Amazing food, atmosphere, and service. The starters were all great and ingredients all complimented each other perfectly. The pasta was cooked to perfection with the lobster being my favorite. The. Dessert. Their pavlova the most heavenly pavlova I've ever tried and it was the perfect way to end the meal. read more

Great dining experience. Loved the vibe and interior. It's mostly counter seating with some high table or low table options. If you choose the low table, the counter will be higher up. Something to keep in mind. All the staff were amazing, very attentive and knowledgeable. I loved the sake, you can order by glass. Milk bread rolls 10/10 Hamachi crudo 10/10 !! One of the best renditions of h.c I've ever had. Get it with the caviar. It was perfection. Very unique/balanced/umami. Fried chicken drums 10/10 so yummy sweet, spicy. Loved the pickled radishes. Calamarata and kimchi 7/10 not what is described. Capers, shrimp, lemon...but the pasta was red sauce with squash ‍ pasta bit undercooked. Agnolotti with cheese corn 10/10 so delicious and decadent Orecchiette and sausage 10/10 this was our fave BTS dessert 10/10 we didn't do the caviar suggestion but if u can splurge do it bc i think it would pair beautifully with the creamy truffle soft serve. So yums Will definitely return. read more

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Clarification: My review is 2.5 stars, but Yelp does not allow half-stars. Like most LA restaurants, parking is valet ($14 for our evening reservation). Like other reviews here mention, the restaurant space is thoughtfully designed. We were party of four, and an initial surprise was the staff's recommendation. We were advised to order 5 pasta dishes along with 4 appetizers, which may give you a sense of the small portion sizes. Most pasta dishes were $20-$25. The temperature of one of the pasta dishes, the galbi jjim, was off. The burrata corn crema, with a sweet potato base, was delicious. All four of us enjoyed our one forkful of it. Finally, one aspect of the experience that did not sit quite right with me was our server's description of the Bucatini & Amatriciana pasta dish as an "elevated jjajangmyeon." For context, I am Korean & part of a Korean immigrant family. Jjajangmyeon is a cultural icon of affordability and convenience. It is comfort food, it is tied to childhood memories like graduation, & a meal to share after a long day of moving into a new space. For the pasta to be described as an "elevated version" of the dish by the server -- rather than a reinterpretation or reimagining, as one might expect from a fusion restaurant -- felt like an odd choice of words. The irony is that jjajangmyeon itself is already the product of cultural fusion, first created by Chinese restaurateurs in South Korea. Yet, I would personally never describe jjajangmyeon as an "elevated version" of Chinese black bean noodles. It is a distinct reinterpretation that, over time, became its own beloved tradition. And based on the rather unimpressive Bucatini & Amatriciana itself, I have to say that this pasta dish is nowhere close to becoming another successful fusion story. All this to say, I am leaving 2.5 stars, because the service here was otherwise pretty efficient, and the other pasta dishes were OK. I am deeply aware that my prior experiences and cultural background have uniquely influenced the way I perceived this restaurant. Don't let my personal perspectives deter you from giving this place a try. I still see the restaurant to be potentially fitting for a first date spot or an intimate birthday dinner. read more

We had high hopes for this place but was very underwhelmed. We came a little bit after grand opening, but our server had to ask other servers what some of the dishes tasted like, as she hasn't tried them before... We were encouraged to order 3 appetizer and 3 types of pastas for two people. Good thing we only ordered 2 of each. The food was okay, the flavors were not anything special especially for the price per dish. We were expecting bolder flavors for the description our server told us about. It didn't taste like Korean-Italian fusion but more like Italian pasta with a very small hint of Korean flavors. From everything we ordered, the best dish was the chicken lollipops we had as an appetizer. There was a pretty long gap between the appetizer and the pasta which was surprising as it wasn't that busy inside the restaurant. We probably won't be coming back, but glad we got to try it. read more

