Also, one more thing about Origin is that it’s on Resy. And given that Ahgassi, Quarters and (soon to reopen) Baekjeong don’t take reservations and usually have long lines, that’s worth noting.
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There’s rice cake chopped up in that patty?
No, tteokgalbi is a beef patty made out of short rib. I believe the tteok part refers to the shape of the meat that’s formed, resembling a version of a Korean rice cake.
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Ah ok thanks for the clarification!
I second the recommendation for Origin. Not sure if it’s the “best” in K-Town but they give you a lot of bang for your buck, although we found ourselves bigger fans of the beef dishes. The beef belly ramen served at the end was also great. Servers were all gracious and prompt. The fact that they accept reservations means that we’ll keep this in our regular rotation.
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Loved KTeam BBQ. The thin pork belly with minari is a magic combination. This being a sister restaurant of Park’s BBQ, the beef options are also really good, the brisket is better here than at Park’s, and the thin sliced rib eye is similar in flavor profile to the now gone Dong Il Jang. The doenjang jjigae is robust and funkier than most places, too.
The last time Park’s tried a pork concept, it didn’t catch on (Don Dae Gam), but hope this place does catch fire cause it’s a lot of fun and definitely a different option to the other KBBQ spots.
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Went to Mapo Kkak Doo Gee because I flagged it on Google Maps at some point and it’s two blocks from my hotel. The braised cod and some of the banchan were underseasoned to my taste, otherwise great. I liked that the default was (semi-, at least) mixed grain rice. $40 with tax before tip. Made me miss Jun Won.
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Who has the best dry (as opposed to soup) noodles or japchae / chapchae?
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Western Doma Noodle. Dumpling soup and japchae (not sure what the latter is called on the English menu, I just asked for japchae). All good. Nice greens (mustard?) in the dumplings, lots of veg in the japchae. Some unusual banchan, like vinegary spinach and al dente green beans. $37 before tip. Took half the japchae for breakfast tomorrow.
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Who has dining at the bar around Koreatown and is open on Tuesday? Besides Genwa.
Melrose/Hancock Park: Marino Ristorante. Dining at the bar with Sal cooking is always tasty. And the spring menu is now available!
Cassell’s?
I was craving some simple beef so I tried Daedo, which is a branch of a Korean chain. The place was almost empty at 8:00 so I thought it was odd that they asked me to wait at the bar while they got my table ready, but it only took a couple of minutes.
So part of their schtick is that this is all waiting for you when you sit down. The kimchi was surprisingly spicy, much more than usual.
They prep the griddle with fat and garlic, then take the garlic out and give it to you in a ramekin. I didn’t really taste it in the meat.
i got the “Daedo Cut.” The eggplant is there to clean the grill if there’s too much fat. The green onion is optional, I guess you have to ask if you want it griddled.
The guy cut the meat with scissors while cooking it and then stacked it on the rack. Not exciting but satisfied my craving.
The fried rice ($9) made the meal. It’s just a thin layer so gets lots of crunch like tahdig or soccarat.
Had a view of the cryovac’d meat. For me, meat in a plastic bag doesn’t really have the appeal of dry-aged.
I thought this was water to refill my glass but it was hot barley tea. Would have been nice if they’d told me and provided an insulated glass for it.
A little soft-serve is included with the meal. It seemed like just simple milk flavor. Good.
I’d go back for the rice! The porridge also sounds interesting, as do some of the other sides.
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Daedo doesn’t get much mention on the LA Board. For a reason.
I’m personally a big Daedo fan.
This is the only detailed report on Daedo I find here.
Totally agree about the quality of the meat being a step down from Park and some others. I wouldn’t order griddled beef again but that rice is so good I’d try some other dishes, maybe the yukgeon. euno said the cold noodles were good.
Went back to Sun Nong Dan because they’re open late and close to my hotel. Wanted something light and this hit the spot. I love that Koreatown has such a wealth of restaurants that this was probably at most the fourth-best version of that dish available at 1 am.
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Just a light 1AM meal
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It really was light. The soup is mostly broth with some cabbage and a few bites of beef.
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