There is a large amount of culture in LA. One of the most notable being its culture of food. As a Korean living in one of the least Asian-populated states, I visit LA as the closest alternative source of Korean food. Specifically in areas like Orange County, the Asian (specifically Korean) community is very prosperous. You can find everything from Korean doctors and hospitals to Korean grocery stores and stationery shops. But none of those can compare to the Korean restaurants. In no specific order, here are three places a true native suggests you should visit in LA.
1. 진솔 국밥
This place serves a classic Korean dish: Dwaeji Gukbap. Dwaeji Gukbap is soup that is a pork base served with a bowl of rice. This dish is most popularly served in Busan, an area south of Seoul. There is a huge diversity in types of Gukbap even within the dish itself. However, this restaurant had soup which had a very clean finish of flavor to it. The soup was served hot in a stone bowl that kept the soup warm throughout the meal and had lots of pork in it. And any Korean knows that a restaurant is nothing without its banchan. Banchan is the Korean word for side dish and is one of the best ways to judge a restaurant’s professionalism to even the minor details. The side dishes here were Kkakdugi (fermented radish) and kimchi. They were both reflective of the restaurant’s attention to detail even to the minor small dishes. Overall, this place is great for eating a nostalgic hearty meal that never fails to satisfy.
2. 소리마라
One of the most recent and trendiest dishes going around in Korea is called malatang. Malatang is a very spicy soup base, and you are free to put any toppings in. Some of the popular items are: rice cake, fish cake, cabbage, sausage, mung bean sprouts, quail eggs, choice of meat, etc. Malatang is a huge hit for teenagers in Korea and is the number 1 meal to relieve any stress because of how spicy it is. This was the first time I tried malatang and it was definitely a 10/10. This place gave the option to choose the level of spiciness and the amount of toppings that went in with price varying based on the weight of your bowl. It was surprising to see so many people in America enjoy this dish, but it deserves all the credit it gets. If you ever want a taste of this trendy new dish, malatang, 소리마라 is the place to go.
3. 죠스 떡볶이
Tteokbokki. The iconic street food in Korea. One of the most famous foods other than kimchi is arguably Tteokbokki. It is rice cake in spicy sauce normally eaten with other fried food, fish cake soup, and sausage. There are many variations of tteokbokki; the type of sauce and the type of rice cake all make the taste just a little bit different depending on where it’s made. This restaurant, Jaws, uses rice cake made from wheat flour and a stickier sauce compared to a more soupy sauce. Jaws is a must-go on the list of restaurants in LA. You can definitely experience the authentic street food flavor at Jaws by ordering a set of tteokbokki, fried, Korean sausage, and fish cake soup.
These restaurants are only three out of the many popular restaurants in LA. There are definitely lots of choices and the amount of Korean culture you can experience through the food in LA is truly a worthwhile experience. 100% would recommend!