Came here for a girls' dinner on a Friday evening and managed to snag a 5:30pm reservation (reservations seem to go pretty quickly here). The space is beautiful inside, with lots of natural light and an elegant, modern atmosphere. I started with the Jeju Mule (soju, matcha, ginger). I was looking for something not too sweet, and it was refreshing, but honestly it didn't taste or feel like there was much alcohol in it. I'd probably just get a non-alcoholic drink next time. The food, however, was excellent. Burrata Con Crema (satsuma sweet potato, sweet soy, chili crisp) - 9/10 This was such a good combination of flavors and textures. The sweetness from the sweet potato paired perfectly with the savory soy and chili crisp. One of those dishes that immediately makes you want to recreate it at home. K Meatballs (bulgogi meatballs, milk bread, truffle tomato sauce) - 9/10 These were fantastic meatballs. Super tender, juicy, and well-seasoned. I didn't get a ton of bulgogi flavor specifically, but they were delicious regardless. The milk bread was fluffy and warm, and perfect for soaking up the tomato sauce. Seasonal Salad (spring peas, charred green garlic, Meyer lemon, peanuts) - 9/10 A simple but really well-executed salad. The peas were fresh and sweet, the lemon added brightness, and the peanuts brought great crunch and nuttiness. Radiatore & Galbi Jim (short rib ragu, shiitake, red wine) - 8.5/10 I had never seen this pasta shape before, and it was perfect for holding onto the rich short rib ragu. The short rib was incredibly tender and flavorful. A great dish overall. Agnolotti & Cheesy Corn (smoked scamorza, brown butter, thyme) - 9.5/10 My favorite dish of the night. I love cheesy corn at KBBQ, and this felt like a creative, elevated version transformed into a pasta. The sweetness of the corn, gooey cheese, and brown butter thyme sauce worked so well together. I'd come back just for this. The only thing that held the experience back a bit was the service. We arrived around 5:45pm, and the host immediately informed us that another reservation was coming in at 7:15pm and that we'd need to be finished by then. Later, she came back and said they were able to seat that party elsewhere, so we didn't actually need to rush after all. I understand they're busy and trying to manage reservations, especially since we arrived 15 minutes after our reservation time (which is still within their grace period), but the whole interaction felt a little awkward and could have been communicated more gracefully. What made it stranger was that all of our starters came out quickly, but there was a long wait before the pastas arrived. So if we had ended up needing more time at the table, it wasn't really because we were lingering. I wasn't sure if there was a kitchen delay or an order mix-up, but it definitely stood out. There were also a couple small service moments that felt off. At one point, plates were cleared while there was still some bread and salad left on them, and no one asked if we were finished first. Nothing major, but enough that I noticed. I wouldn't call the service bad, but more disconnected than anything. Maybe it was just an especially busy night or an off day. The food itself was absolutely worth the visit, though, and I'd happily come back to try more of the menu. If you're into Korean-Italian fusion and creative takes on familiar flavors in an elegant setting, Lapaba is definitely worth checking out! read more

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Super underwhelmed despite having had high hopes for this spot. We arrived for our 6:15 reservation on a Friday a tad early but were able to be seated when we arrived at 6. Most of the seating is high top seating at the bar but it's a fun ambience. We were encouraged to order 3 appetizers and 3 pastas for 2 people. They claim the pastas are about 75% the size of a "normal" pasta dish so that you can try more. We opted for the chicken lollipops, k meatballs, and seasonal salad for the apps, and chose 2 pastas - the calamarata & kimchi, and the tonnarelli & lobster. We figured we could order more if desired. The appetizers came out altogether and quite quickly, which was nice. Sadly though, nothing really felt special. The food was also somewhat lukewarm. Nothing tasted inherently bad, I just never had that moment of "yummy!" Onto the pastas. The two pastas arrived nearly at the same time as one another. I enjoyed the texture of both pastas. But again, flavor and temperature were disappointing. We left somewhat full, not stuffed. We were originally going to order dessert but decided to skip and go down the street for cheaper (and likely better) instead. The food was underwhelming, and this coupled with the tiny portions made this a disappointment, especially at the price point. Service and vibe were the main redeeming qualities. We won't be returning but happy to check it off our lists. read more

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We had 3 different pasta's along with sides and salad. I'm a huge pasta person and I thought that the pesto one was too leafy. Everything else was very good. read more

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I had such high expectations and I was so disappointed. I don't like big portions but the portions here were tiny! And the pasta wasn't as good. I took a friend and spent $160 including tip and came out hungry. Also it was so hard to make reservations on open table but the restaurant was half empty. But it is a cute restaurant with mainly bar seating. It is a nice place to meet up for drinks, small plates and dessert. The dessert was really good. But I definitely wouldn't be back for dinner. There is valet behind the building but you have to walk around. read more

