Two LA Korean restaurants have been named to Eater LA’s list of the ‘38 Best Restaurants in LA.’
Eater LA released its latest list of the ‘38 Best Restaurants in LA’ on the 6th, selecting Koreatown’s ‘MDK Noodles (Myeongdong Gyoja)’ and ‘K-Team BBQ (Gukdae Gopjip).’
Located on Wilshire Boulevard, MDK Noodles is a Korean restaurant specializing in kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and dumplings.
Eater LA introduced MDK Noodles’ kalguksu, noting that its defining features are a chicken broth simmered for a long time, chewy noodles, topped with minced chicken, green onions, and pork dumplings.
Other representative menu items highlighted include jjolmyeon with gochujang sauce, boiled or fried dumplings, and bibimbap featuring bulgogi.
Particularly noting how the restaurant fills up with customers, Eater LA described it as feeling like “Koreatown’s living room,” praising the sight of local residents enjoying dishes like kongguksu, tteok mandu guk, and kalguksu.
Eater LA also shared an insider tip: MDK Noodles sells its chicken broth separately, allowing customers to freeze and utilize it at home.
Another Korean restaurant, K-Team BBQ, received high praise for its authentic Korean-style pork-centric barbecue.
K-Team BBQ was launched by Jennie Kim, who has operated Park’s BBQ, one of LA’s representative Korean restaurants.
Eater LA evaluated that while there are countless Korean barbecue restaurants in the LA area, K-Team BBQ differentiates itself through traditional cooking methods and a strong focus on pork.
Representative menu items introduced include thick pork shoulder and thin pork belly, grilled from a frozen state just like domestic Korean barbecue restaurants.
In addition, the detailed accompaniments eaten with the meat, such as pollock roe (myeongran) paste and water celery (minari), also received high praise.
Eater LA evaluated K-Team BBQ as “LA’s best new Korean barbecue restaurant.”
