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What to eat in K-Town besides BBQ | K-Town food guide 2026: the classics and what's hot now

K-Town isn't only BBQ. This one comes in two halves: first the classics you'll keep going back to, like Surawon and BCD; then the spots everyone's been lining up for on Michelin, Eater and TikTok the last two years. Plus a one-day route that never touches a grill.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

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  1. 01 | How to read this: the classics vs. the new spots

    The first half is soft tofu stew, braised short ribs, raw crab, soups and cold noodles; the second half is Michelin, the Eater 38, the 2026 openings and the lines everyone on TikTok is in. Since 2024, 108 new restaurants have opened in Koreatown.

  2. 02 | Korean food that isn't barbecue, translated

    Soondubu, soft tofu stew; galbi-jjim, braised short ribs; ganjang gejang, soy-marinated raw crab; seolleongtang, beef-bone soup; dak hanmari, whole-chicken soup. Can't read it? Point at the next table: 'That one, please.'

  3. A1 | The soft tofu stew duo: Surawon, BCD

    Surawon makes its own tofu, and for about $1 more you can swap in black-bean tofu; BCD opened in 1996 and runs 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. The pot hits the table still bubbling, so crack the raw egg in right away.

  4. A2 | Braised and pan-fried: Sun Nong Dan, Hamjipark

    Sun Nong Dan torches the cheese-topped braised short ribs tableside; the old Ham Ji Park closed in late 2025, and a new team reopened it as Sandeomi Hamjipark, so the pork ribs are back.

  5. A3 | Soban: soy-marinated raw crab

    According to Eater, the Parasite crew celebrated here. The server mixes rice and seaweed into the crab shell for you; portions are big, so four people is the best value. No alcohol here.

  6. A4 | One bowl of soup: Han Bat, Jinsol, Jun Won Dak

    At Han Bat, season the milky beef-bone soup yourself with salt and scallions; Jinsol's Busan pork and rice soup is under $20; The Infatuation called Jun Won Dak's samgyetang the best in LA.

  7. A5 | Noodles and dumplings: Yu Chun, Hangari, Myung In, Lee Ga

    Yu Chun was The Infatuation's No. 1 cold noodles of 2026; Hangari's chicken-broth knife-cut noodles, Myung In's fist-size king dumplings, Lee Ga's fresh-pressed buckwheat noodles, and for something lighter, Seogwan.

  8. A6 | A proper spread, and old-school pocha

    Borit Gogae's barley rice spread is about $35 a person, Lasung House does big, thin fried pork cutlets, Dan Sung Sa has skewers and savory pancakes. If the menu says 'spicy,' it means really spicy.

  9. B1 | Danbi: the chef has Taiwanese roots

    Opened in April 2024 in Chapman Plaza, from the same team as Liu's Cafe, and still in the Michelin Guide in 2026. The signature is wagyu zabuton; book on SevenRooms; closed Mondays.

  10. B2 | Lapaba: a Korean-Italian pasta bar

    Opened in February 2026 and landed a Michelin Bib Gourmand right away. Corn cheese becomes agnolotti, kimchi gets stuffed into supplì; the pasta portions run small, so order a few.

  11. B3｜MDK Noodles、Dha Rae Oak

    MDK made Eater's 'Best 38 in LA' in October 2026 and gets called 'Koreatown's living room'; Dha Rae Oak's clay-jar roasted whole duck has to be ordered at least a day ahead.

  12. B4 | Sit-down spots that opened in 2026

    O'Sigye finishes its whole-chicken soup as porridge; Gamaro is the first LA location of a Korean fried chicken chain; a Pyongyang blood-sausage spot opened in September; Jilli does shrimp toast with makgeolli.

  13. B5 | The lines everyone on TikTok is in

    Harucake's mugwort and soybean-powder cake, Out Of Ordi's salt bread that sells out a few hours after opening, Memorylook's Vienna coffee crowned with cream.

  14. B6 | Tea, a ramyeon convenience store, gelato

    Horang brews 20-plus Korean teas in-house; K-Ramyeon is a Korean convenience-store-style instant noodle bar; for gelato, drive north to Bacio di Latte in Larchmont.

  15. 15 | A day of eating in K-Town (no-grill edition)

    BCD soft tofu stew for breakfast → Out Of Ordi salt bread → Jinsol or Jun Won Dak → Harucake → Danbi, Lapaba or O'Sigye → a round of drinks at Dan Sung Sa.

  16. 16 | Two-city mirror

    In Taipei, Korean food is a night of wishing you were in Seoul; in LA, the soft tofu spot that's been open almost thirty years is still here, and a Korean-Italian pasta bar just opened next door. 'In LA, Korean food is a city that grew up on its own.'

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).