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At the edge of an edgy hood sits Lapaba taking up the whole corner. Drop the key fob off with the Valet for only $12 and duck inside. Two Hostees will check you out, check you in and confirm your reservation. The space is Euro-minimal, sleek and slick. The decor is as lean an #9 Spaghetti and as modern as Tokyo Central Train Station. White Subway tiles and brass accents, a snake-y marble bar contouring the curvy space, two four tops and a wide open kitchen that anchors the room. That's it. Speaking of the kitchen, this crew is all brass, bold and confident. The game plan is a serious mash up of Korean flavors, condiments, and spices layered over, around, and on House Made Pasta. The Chefs cut their teeth (and Tonnarelli) at Osteria Mozza. A dedicated Pasta Room sports a large window with a dangle of Pasta making implements worthy of Marcella Hazon's kitchen. Chef McKenna and Chef Matthew know their way around noodles and are making Nancy Silverton proud (and wealthier). A squadron of Black Shirted Line/Prep Cooks keep the water at a rolling boil and the K-Sauces at a simmer. A loop of BTS, Stray Kids and Twice fuel the energy without eclipsing diner's table chat. The vibe is pleasant and a good mix. Settle in and have a cocktail or two. It's Wine, Beer and Soju here but that leaves plenty of room to be playful and creative. They can mix up some fine signature drinks with just Matcha, Soju and Yuzo. You know, all the stuff you have laying around your pantry or haven't seen since your kid moved most of it to his locker at school. I decided to keep it simple. A Soju Yuzo Sour was all of that plus a splash of Simple Syrup to balance the acidity. Served short it was just what I (anybody) needed. The Staff: Ready, willing and helpful to interpret the menu and or nudge you in the right direction for dinner choices. Manny introduced himself. "I'm here to give you the spiel". "Spiel on", I replied and he did. Manny needed no urging. He promptly rolled out 15 minutes of A-material and K-Schtick while peppering his set with recommendations which were all spot on. The concept here is "family style". That could mean Grandma's tried and true comfort dishes or a full flat out food fight including a hail of dinner dishes depending on family dynamics. Here it's all civilized with the emphasis on shared plates of great food. Manny watched carefully during my dinner and timely coursed out a wonderful meal. First out were house special K-Meatballs. The kitchen showed some brass balls with this opening move. Delicious Bulgogi mixed with a little Milk Bread "Golf Balls" with a hint of Truffle and a sledge hammer of perfect Hot House Tomatoes reduced to a lovely thick sauce and ladled over my tender balls. (So to speak). Fried Chicken made an appearance. Half a dozen little Drumette Lollipops brushed with a sticky Sweet-ish Chili (Calabrian) Sauce. Enjoy them with the cup of Pickled Daikon Cubes and dip in the Yuzo Ranch. However, the Chicken was tasty but the skin quickly lost it's crisp-osity. I am used to Fried K-Chicken crackling crunchy enough to require replacing a few fillings or at least days of flossing. The Tteobokki (Rice Cakes) are usually chewy tubes. Not there. These little bite sized bits under a mantle of fresh grated Old and Young Pecorino Cheese (Cacio e Pepe style) were as soft as pillows or your Momma's Gnocchi. These should be offered by the bucket. The Little Gem Salad was a gem indeed. Stacked Leaves drizzled with Doenjang (a thick savory Soybean Paste similar to Miso) and several tablespoons of crisp Gim (Seaweed) standing in for Croutons and all topped with Shaved Parmesan Cheese. Lovely. The Garganelli & Pesto was made with Perilla, (from the Mint family), the freshest Sugar Snap Peas and Toasted Pine Nuts. This was re-imagined Pesto as fresh as an entitled Gen Z'er. The Bucatini Amatriciana had Roasted Guanciale lardons withut a speck of any fat. A deep rich dark long simmered Bean Sauce stood in for Crushed Tomatoes. Finally, a dusting of more Parmesan Cheese made this the most memorable dish I enjoyed at my memorable meal here. The Orrecchiete with House Made Fennel Sausage was poached from Osteria Mozza and every bit as good as the version you'll find there. A hat tip to Nancy Silverton. Finally, the Tonnarelli with Lobsta chunks took center stage. Mixed with Chili, Ginger and Lobsta Jus this dish was nothing short of terrific. Lapaba...come to Papa! read more

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I hate to say it, but I was a bit disappointed overall. It's quite expensive for how small the portions are. The HAMACHI CRUDO and K MEATBALLS were good. For the pastas, we had the BUCATINI AMATRICIANA, AGNOLITTI WITH CHEESY CORN, and TONNARELLI WITH LOBSTER. Of the three, the agnolotti with cheesy corn was the standout, but all the pasta portions were quite small. Our favorite part of the meal was actually dessert--the PAVLOVA was the clear winner. We also tried the TIRAMISU-GARU, which was just okay. It's currently quite hard to get a reservation, likely because it's still new. The decor is lovely and the service was great, but the food itself felt a bit underwhelming for the price. ENJOY! PS: It's either metered parking or valet in the front. We were blessed by the parking gods. :) read more

The fusion I didn't know I needed - Korean x Italian flavors just work so well together. The meal exceeded all expectations. - Burrata con crema: a strong start to our meal. I'm not a sweet potato person but I enjoyed my 2 small bites very much (the dish was tiny lol) - K meatballs: bulgogi meatballs, tasty and moist, loved the milk bread that came with it - Charred broccolini: pleasantly surprised by the bold flavor if this seemingly simple dish - Cacio e pepe rice cakes: this just makes so much sense! i'm so surprised i never thought of making this myself - Agnolotti & cheesy corn: it's obvious that corn agnolotti is having a moment in the food scene. this is a very nice iteration of the dish. - Bucatini & amatriciano: think jjajangmyun with guanciale. our faveeeee dish of the whole meal. Still thinking about it - Radiatore & galbi jjim: a very familiar flavor of short rib pasta, nothing too special. could've skipped this. *all of the dishes are in smaller portions We loved our server, impeccable service by Jeff. Truly a pasta bar, most of the seatings are at the bar top (great for date nights) with 2 high tops in the corner for larger groups. Disappointments: We ran a few minutes over the grace period, dm'ed on ig because there was no phone number to call, still couldn't get a hold of the restaurant so when we got there, our table was already given away and we had to get on the waitlist (1.5 hours wait). Please have a working phone or a reliable way for patrons to contact the restaurant. I wish the wine glasses weren't stemless glasses. read more

