Los Angeles’ Koreatown is known for its barbecue, but the selection can be overwhelming. As any Los Angeles neighborhood guide will tell you, Korean barbecue is about as prevalent as Starbucks, and it’s often hard to keep the best ones straight. If you’re looking for Korean barbecue that is out of this world, here are a few places to try.
Oo-Kook is all you can eat, but don’t expect your run of the mill King Crab cafe. This place is known for its fine selection of high quality meats, including beef belly and octopus. The service has more to be desired and they’re a bit stingy with their side dishes, but who needs a few extra dishes of banchan when they’ve got all they can eat Korean barbecued beef?
The Honey Pig is known for using domed grills, which catch the pork fat for a more savory dish. Slabs of samgyeopsal (pork belly) are cooked in the center, surrounded by kimchi and bean sprouts cooked in a river of pork fat. Make sure you arrive on an empty belly, however. The meal ends in a series of rice dishes topped with pork belly, kimchi, and bean sprouts.
Dha Rae Ok has a reputation for clay pot duck casserole, as well as its barbecued duck, cooked on rotating grills fueled with a combination of propane and charcoal that perfectly chars the meat. They offer some of the best barbeque in Koreatown.
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