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    Baroo

    4.6 (215 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndKorean, Bars
    Closed 5:30 pm - 9:00 PM

    Baroo Photos

    BAROO ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Baroo

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    Reviews With Photos

    Wang (5th course)
    Sydney Y.

    My husband and I went here for my birthday celebration and it was a lovely experience! Big note for the lack of parking in the area. There is a paid parking lot nearby, but it's $10 an hour, pretty steep. This place is for sure a fine dining establishment. Impeccable service, nice atmosphere, beautiful dishes. I would say you should really like seafood if you're going to be eating here as many of the dishes were fish based. Overall we enjoyed all the courses, I'd say the 2nd course "yang" was our least favorite. For the 5th course you could chose between pork or beef short rib. The rice that comes with this course also counts as dish #6. Dessert was the stand out to me, super rich and flavorful. They even gave us a little take home bag with some tea to enjoy at home. I'd say overall if you love a fine dining experience I would try this place. However, if you're just looking for a nice dinner, maybe pass as the price tag is very expensive. For 2 people without any drinks it's $250 + tip, so around $300. If you did wine make that $450 for 2.

    Diana C.

    What a wonderful experience! We did the tasting menu with the Korean sool/wine pairing. It was perfect. Each staff member was very knowledgeable, kind, and prompt with each course. The pace was just right, along with the flavors of each dish and pairing being so thoughtfully crafted. If you're a fan of Korean cuisine and open to traditional flavors with a twist, I would highly recommend trying Baroo. A special 'thank you' for the extra care in my dietary restrictions, and making it so I didn't feel like I was "missing out" on anything. I would love to go again and try more things on the menu!

    Grilled Ora Salmon
    Phillip S.

    Food was delicious and plates nicely. The servers were very attentive and explained the dishes professionally. This fine dining Korean influenced cuisine was unique. I would recommend trying the place for a different tasting. The interior was very clean and modern.

    Arthur E.

    Legit modern Korean in a date-y setting. Went for New Year's Eve. Was a little early to our rsvp, so had to wait a bit. Was a smaller spot - so did feel we were stepping over people a bit as folks walked by the small reception area. Eventually got seated at the bar - was cool to see the chefs doing their craft. Ended up doing the makgeolli pairing with the meal. Was amazing to see how many different types there were - honestly thought of the standard stuff you get at a mom n pop Korean shops while having kimchi pancakes. I'm guessing their dishes change up often - but the set menu was really delicious. From the soups to the meats - everything was very balanced and flavorful. Def will be back for another special occasion.

    Parking rate at garey building
    Assunta L.

    This restaurant is located in DTLA art district. Minimalist decor with peace, modern and refined atmosphere. It has six course tasting menu for both regular and pescatarian/vegetarian menu with wine pairings. Reservations can be made 21 days in advance. I enjoyed all the dishes and the flow of the menu. Also amazed to see how the chef connects food with life - there is like an entire lesson behind it. My favorite dish is the black cod and sea food stew but every dish surprises me in terms of texture and taste. I also love the wild mountain green rice with savory entree. I finished the entire bowl of rice. I tried the pescatarian menu and got the lotus root as entree. Crunchy and also nicely plated. Well all dishes are pretty. Dessert rest assured is not super sweet. For parking, we parked at the garey building close by.

    Dessert
    Susan S.

    Tried Baroo since we heard great things about it. Husband made the reservations, so not sure how difficult it is to get a spot. We showed up a little early, and ended up sitting at the counter. The counter is a little uncomfortably low (the chairs are high), but it is manageable. I enjoyed our dinner, but it was a little on the salty side for my palate. The saltiness started with the porridge that came out with the first course and throughout the meal, I found everything to be a little salty. We wanted to add yukhwe tartlette (an add with the first course) but it was sold out, so a little sad. Presentation was very pretty and I appreciated the aesthetics of it. I enjoyed the wine pairing, the sommelier was very informative and I thought everything was paired really well. We added the wagyu option with our meat, and it came out as an additional plate. I had the pork and husband had the short rib, so we tried all 3 meats, and I think short rib was the best. I believe it was 65 for the addition of wagyu (although you have the option of switching the plate for less), and I don't think it was worth the price. I loved how the bill was presented, that was a beautiful presentation with traditional Korean accessory. Made the bill easier to look at, lol. There is a paid parking lot adjacent. There isn't a waiting area so try not to get there too early, it will be a bit crowded near the entrance waiting for your table. Service was fine, we mostly interacted with the sommelier. Not sure if we would come back, but it was a fun meal overall.

