimchi stew you season at the table.