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Fancy pasta bar vibes in Ktown. Went for a weekend dinner. They have valet (though I ubered to not deal with the parking situation). Had reservations and was seated at the bar right away. It wasn't crowded but almost every seat was taken. Drink-wise, there's beer, wine, soju and soju cocktails, and makgeolli. Food-wise - there's some appetizers, salads, and pastas. You order about 2-3 dishes per person and share. Ended up ordering a bottle of makgeolli, burrata con créma, little gem caesar, garganelli & pesto, radiatore & galbi jjim, and agnolotti & cheesy corn. Got our makgeolli, along the burrata and salad pretty quickly. The makgeolli was pretty good - more on the lighter (both flavor and texture) which made it pretty easy to drink. The burrata was neat with the sweet potato situation, but was a bit overpowered by the sauce. The caesar salad was good and had great texture with the tiny croutons. The pastas came out shortly after our dishes were done and replaced. The garganelli was cooked well but think the pesto was a little too light. The radiatore was great - meaty, hearty flavors without weighing you down. The agnolotti was also pretty good - good texture and flavor. For dessert, we ended up with the tiramisu-garu and pavlova. The tiramisu was really cold - almost gave ice cream cake vibes. The flavor had a bit of brisk ice tea to it (in a good way). The pavlova was fruity and light - pretty good as well. Overall - was a good time and good food. One caveat is that all the kimchi dishes do have shrimp in it - so if you are allergic, you'll have to avoid them. I may switch out a few dishes if I came around again (probably the burrata and garganelli) but wouldn't mind coming back! read more

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Went to celebrate a birthday! Great ambiance and service for a place in koreatown but my expectations may have been too high for the food. The portions are smaller, but I prefered it as we were able to order lots of things and try a little bit of each. We ordered- Kimchi suppli - didnt love this as much, it would've been better with more cheese inside Fried chicken - this was pretty good! Cacio e pepe rice cake - would not order again, lacked the flavor I was expecting Radiatore&galbi Jjim - this was good, tasted like a ragu pasta I've tried somewhere else Agnolotto&cheese corn- this was definitely my favorite! I'd go back just for the agnolotto! Tiramisu - it was a bit too soggy for me, probably wouldn't order next time. read more

Lapaba - Italian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Cool concept and a great date night spot or to meet up with a group. We came on a Sunday night with a reservation. Majority of seating is at their bar area, with a few tables that could fit parties of 3-4. Everything was great and totally shareable. Between the 2 of us we tried: - market salad - hamachi crudo - kimchi suppli - k meatballs w/ milk bread - radiatore + galbi jjim - agnolotti + cheesy corn - orecchiette + sausage - pavlova (must try) My standout bites were the k meatballs, radiatore and pavlova. The meatballs and radiatore were familiar Italian flavors and just a rich flavor overall. The pavlova is a new dessert item and it was the perfect balance of freshness, sweet, and nuttiness from the black sesame. My only critique is the agnolotti was a bit too buttery for my liking and I was hoping for more cheesy flavors. I also wish the corn was incorporated into the sauce more. Great flavors and textures though. Cant wait to come back and try other items such as the fried chicken, burrata, and cacio e pepe rice cakes. read more

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Came on a friday night before rush hour with a reservation and was promptly seated at the bar, which takes up essentially the entire restaurant. (Hence name la pasta bar) I ordered k meatballs, chicken wings, agnolotti cheesy corn, radiatore, and orecchiette with sausage, and a tiramisu-garu. The k meatballs and chicken wings were really tasty starters. The k meatballs tasted like your typical bugolgi but with the texture and spices of italian meatballs. The chicken wings were cooked nicely and the sweet spicy sauce reminded me of korean fried chicken. The pastas were very much on the smaller side. The agnolotti cheesy corn was very very cheesy with hints of corn here and there depending on how much corn I picked up with the spoon. The orecchiette and sauage was on the saltier side but good texture. The radiatore was very delicious with a nice strong meaty ragu. I stuffed the ragu inside of the radiatore and it was a mini flavor bomb. Tiramisu-garu tasted like how it sounds. A mix of tiramisu and misugaru. Overall, decent food and better than what I was expecting. I was told the owners were the same as norikaya next door, which was horrendously bad and overhyped for handrolls. Luckily, this spot is actually worth visiting. Service was exceptional. If you were picking between lapaba and norikaya, skip norikaya and come here. read more

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I really wanted to love this place but unfortunately I left feeling something to be desired. Mostly more food. I don't really enjoy when a server tells you how to order, especially when their recommendation is to order to share. And then the plates to share are smaller than what should be enough for one person at the same price point as a normal sized dish. I guess I would feel differently if the food was amazing but everything was kind of underwhelming. At least for me. The only positives for me were the service was fast and friendly, and the decor was nice. Other than that, I can't justify giving this place my money and leaving hungry. Sorry, Nancy. read more

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Interior is 10/10. Definitely pro-level design. Valet or street parking available. Mule: Solid and refreshing. Wine: Minimal list, but every bottle is a banger. Broccolini: Ssamjang sauce is a game changer. Super tasty. Crudo: Mid flavors with a clean cucumber finish. Pasta Breakdown: Galbijim Ragu: Very solid. Kimchi Calamarata: Sauce was a bit too aggressive. Corn Agnolotto: A little too sweet for me. THE MVP: K-Meatball & Bread. Literally melts in your mouth. Best dish of the night. Service: Good! Bottom Line: Go for the aesthetics, stay for the meatballs. read more