    Dae course - black cod w/black bean sauce
    Kelli W.

    Absolutely one of the best tasting menus in LA right now at a reasonable price! My fiancé and I loved our time at Baroo this past week. We came in to celebrate our anniversary and really enjoyed the 7 courses but appreciated how intentional and thoughtful the whole experience was. To start I can't agree more with The Infatuations review that Baroo is so refreshing in comparison to other high end restaurants in LA. It's not stuffy nor formal and felt like a dinner at your hip friend's loft apt. The tasting menu is super fun, inventive, and punchy. Each was presented fabulously and there wasn't a single bite I didn't like. However our favorite was the Dae course which included a fluffy deep fried filet of sole with a black bean sauce, nostalgic but again innovative and unique. The alcohol selection is superb with tons of shochu, makkgeoli, and cocktail options. We opted to share a bottle from Hana Makkgeoli, a brand we've had our eye on for some time. The sommelier immediately took notice and poured us samples from other flavors for us to try! So sweet of her. Overall will definitely be back for the next special event!

    Lobster
    Evelyn T.

    I heard a lot of good things about Baroo and decided to go for my birthday. Their service was excellent from start to finish. They even printed happy birthday on our menus, gave me an astrology poem, and provided complimentary champagne. It's a Korean tasting menu. Our favorites were the black cod, beef short rib, and the dessert! All the dishes were balanced and well made.

    Rebecca C.

    Really nice korean tasting menu in the arts district. One of the Los Angeles Times 101 restaurants. There were 7 courses, although two were combined so felt more like 6 courses- and most of the food was superb! Especially the lobster, beef short ribs, and rice. The service was really good, we asked for one substitute ahead of time and not only did the team remember, but they printed out a new menu with the accommodation. Small reasons for the negative star- gotta say I am nitpicking at this point but since this place is so highly regarded figure it's nice to point few things out: - our reservation was at 5:30, which is when the restaurant opens. there is no waiting area indoor so there was a line of customers waiting outside in the rain before it opens. The restaurant should have maybe some umbrella and/or heat lamps outside for a better experience. -The portion is in the smaller side especially for the price. But definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a culinary experience!

    peads & barnett kimchi brined pork collar and brandt beef short rib ssam
    William I.

    Food was very good for the most part. However, the reason for the 4 stars is the fact that I've never been hungrier after eating a meal, so I had to DoorDash ramen after. It was almost like an extensive appetizer in my opinion. When you first walk into the restaurant it's tastefully decorated and dimly lit. There's a lot of subtle attention to detail with its Korean decorations. Servers were attentive and accommodating. Sunchoke & Pine (7/10): tastes like salami Black Sesame Sool Bbang (8.5/10): great texture Jaetbangeo, Aehobak, jaepi oil, sangchu, gim bugak (10/10): easily my favorite savory dish we had. Lobster (8.7/10): tasted clean for a fried dish and the lobster was fresh Mixed Beans/Job's Tears (2/10): This dish was just bad. The soft bean texture mixed with an unusual soupy taste left a lot to be desired. Soy-braised cod (8.5/10): cooked very well Kimchi brined pork collar (8/10): mainly tasted like Thanksgiving ham, but the sauce and blossom mandoo saved the dish Brandt beef short rib (8.5/10): cooked well Wild mountain greens rice (9.5/10): really nice complimentary dish. Just wish there was more rice because I was starving. Strawberry, pistachio, hazelnut croustillant (20/10): If you guys made this as a consumer packaged good, I would eat this 24/7. Bathroom (10/10). Very clean inside and provides paper towels which is a huge plus. Quality soap. Parking: a bit difficult given the location as it is in the Arts District. Had to settle for the parking structure nearby ($13 for 2.5 hours)

    Starting tasters
    Tiffany C.

