Chef Ahn Soo-ah has brought her Michelin-starred expertise to a new culinary venture with the grand opening of Hwangtae, a specialty restaurant focused on dried Alaska pollock, located at 3498 W 8th St. in Los Angeles. Following a soft opening period that began last month, the eatery has quickly gained a loyal following thanks to its signature dish: a rich, comforting soup made with premium dried pollock simmered in a 48-hour bone broth.
Before launching her own concept, Chef Ahn served as the executive chef for eight years at Jungeun, a renowned upscale Korean restaurant in Koreatown that earned a spot in the LA Michelin Guide for six consecutive years. Making the bold transition from fine-dining meat dishes to a specialized, traditional ingredient like hwangtae represents a deliberate choice to introduce authentic Korean flavors to a broader audience.
Hwangtae is crafted by repeatedly freezing and thawing pollack during the harsh winter months, resulting in a uniquely chewy texture and deep, savory flavor. At Hwangtae, all ingredients are directly imported from South Korea to maintain authenticity. The menu centers around the classic hwangtae soup, alongside variations like hwangtae soft tofu stew, hwangtae dumpling soup, and hwangtae seaweed soup. In addition, the restaurant offers seasonal jeon (pancakes) and rotating seasonal jeongol (hot pots) designed to capture the flavors of each changing season.