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This place has intrigued me long way before they even opened their door, then in the early opening days it's just too busy to even get a reservation especially as I was aiming for weekend. I finally gave up and picked a weekday dinner. Finding street parking would also test your luck certainly. The venue setting was interesting with one long marble-top counter table so you could tell small-size group would be more ideal. Thankfully the menu was quite brief so at least eased the decision making. Most of the were meant for sharing so you could try multiple dishes, but portion wise it's more on the smaller side. We got their Fried Chicken as starter, served with Calabrian Chili and somewhat reminded me of Thai Chili Sauce. It was good and I loved the idea of refreshing yuzu ranch dipping, making it distinctive but I would say the chicken itself was moderately good. The radiatore was cooked al dente and the wine flavor stood strong in the sauce. Generously served short rib ragu was lovely, but I got it when people said to not expect it to remind you of signature Korean flavor, which I certainly didn't mind knowing it's fusion anyway! read more

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Was excited to try this place once it opened. There are only 2 small tables over on the side and the rest is bar seating only. I loved the chic ambiance of the place and how lengthy the wraparound bar was. Service was amazing. The server was friendly, attentive and timely, and stopped to check on us and even made conversation with us after we had closed out and he was no longer obligated to. The rating is for the food, unfortunately. The servers here warn you that the pasta serving sizes are a little smaller than you'd expect and you're meant to order multiple entrees and apps in order to feel full. We ordered 2 apps and 2 pastas for 2 people. We got the fried chicken and the bulgogi meatballs. Even if they were both nearly $20 appetizers, I thought both were pretty solid. The fried chicken was well cooked and had a great sauce on it. I thought the yuzu ranch on the side was unnecessary. The bulgogi meatballs did have distinctive Korean flavors and the bread it came with was soft. The pasta which is the main entrees was where we fell short. We got the cheesy corn agnolotti and the radiatore galbi Jim. Both pastas were overly salty, but the radiatore extremely so, to the point where both my partner and I had to force ourselves to finish it. I could tell the agnolotti was handmade and loved the texture of the fresh pasta, but beyond that it was simply drowning in brown butter soup, not a good way. The texture of radiatore + the overly salty meat + sauce was just an overwhelming combo. I would have given this 4 stars but felt that if both of us found an entree to be so overly salty it is off-putting and hard to eat that's a pretty basic issue and a big markdown. Each entree was $25 for a smaller portion so we decided we didn't want to try a dessert priced at $14 after that. The apps and drinks are great though! Maybe it was just an off night. read more

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Definitely expected more from this new spot and left disappointed. Like another review I read, it felt like the ingredients were there, but the intention was not. My favorite dish was the sweet potato burrata, mostly because I do appreciate unique pairings and this one worked. Caesar salad was decent, but nothing impressive. Milk bread that we got with the meatballs reminded me of grocery store bought buns, sadly. Cacio e pepe rice cakes - would advise against getting these if you know what tteok texture is supposed to be like. These were soggy and didn't hold shape. Agnolotti and garganelli were prob the best pastas, but weren't good enough to make me want to come back. I liked the garganelli because perilla is a flavor I really dig. For the price and portion size, our group was pretty disappointed, unfortunately. Either lower the price to match what is being served, or up the quality of flavor and presentation. read more

A Nancy Silverton restaurant in Koreatown serving up Korean Italian dishes? Say Less. To preface I'm going into this with a Korean palette, and the rating is more 3.5 than 4. First tip make a reservation on OpenTable. Second tip they have valet, but if you get lucky u may find parking on 6th or along western going north. Good vibes in this place w the music and ambiance. Not sure if its a great place for group dinners, moreso a date vibe or just a nice spot for friends w all the counter seating. Cocktails were tasty, but if you want something stronger than soju you'll have to look elsewhere. We're here for the food tho, so lets get it: Burrata Con Crema: This was tasty, a little confusing, but make sure u get a proper bite with everything and it might be your vibe. If you like sweet potatos I'd say try it. Spicy Tuna Tonnato: this one lacked any type of flavor and was just fishy tasting. Wanted to send this one back. Big miss here. Cacio Pepe Rice Cakes: This one was an experience and one of the favorites. Their rice cake pasta is so chewy but w a perfect bounce, and the cacio pepe flavors loud and clear this stuck out from the rest. Seasonal Salad: This was quite standard, and nothing to write home about, but in reality what salads really are? Now to why we're here the Pastas! We got a special i forgot what it was but it was topped w a lobster tail of some sorts, but this was full of buttery and lobster flavor. Pasta was nice and al dente, def recco this one. Agnolotti & Cheese Corn: Another W here. Perfect Agnolotti, and the cheese corn filling was a great representation of italian and korean flavoring coming together in a dish. Radiatore & Galbi jjim: The pasta here was on point, but if you're familiar w galbi jjim the flavor here was a bit confusing because it tasted like something, but to the korean palette it def wasn't a familiar galbi jjim flavor profile you'd expect. Different, but also a bit bland. Bucatini and Amatriciana: This was a bit of a letdown. I love Jjajangmyeon and was excited for this but while the pasta was perfect, the flavor was bland, and if you included a bite of the guanciale it turned into a completely overpowering porkly flavor bomb. Honestly prob a better choice to just cook the pork fat from initial fry and incorporate it into the sauce. Would skip this Chapaghetti hits better. So the big takeaways: Mostly very subtle korean flavors. Great date night spot w smaller portions, Cacio Pepe Rice Cakes, Agnolotti Cheese Corn, and the Lobster Bucatini Special are reccomendO, and a great bridge to intro non koreans to some korean type flavor profiles. I know when places start out theyre fine tuning so, as of right now this is a place worth trying at least once, and I'm down to come back to try some future offerings. read more