    Husband and I finally found the right occasion to dine at Baroo to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary and it lived up to every expectation. We were on of the last reservations of the day but service was top notch from host to wine director to server to a lovely note from the owner. But really, the food spoke for it self. Elevated Korean and not only did it all look good, it tasted amazing. From uniquely Korean tasters to the most lobster tasting lobster to a so so comforting finishing meal of fancy rice and well rested and moist choice of meat with unique sauces. Our only regret was that we couldn't try the pork collar because it was a busy night so it sold out! Some really cute tableware as well if you're into that stuff but it was great experience and would absolutely return. It does help that we already enjoy and are interested in Korean food, but there was nothing we didn't love!

    Pork chop
    Yun C.

    A beautifully balanced evening at Baroo -- the modern Korean fine dining gem by Kwang Uh & Mina Park in LA's Arts District. From start to finish, the meal had an effortless progression -- each dish highlighting the depth and soul of Korean flavors in such refined, thoughtful ways. I could truly taste the culture in every bite. Portions were perfect -- satisfying yet light -- and somehow even cured my indigestion from an earlier not-so-healthy lunch! Loved their wide selection of nonalcoholic drinks (the mulberry leaf tea was divine ). Service was warm and meticulous -- dishes cleared with perfect timing, table kept pristine, very Michelin-style attention to detail. The ambience felt romantic, calm, and zen -- just right for a relaxed 1.5-hour dinner without any awkward pauses between courses. Price felt reasonable for the quality and experience. Highly recommend for anyone who appreciates modern Korean cuisine done with care and creativity. We'll definitely be back soon.

    Beef Short Rib Ssam, Beef & Burdock Jus
    Ken S.

    KenScale: 8.0/10 Visits: December 2025 At the end of 2025, my wife Jun and I traveled to Los Angeles and the Santa Barbara wine region before meeting with Jun's family in Hawaii to spend Christmas and New Years. My biggest target for dining during our stay in LA was Somni (review to come separately), but there were also a few other restaurants I had wanted to visit. One of them was Baroo, which had long been considered a trailblazer of modern Korean cuisine before it really blew up in the U.S. with restaurants such as Atomix and Jungsik. The restaurant behind the husband-and-wife duo of Kwang Uh and Mina Park had gone through a transition from a casual eatery focusing on the fermentation technique to a more structured tasting menu place in the Arts District. Overall, the tasting menu (at $125 per person) was solid with some pleasantly surprising twists. Baroo, which in Korean means the bowls used by Buddhist monks, has a philosophical sensibility to its menu grounded in Buddhism and Taoism. Each course as described in the menu was accompanied by a single Korean and Chinese character representing certain concepts in the cycle of nature. I did wish, though, there were better explanations from the staff on how a dish was connected to the philosophical concept. The opening snacks had some delicious bites like jokpyeon (a traditional Korean dish made by boiling meat cuts with high collagen content to give chewy texture) and black sesame sool bbang (a bread fermented with makgeolli). I was also very fond of the raw jaetbangeo (a type of amberjack) accompanied by gooseberry and pear to give delightful citrusy flavor; it also paired tremendously with the white Gruner Veltliner (more on the wine pairings later). Other dishes, on the other hand, were somewhat predictable. The fried lobster didn't feel particularly special, and I expected a bit more dramatic effect from the use of papaya and dongchimi (a type of water kimchi) on the soy-braised black cod that was otherwise cooked competently. Jun and I split the two main dishes on the menu. Of the two, I preferred the kimchi brined pork collar with pastrami squash slightly more than the beef short rib ssam. We liked the texture of the meat from both dishes, but having been to a number of modern Korean restaurants before, there was no groundbreaking impression from either of them. What Jun actually liked more was the wild mountain greens rice (with gamtae bugak (think crispy seaweed) that accompanied the main dishes based on the way she finished off the entire bowl. We finished the dinner with a dessert of strawberry, pistachio and makgeolli with a side of persimmon. Getting a reservation at Baroo was not too challenging although the dining room was mostly filled during our dinner on a Wednesday night. The dark and stylish dining space offered a nice ambiance; if you want to see the kitchen in action, make sure to get a seat at the counter. There are beverage pairing options with wines, Korean traditional beverages or alcohol-free options. I thought the wine pairing we tried (at $100 per person) was nicely designed in a sense that the wines consistently showed the understated elegance designed to pair well with the food even though the food and wine pairing didn't also strike gold like the pair we had from the jaetbangeo course. Jun and I felt that while the dishes at Baroo were prepared with consistency and thoughtful execution, we would've loved the experience at the restaurant even more if we hadn't been to all these other modern Korean restaurants that blew us away. It still is a solid option if you want to explore upscale Korean dishes at a fairly reasonable price point.

