Where To Go Nom-ing for Korean Food In LA’s Koreatown

Koreatown, hands down, has a ton of the best Korean food found in Los Angeles.

 This huge ethnic district in the heart of Los Angeles embodies the best of this city’s cultural diversity where one will find not only mouthwatering Korean food but also Japanese, Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and much more. The sprawling central streets of Olympic, Western and Wilshire are teeming with affordable Korean restaurants, trendy cafes, boba bars and chic shopping plazas. When in L.A., look no further than Ktown for guaranteed deliciousness and some serious Korean noms.

Korean BBQ

Chosun Galbee (3330 W Olympic Blvd) is among the most well-known and authentic Korean barbeque restaurants in L.A. with a classy interior and ample seating for large groups. U Cook U Eat (3377 W Olympic Blvd) is also a fun one thanks to its distinct salad bar stocked with traditional Korean side dishes, sushi and fruits.

Coffee

At the intersection of Western and Wilshire are two of the newer, stylish glass shopping plazas, each housing delightful Korean cafes. Caffe Bene (607 S Western Ave) is well-decorated and spacious with yummy dessert options like waffles and smoothies. Right across the street is Tom n Toms (621 S Western Ave) coffee which has an outdoor terrace overlooking Wilshire and yummy lattes. Both are hip, pleasant places to sit down and have coffee with people if looking for a place in town to meet.

Boba

As the biggest Asian ethnic neighborhood in L.A., of course Koreatown is replete with awesome boba joints and dessert shops. Youngsters love passing hours at popular boba Korean cafes such as Boba Bear (414 S Western Ave) and I Love Boba (534 S Western Ave) where you can sit down and order drinks, smoke hookah and play board games. If looking for a more elegant place to something sweet, Coffee House Heyri (755 S Hobart Blvd) is perfect. This charming eatery with beautiful outdoor seating serves many types of the Korean shaved ice called Bingsoo which you should definitely try as well as waffles, lunch menu items and coffee and tea.

Wako Ton-Katsu

Wako (3377 Wilshire Blvd) is an amazingly popular Koreatown staple due to its truly authentic Japanese ton-katsu. Everything from the salad to the rice to miso soup is fresh and you can crush your own sesame seeds before adding in the katsu sauce. With two locations on 2904 W Olympic Blvd and 3377 Wilshire Blvd, if you’re a fan of this fried, pork tenderloin dish Wako is a must that you have to try as soon as possible.

Food courts

And if you can’t make up your mind among any of the aforementioned options, you can always head over to the food courts at the Koreatown Plaza (928 S Western Ave) or the Koreatown Galleria (3250 W Olympic Blvd) shopping centers where anything you order will be mouthwatering and delicious. With lots of casual Korean dining choices such as mandoo, nengmyun and dokboki, it sure beats the pizza slices and Panda Express found at other local malls.

Nadia Cho

Communications Associate

As the empowered female behind the blog: International Women of Mystery, Nadia reps Team JST traveling the world in search of exclusive features on hidden gems and cool hotspots. You can find her exploring metropolitan cities or lounging on tropical beaches.