Finally was able to get a reservation after some time if trying, so was really excited to finally get to try out Lapaba. Got there and was seated immediately at the counter. Drinks are more wine, beer or soju based, so skipped the cocktails this time. Appetizers, we tried the K meatballs, fried chicken and cacio e pepe rice cakes. The K meatballs were a bulgogi meat with truffle tomato sauce and a side of milk bread. The meatballs were nice and most inside, but needed that tomato sauce to give it a little extra flavor. The milk bread was disappointing, tasting like normal bread. At least it didn't taste like any milk bread I've had in the past at other places. The cacio e pepe rice cakes were very underwhelming. There is a pecorino crisp on top of soft, moist rice cake bites. Just felt like it did not come together if this dish. And I was really excited for this one. Finally was the fried chicken, which are little drummettes, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside coated in a glaze and gives with a yuzu ranch dipping sauce. Those were great! Entrees, we tried the Bucatini & Amatriciana as well as the Agnolotti & Cheesy Corn. The agnolotti was very tasty, a nice creamy smoked scamorza inside with the thyme and brown butter sauce on the outside. My knock here is I wish the corn had been a sweet corn to pair with that savory cheese inside. Feel the flavor would have popped more. The bucatini had a lot going on with the pecorino and crispy guanciale with the sauce from the jiajang. Noodles were cooked well, had the right amount of aldente to the pasta. Just a nice and flavorful dish. Overall, a newer Korean Italian fusion restaurant in K-town serving up since interesting dishes. They didn't all with for us, but the fried chicken and the bucatini were very good. The agnolotti and meatballs were also good. Skip the rice cakes, they were not it. read more

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Korean food is one of the hottest cuisines sweeping Los Angeles. And one of the most anticipated new openings in this category is Nancy Silverton's Italian/Korean pasta bar Lapaba. We were lucky to snag a rez at this soon-to-be hotspot, helmed by Mozza alumni McKenna Lelah and Matthew Kim, and backed by restaurant royalty Silverton, Robert Kim, Joe and Tanya Bastianich. Although we visited just 3 days after its soft opening, the food, service and ambiance were flawless. And thanks to our server Manny, who patiently explained the various ingredients and cooking techniques, it was not just a taste sensation but an education. The small but accessible menu introduces Korean cuisine via popular Italian comfort foods. Portions are gently sized and priced to allow lots of sharing and sampling, so order away! For starters, i recommend the fried chicken "lollipops" in a Calabrian chili sauce with yuzu ranch dressing and pickled radish cubes, crispy fried Suppli stuffed with mozzarella and kimchi, and a Caesar salad with doenjang (miso) dressing that completely transformed the dish. And save room for the headliner: house-made pastas like Garganelli with parilla (shish leaf) pesto, Orecchiette with gochugaru (chili pepper) penne sausage and the decadent Corn Agnolotti stuff stuffed with smoky scamorza cheese. One note: Tucked into a narrow corner building at 6th and Western, the majority of seats are at the bar (which extends the length of the slim restaurant space and faces an open kitchen). There are only two standard tables accommodating 4 or 5. So plan your visit and dining companions accordingly. Highly recommended. read more

Lapaba - Corn Agnolotti - Italian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Amazing food and service, warm and inviting - can't wait to come back! I tried a bunch of dishes and actually while the staff recommended 2 pastas and a starter I went with a starter, the K. meatballs and the Orechiette with sausage - all really good! I couldn't even finish it all! Portions are great to share. The BTS for dessert is a must! Truffle soft serve with brown butter crumbles... WHAT? Totally works! Warm and fun ambiance! And lively music with friendly service. Parking is a bit tough on the street but there is valet as well or lots with a bit of a walk. read more

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Food was really delicious. New and creative ways to enjoy flavors I'm familiar with. Their innovative takes on Korean ingredients and flavors with Italian cuisine was really awesome. Want to come back to try more things. Service was great and the ambiance is actually quite vibey with dim lights and nice interior design. The burrata con crema was my favorite. Super delicious. That would be my must-try read more

Lapaba - Fried Chicken - Italian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The interior of the restaurant was so cute, very aesthetic and vibe pass. Service was good, the host was the best she's super nice and cool. Food wise, we got the fried chicken, and the sweet potatoes with the mozzarella so so good 10/10. Broccolini was 6/10 the sour taste of the whipped tofu was really good. But the pasta, maybe just me but the galbi pasta n the lobster wasn't my cup of tea. Not quite a fan of the lobster pasta especially. But overall I say everything was great except for the pastas. But I would definitely come back to try their other pastas !! read more