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    Baroo Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Baroo

    Is reservation only or walk in welcome too?

    They don't have a ton of tables so I'd make reservation just to not walk in and potentially wait for a while

    Is a dinner menu course meal?

    There are only two options both of which are set meals (Omakase). Either Protein or Vegetarian. Both are fantastic although the Vegetarian is really interesting and there is nothing like what Baroo can do anywhere.

    Should I order the pork collar or the short rib?

    Depends what type of meat you like. The beef short ribs were delicious!

    Will I leave hungry?

    I have a pretty big appetite and was full by the end. Not stuffed but pleasantly full and satisfied.

    View All 8 Questions

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    Hangari Kalguksu - (LARGE) Hangari Bossam

    Hangari Kalguksu

    4.4(3.2k reviews)
    3.8 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    10 years in business

    Visited Hangari on Saturday evening to try their renown Kalguksu with some friends. I've known that…read morespecific parking lot/strip mall to be a nightmare parking wise, so I bit the bullet and used the on-site valet. There is sometimes street parking but the availability is rough, it's tough to park, and even one of the meters we ended up at just didn't work. They only charge a $5 cash service charge though, which isn't bad. We were lucky to be seated right away, even in a packed restaurant. The restaurant has a surprisingly modern design, and is comfortable for as small as it is. We were quickly served their signature kimchis and barley rice. The kimchi, particularly the yeolmu (young summer radish) kimchi, has a unique flavor profile well suited to their food. We ordered 2 bowls of their plain kalgooksu, 1 bibim milmyun, and 1 tteokbokki. The food came out fairly quickly. The kalgooksu was as expected the star of the show. The anchovy broth brings a savory complexity that seems impossible for a soup made from just dried fish and a few other ingredients. It even has a rich, almost thick, quality to it that is surprising for a fish broth. Their noodles, the titular kalgooksu, have the signature irregularity and chew of knife cut noodles. I appreciate the vegetables that always come in kalgooksu, like potato, pumpkin, and zucchini, which offer an earthy heartiness to the light soup. My only complaint is that the potato is in huge irregular chunks, and is barely cooked, though I feel like I have had this issue with many of the kalgooksu bowls I've had over the years. The bibim milmyun was solid. I think that I prefer the texture and flavor of naengmyeon buckwheat noodles, but the milmyun, which are made with mostly wheat flour, still provide a satisfying chew. The sauce tasted bright and fresh, especially with a splash of added vinegar. It also came with a small side portion of spicy pork and some rice paper to wrap. The tteokbokki was the one let down of the meal. To be fair, I wasn't expecting much out of tteokbokki at all restaurant like this whose specialty is essentially the opposite. I ordered the tteokbokki as a "safe pick" for a picky eater in the group. It turned out to be a bit mediocre in our opinion, and that friend ended up enjoying their kalgooksu anyways. If you're looking to try this dish, it's definitely one of if not the best I've had in Southern California, so I'd totally recommend it. I'll also warn to steer clear of the Garden Grove restaurant of the same name and specialty. I think it's a disappointing mimicry of this place.

    Heard great things about this restaurant so I was very excited to try it while I was in town. Came…read moreon Sunday night at 7pm, and was very pleasantly surprised they had plenty of open tables to seat our party of 3 immediately. What we ordered: - Clam Kalguksu (5/5): this was sooo good! The noodle texture and broth favor was amazing. I would definitely order this again if I come back! - Large Bossam (4.5/5): I absolutely love bossam and this was exactly what I expect when I order bossam. Only reason it's not 5/5 is it's not really any different from bossam elsewhere. Overall, this place is definitely worth the hype and I will be come back when I'm in the ktown area again!

