Park's BBQ has very good meat. Start with the thin brisket, make sure they get a charred edge. Dip into sesame oil and salt. Good energy too. Very packed. Reservations are a must. Do not confuse this Park's with the same-named Park near DTLA which is a Filipino BBQ joint (decent not great, sorry).
Chosun Galbee has the best architecture (feels sort of like a resort) but very stingy with the pan-chan (the side dishes). It's all about the meat (good) and the high ceilings and monochromatic linen tunics. But it doesn't have a fun energy. It's to impress visiting parents at graduation.
Genwa has the best-looking (and tasty) array of side-dishes (I think 20+ comes with each meal) and the main food very good too. It's decor is easily one of the most "presentable"
for, ahem, westerners. Closest to LACMA, Tar Pits, Petersen.
One thing to amuse you, is that there are Koreans who judge a restaurant by its side dishes (the former
Sa Rit Gol on Serrano/Olympic was champs, didn't hurt there were multiple grandmas behind the kitchen curtain) rather than the "main" stuff.
I'm quite fond of
BCD. It's an LA/stateside invention that has a fan base back at the motherland and reverse-sprouted offshoots there... friends from Korea have (amusingly) insisted on visiting even on 1 night layovers. It's not an "event" eating outing... so may not appeal to non-Koreans so much. It's normal (Korean/non-bbq) food (specifically, tofu stew in many variations) done simply and well, with no fetishizing, and yes probably a little bit of industrial scale editing. Emphasis on the tofu, which imo is very satisfying. Order the
soon doo boo (tofu stew) with the beef+shrimp broth, or just go all spicy; then be sure to crack the egg into it and let that cook (not completely) while you try their pickles and fermented salty briny teeny sea creatures coated in pepper sauce. The original/main location on Western near Normandie is full 24/7... great hangover food just go see the groggy crowds at 5am thru bkfast time.
Agree that
Din Tai Fung here isn't as good as Taipei. But that falls into the category of First World Problems. My mother blames this on the fact that US health inspectors won't allow the dumplings to be steamed in bamboo baskets (stainless here). If you look at the menu you will see each item is numbered (1 thru 99-ish) but a few numbers are missing... If you go to Taipei the menu has every number. Still the sauteed string beans are superb; blistered and crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Chinese gastronomy is all about texture. Then again so are sandwiches and good salads. But I digress... what's wonderful about all the food at DTF is that you can taste Every Different Ingredient that makes up the whole dish (try the pork and shrimp shu mai); unlike crappy C-food that tastes like brown sauce smothered every nuance.
I know this is a bit late to the game... but if driving to SLO... go half hour further west to check out
Montana de Oro State Park... the bluffs are One Of The Most Beautiful Places on this coast. Even if you just have an hour, park by the white ranch house (good historical display inside) and walk/bike the bluffs... they do not disappoint whether sunny, rainy, or cloudy. Very family friendly. Nature is truly awe-inspiring. You will probably see a ton of wildflowers along the way, and there, this time of year (the "Oro" comes from the wildflowers).
Quote:
Originally Posted by buldogge
I think I found that KoreaTown list I was looking for...Can anyone give any input about these recommendations from the article???
TIA
-Mark
BCD Tofu House. $$; 3575 Wilshire Blvd.; bcdtofu.com
Chosun Galbee. $$$; 3330 W. Olympic Blvd.; chosungalbee.com
Dansungsa. $; 3317 W. Sixth St.; dansungsausa.com
Elephant Snack Corner. $; 901 S. Western Ave.; 323/734-3359
Gook Hwa House. $; 3525 W. Eighth St.; 562/714-8562
Ma Dang Gook Soo. $; 869 S. Western; 213/487-6008
Park’s BBQ. $$$; 955 S. Vermont Ave.; parksbbq.com
The Prince. $$; 3198 ½ W. Seventh St.; theprincela.com
|