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Located in ktown, this is a small space that is mostly bar seating (hence the name La Pasta Bar), with 2 four-seater tables on the side. Street parking on Sunday was not an issue. The dishes are on the smaller side, so it's a nice way to try more things. We ordered for 3 ppl (and ended up stuffed): - k meatballs: this was the most meh dish of the meal, comes with milk bread but not as fluffy and soft as normal milk bread, didnt add much to the dish. The meatballs themselves were well cooked, good hearty sauce, just nothing special from meatballs you would get at a typical Italian restaurant. - fried chicken: this dish was so tasty and the yuzu dill ranch sauce makes it extra special - brocollini: well cooked, tender and sauce was super flavorful - pesto pasta: perilla leaf shiso sounded interesting and tasted good, and pasta was perfectly al dente, but was missing something - needed more sauce (more pesto?) or an extra flavor to elevate it - agnoletti: delicious, that space with the corn and little pasta pillows was chefs kiss - lobster pasta: my fav of the night, most expensive and they have limited quantity. They were not stingy with the lobster, pasta noodles perfectly cooked, with delicious sauce that was lick your bowl good. - short rib pasta: generous ratio of meat to pasta, short rib was super tender and the radiator is perfect for capturing all the sauce and meat. - truffle soft serve: perfectly truffley without being overwhelming, nice crunch of brown butter read more

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Lapaba is, like my children, a Korean-Italian mash-up born from the rich cultural soil of 2020s Los Angeles. It's an outstanding restaurant in the heart of Koreatown, helmed by a husband-and-wife chef team who met at Osteria Mozza. Nancy Silverton provided her guidance and blessing, and the Mozza restaurateurs their backing, along with Robert Kim of Mama Lion, also my friends' cousin who I used to see out in the KTown clubs in the late aughts. We live within walking distance of 6th and Western and eagerly anticipated this opening for months. We jumped on OpenTable as soon as reservations became available and got a spot a few weeks out, for a Wednesday night at 8:30. It's a small place and so far very popular, so if you want to go at a normal dinner hour, plan ahead. Lapaba is a Korean-style abbreviation of "la pasta bar," and that more or less sums up the idea. It's an upscale but informal restaurant where almost every seat is at a long, curving bar. Great for parties of two, probably awkward for anything bigger unless you can get one of the small tables. The space is attractive, modern and attentively designed. Seems like the right vibe for a third date. Service is casual, across the bar. Our waiter Jeff was a warm, helpful host, and cheerfully answered every diner who asked how he'd injured his finger, which was in a splint. The pace was fast, definitely faster than we prefer when we have free babysitting, but in keeping with Lapaba's feel and concept. We were in and out in a little over an hour, and I think it would be hard to linger much longer than that. The pasta bar does serve alcohol. Wine, beer, soju, makgeolli, sake, and a few low-alcohol cocktails. We brought a bottle of wine and paid the $50 corkage. We were still working on our wine when dessert was served. The food was superb, both creative and delicious. The burrata con crema was a unique burrata dish, a ball of milky soft cheese over a roasted satsuma sweet potato, finished with sweet soy and chili crisp for a good dose of saucy Korean salt and heat. The fried chicken was exceptional, five crispy, juicy chicken lollipops served with pickled radish, Calabrian chili, and a ridiculously tasty yuzu ranch for dipping. We got three pastas, and the portions were small enough that this felt like the correct amount for two people. The garganelli and pesto was my favorite, and one of my favorite pastas in all of Los Angeles. Beautiful garganelli in a vibrant green pesto, served with perilla, sugar snap peas, and pine nuts. The snap peas were cooked perfectly and really made the dish. I also loved the agnolotti and cheesy corn, with smoked scamorza, brown butter, and thyme. The bright pops of sweet corn kernels were lovely with the rich, comforting pasta. The radiatore and galbi jjim was nice, too, if the least memorable of the three. Bouncy radiatore with short rib ragu, shiitake, and red wine. For dessert, we had BTS: black truffle soft serve with brown butter. Light and lush, with a distinctive black truffle flavor that worked well with the milk and sugar and buttery crumb topping. I wouldn't leave Lapaba without getting a cup. When the check came, it struck us as eminently reasonable for the amount and quality of food we ordered. I guess with pastas as entrées, the most expensive item on the menu was the $25 radiatore (though you can add caviar to a number of dishes, should you feel so inclined). The price point and bar set-up make Lapaba easy to visit, and I'm optimistic that the math works out in the restaurant's favor. I hope it stays on that corner for many, many years. I plan to go back as often as possible. read more

Had a fantastic dinner at Lapaba tonight. If you like bold flavors in a sleek, modern setting, this is the place for you. Started the night with a refreshing matcha yuzu drink and tried a bunch of dishes with my friends. The ones that I loved were: little gem salad, charred broccolini, pesto garaganelli, and my fav dish: cheese corn agnolotti. Finished it all off the a refreshing pear bingsoo, and I loved the touch of salted almonds. Also, dinner was really affordable. I've become so accustomed to overpriced restaurants that it was surprise and pleasant to find a reasonably priced one with appetizers starting at $15 and pastas starting at $20. Would highly recommend for anyone looking for a fun night out! read more