    Photos
    Hangari Kalguksu - Belly and Jowl & Chicken-KALGUKSU

    Belly and Jowl & Chicken-KALGUKSU

    Hangari Kalguksu - Bossam jowl combo

    Bossam jowl combo

    Hangari Kalguksu - (MEDIUM) Hangari Bossam (Serves 2)

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    (MEDIUM) Hangari Bossam (Serves 2)

    Anju House - covered patio seating

    Anju House

    4.4(695 reviews)
    4.5 miKoreatown
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

    It was my first time here. The place is very nice and love the decor…read more The parking is valet or street parking. The service was very good. The chicken was a little in the dry side but overall all the food was good. We will be back!

    I'll start with the positives. The location is very nice. Designed with an elegant, but…read moreminimalistic vibe. I love that, traditional mixed modern social dining feel. I had placed a phone order, for pick up; upon arrival, I found the service was prompt. I saw my food ready to go, just past the main walk-in area. Almost immediately after that, I was taken care of by the host and on my way. I've been waiting to try this place for ages so on the drive back to work I was excited to steal a piece of meat from the bag. Initial bite flavor was good, meat was tender just a bit on the chewy side.. I wasn't bothered by it too much as I'd have to leave it in an oven warmer at work. Trying to keep food warm, in doing so, I knew there'd be only two possible outcomes, melting tender or either tough & dry. So, the dish of meat and rice sat in the warmer for almost an hour hour and a half. The downhill slope.... Set the "meat " on the veggies and began to eat. Meat after meat, I kept experiencing the same exact texture. It was the same exact rubbery chew, I initially tasted. Each and every piece was the same exact flavor. There was no peak, there was no pitfall. If you cook or grill, you know this is a red flag. Normally, consistency would be a good thing, a Master craftsman type experience, but this was NOT it. As go on, I get the sinking feeling, this can't be real meat. I lock in, the deeper I dig, each piece looks the same, broken apart the same, tastes the same, just various shapes. They can call me crazy for this one - I'll stand by it. Something is not right here. I'm not even going to throw it away. I'm going to study it for the next few days and post an updated review. I hope I'm wrong but as of right now, I'll never revisit this place. Too freaky of an experience. We

    Photos
    Anju House
    Anju House - Inside

    Inside

    Anju House

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    Danbi - Wagyu zabuton

    Danbi

    4.5(383 reviews)
    3.7 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$$

    We went shortly after they opened and it got busier as the night went on. The Honey butter chips…read moreare dripping with the honey butter sauce & I wished I had a whole bowl of that. The Grilled jowl was thinly sliced & one of my favorite dishes of the night! The Zabuton came out still sizzling on a bed of onions- I absolutely loved this & it is definitely shareable between 2 or more people. The Scallop pancake had baby scallops cooked in to it- very fluffy & filling, another shareable dish between 2 or more people. The Mushroom bibimbap mixed with the sauce is a great vegetarian dish! Parking- $10 self park in the plaza

    Food Seaweed salad…read more Elevated and the best I've had, easily. The only issue is I can't really eat too much of it. The cherry tomatoes bursted with acidity and umami. 4.7/5 Honey butter chips. I've eaten an alarming amount of chips in my life and I will say these are solid but nothing noteworthy. The chips had no warmth to them and were slathered with decently flavorful honey butter that pooled to the bottom. 4.2/5 Mushroom bimibap - A very balanced dish with cohesive elements. Wish there were more mushrooms as they of course were the best part. The chili sauce was solid but the dish benefitted when we added another half portion of it and mixed it in. 4.4/5 Waygu - A decent flavor (definitely needed the flakey salt), portion and a nice medium rare cook, wall to wall. The steak was not as tender as I hoped it would be and some extra chewing was required. The banchan was all solid. It reminded me of Cote's but actually edible. 4.5/5 Yuzu popsicle - Definitely the best popsicle I've ever had. Refreshing and light. Balanced sweet to sour flavor. 4.7/5 Service A decent job. Good hostess. The steak took longer than expected to come out? Perhaps the kitchen messed it up and had to start over. Either that or maybe the waiters were busy. Or maybe it just takes a while to make it. Not sure. The waitress did the job competently but nothing above that. Overall, definitely not Michelin level service. 4.4/5 Ambiance A little too loud and it affected the entire vibe because I had to raise my voice to speak with the waitress. It became easier to just use nods and thumbs up. Like Cobis, a very modern and upscale restaurant that is hampered by lighting that is too dark. Pictures turned out good because I used another phone's flash. Just a little more light would be so much of an improvement without losing the romantic intent. Bathroom was average. 4.5/5 Overall, I had a solid meal that left my mood elevated. The service or food weren't as good as Cobis, Barsha, Ammatoli, or even Sonoratown - all top LA restaurants, but still worthy of a experience and I may return. 4.5/5 I would highly recommend Chois in San Diego as an extremely similar modern Korean fusion restaurant that also had better food, service, and ambiance. That place was 5/5 in every way.

    Photos
    Danbi - Inside bar

    Inside bar

    Danbi - Perilla Cild Noodle

    Perilla Cild Noodle

    Danbi - Pork cheek

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    Pork cheek

    Kobawoo House - Kimchi Jjigae

    Kobawoo House

    4.3(1.6k reviews)
    3.3 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$

    What more can I say? This K-town staple consistently delivers when you're craving Korean cuisine…read more We started our meal with a generous portion of Haemool Pajeon (Seafood Pancake), which arrived sizzling on a hot plate reminiscent of a Chili's Fajita Plate. Next came the main attraction: the Bossam Plate, featuring simmered and cooled pork belly sliced to perfection. When you wrap all the other ingredients together, they create the perfect bite. Just after the Bossam Plate hits the table, a bubbling cauldron of Kimchi JJigae (Kimchi Stew) follows behind just in time to help wash down the delectable bites of bossam. Don't forget to order some rice because you'll need something to soak up the stew which turns the rice into a whole meal by itself. The service was jovial and welcoming, and like other Korean establishments, they have a handy-dandy button that jolts the attention of every server working whenever you're in need of service. The small space is very cozy, just the way I like it when I'm visiting with my loved ones. They don't have an extensive menu, just the OG staple items, but I feel the taste has improved over the years. I wish Kobawoo were closer to where I live, or I would be here this weekend, but perhaps it's a good thing we're so far apart.

    This place has been here for so long, I haven't been here in yrs! I was in the area so I decide to…read moredo a take out for lunch to take home for me and my family, such a disappointment! $76.80 for 3 dishes and what a puny portions these are, like a kid's portion. Very small kimchi maybe one or two bites. Three orders that I'm surprised that they give such a small amount of banchan. How can establishment justify this high priced meal for such small portions? God and I drove all the way from South Bay, stuck in traffic for almost 1 1/2 hrs of this. Maybe this is the type of place you should dine in only?? Do not ever do take out here! The food in general was just ok. Nothing special and Kimchi soup was very salty. Threw all 3. Wow, what a waste of money. Very disappointing... I guess I won't be coming here ever again.

    Photos
    Kobawoo House - Popular place. Had to wait 30 minutes for a table for 6 on a weekday at 6:15pm which is not bad!

    Popular place. Had to wait 30 minutes for a table for 6 on a weekday at 6:15pm which is not bad!

    Kobawoo House - Lunch Jangban Guksoo

    Lunch Jangban Guksoo

    Kobawoo House - Jangban Guksoo Vegan

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    Jangban Guksoo Vegan

    Borit Gogae - Dwenjang

    Borit Gogae

    4.4(510 reviews)
    4.1 miKoreatown
    $$$

    Be prepared to walk away feeling very full. We got the set meal here, which came served with…read moreappetizers, barley rice, a lot of banchan (and by that I meant a LOT), soup, congee, dessert, etc. It was definitely more than enough food. We also got an additional order of LA kalbi for some protein. The meat quality was good but I felt like the meat was not marinated long enough and so the flavor was a little bit lacking. If only it just sat in the marinade for a couple more hours, I think this would have been perfect. The tofu soup was not my favorite, to be very honest. There was some flavor in there that made it smell like a stinky towel. Very different from other soondubu soup places and unfortunately not for me. Everything else we had was excellent and I would definitely come back again just for the barley rice and banchan. Service was quick and servers were nice. We also came at 3pm on Saturday so there was no wait. Recommended!

    Across the street from the new Zion market is this wonderful and unique Korean eatery. Unlike most…read moreof the run-of-the-mill Korean restaurants in Koreatown this restaurant serves unique appetizers and a multi-course set menu that gives you a taste of a variety of authentic Korean village food - like pumpkin porridge and acorn jelly salad. It's a lot of food for the price ($35 pp at this writing). While the minimum order is for 2 people, we've tried sharing the 2-people order among 3 and it worked for us, with addition of a couple of other items from the menu. The Korean BBQ beef is at par with most other nice restaurants in K town; their marinated crab was delicious! Service is okay - given how busy they are! Most servers are not very conversant in English so a little patience would help you get the right things you need. Nice and unique vibe with Korean handicraft items and art work on display (and for sale, I believe).

    Photos
    Borit Gogae - Restaurant decor- art work and Korean figurines

    Restaurant decor- art work and Korean figurines

    Borit Gogae - Barley rice mixed with side dishes

    Barley rice mixed with side dishes

    Borit Gogae - Grilled spareribs

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    Grilled spareribs

    Ham Ji Park

    Ham Ji Park

    4.2(1.8k reviews)
    3.7 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$$

    Really sad that Ham Ji Park is closing down permanently. For years, this place has been our…read morefamily's go-to place for pork spare ribs - the best in town. In fact, we regularly brought visitors here. They raved about how good the spare ribs were and even insisted that their last meal before LA should be at Ham Ji Park.  Here's my belated review of what I consider the best spare ribs in LA. From the moment the Korean-style spare ribs arrived at the table, it was clear this was a dish worth savoring. Each rib bore a beautifully charred exterior--deeply caramelized without a hint of bitterness--offering that irresistible smoky aroma the moment it was placed before us. The glaze was nothing short of spectacular. A perfect balance of sweet and spicy, it clung to the meat with a glossy sheen that promised flavor in every bite. There was just enough heat to make your taste buds sit up and pay attention, but it never overwhelmed the deeper, richer notes of the sweet components. But what truly set these ribs apart was the texture. Beneath the charred surface lay meat so tender it practically fell off the bone with the gentlest tug of a fork. Each bite was juicy and succulent, the result of careful cooking and a respect for quality ingredients. Ham Ji Park, you will be missed. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for the food.

    tl;dr the delectable pork ribs overshadow the otherwise authentic but standard lineup at this…read morenow-shuttered Korean stalwart Los Angeles Koreatown is home to restaurants that specialize in every facet of Korean cuisine. If you're searching for some of the city's best pork, then those in the know will bring up Ham Ji Park. For 2 decades, generous platters of pork ribs and pork neck stew decked every table. Now, our Korean friends lament the loss of their favorite pork joint in the city. The Koreatown proper location is located in the Royal Plaza mini-mall, just a few blocks off bustling Wilshire. Discounted parking is available in a lot across the street from the Chevron gas station. From the street, the entrance is flanked by potted plants and an enclosed street-ery. Inside, stainless steel chairs are pressed up against wooden tables, each outfitted with a metal grill. Oppressive fluorescent lighting shines down on the stone grey walls, which are left undecorated apart from a few flatscreens. Multi-lingual chatter blends with the sizzle of platters. I visited with some friends for a weeknight dinner, and about half of the tables were occupied. We shared a spread of grilled platters and sizzling soups. The meal began with a carafe of barley tea and a mostly standard spread of banchan. Across our food, the best dish was the signature Charbroiled Pork Spare Rib. The ribs were flavorful without feeling gamey, and the meat was complemented by sweet caramelized onions. The pork ribs handily outdid the good-not-great Charbroiled Beef Short Rib. Lastly, the Milt and Cod Rose with Vegetables stew was fishy and briny, appropriately flavored for the Korean palate. The service was appropriately attentive, although I would've appreciated more intentional refills of our banchan ramikens. The rib plates cost upward of $35 each, while the soup was just under $30. The portions were hearty; a single entree platter could reasonably feed 2 moderately hungry bellies. It's a shame to hear that Ham Ji Park has closed; I'm kicking myself for not trying their pork neck stew earlier.

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    Ham Ji Park
    Ham Ji Park
    Ham Ji Park

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    Baroo - korean - Updated May 2026

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