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K-Town finally has proper pasta and it's everything. Husband and wife team, Chef McKenna Lelah and Matthew Kim (Osteria Mozza alum) have built something genuinely special, where Italian flavors meets Korean soul.. Start with the burrata. It comes with satsuma sweet potato, sweet soy, and chili crisp, creamy, completely addictive. Then the fried chicken: Calabrian chili, yuzu ranch, daikon, yummmm. The handmade pastas are the main event. The garganelli with perilla pesto and sugar snap peas is bright, fresh and somehow feels like summer. The agnolotti is stuffed with cheesy corn, finished with smoked scamorza, brown butter, and thyme, rich but not heavy. And the orecchiette with fennel sausage, gochugaru.. This is my second time at the restaurant and you have to save room for dessert! The black truffle soft serve, tiramisu, and strawberry shortcake is a must.. This is the kind of place you'll want to come back to before you've even finished your last bite. If Lapaba isn't in your K-town rotation yet, fix that. Yes, chef! read more

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NOTE: Dined in on 3/12/26. Closer to a 3.5, but I didn't want to round up. Parking can be challenging, so good luck! Based on the OpenTable availability, Nancy Silverton's involvement (as an investor), and all of the press, it's safe to say that Lapaba (La Pasta Bar) was quite an anticipated restaurant opening. Chefs McKenna Lelah and Matthew Kim, a married couple whose love story originated back when they worked at Silverton's Osteria Mozza, lead the helm at an establishment that presents Italian food with a Korean twist. It's a beautiful space with an open kitchen design, but also quite limited in seating. Beyond the signature bar, there are are a handful of other tables that can fit parties of 4. Service was quick and friendly, but here's a very important note for anyone dining here: Appetizers seem to come out very quickly all at once if you don't say anything. And the entrees will not be served until the staff has noticed that you've finished your appetizers. It's not inherently a bad thing, and I'm not knocking their rating down because of it. But I think it's important for them to relay that info to customers because my dining companion and I like to save some of the appetizers to mix in with the entrees. While that might not be the norm for many people, it was a bit jarring when we were waiting around so long for our pasta after putting our appetizers to the side and no one had checked in on us the entire time. I eventually had to flag down a server and ask, which is when he kindly explained what was going on. Thankfully the pasta only takes a few minutes to prep, so it's not so bad! Anyway, to the food: Little Gem Caesar - served with doenjang (similar to miso) and torn gim (seaweed - like nori) croutons. Deonjang flavors came out quite strong and overall the salad was almost a little too salty, but I still enjoyed it. The croutons were a little bitter for my dining companion, but I didn't mind them. I still probably wouldn't order this again, because I don't feel like it's different enough from a good Caesar salad. It's serviceable, but nothing special. K Meatballs - Again, serviceable and the sauce was actually quite tasty. It's a truffle tomato sauce, but the truffle oil or whatever thrown in there wasn't too in-your-face. Meatballs are suitably soft, but I didn't really notice too much of the bulgogi flavor. The milk bread that it came with was very tasty though! Sorta like a Hawaiian bun. Probably wouldn't order this again. Fried chicken - Not super crispy since they're doused in sauce, but cooked pretty well and easy to eat since they're like lollipops. Really strong sweet ginger sauce. Didn't notice the Calabrian chili much. The yuzu ranch was REALLY good, though! Another item I still wouldn't order again. Radiatore & Galbi Jjim - Meal turned around the moment this dish came out. We were waiting so long for this to come out that I totally forgot to take a pic. Radiatore is a fantastic pasta shape for the red wine sauce and meat (prepared as a short rib ragu). It was cooked perfectly al dente, which a good bite/chew to it. Definitely the best dish by far. BUT I will say that if someone served it to me and didn't tell me the name of the dish, I would think that it's just a good short rib ragu served with radiatore in a red wine sauce. While I would order it again, I don't think it's a dish that does the whole Korean/Italian thing justice. It did encourage me to come back to try the other pastas, though! Tiramisu-garu - misugaru (kinda like a mixed grains powder), makgeolli (a type of rice wine), and black matcha. This is one of my favorite tiramisus. It's actually very similar in construction and texture to Giovanni's. It's also super boozy, so be mindful of that if you're not a fan! The misugaru comes through and it's very comforting to me personally, since I love the taste of it. If you haven't had it before, it's usually sesame/black sesame-forward so almost a little peanut-y. I would come back just to order this dessert and nothing else! Or maybe throw in a pasta too, I guess. So yeah, a mixed bag here... the appetizers were not to my liking, but the pasta and dessert were quite good. I'd come back, but maybe not anytime soon. It's also quite expensive, unfortunately. read more

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INCREDIBLE. First off it's a gorgeous space, I love the bar style seating facing an open kitchen. My friend and I got the kimchi suppli, cacio e pepe rice cakes, calamarata and kimchi pasta, and radiatore. Dishes were innovative and unique, packed with flavor. One thing that REALLY stood out was the BTS, a black truffle soft serve are you kidding me, I woke up the next morning still thinking about it. Service was lovely, he offered great recs and checked up on us the entire meal. read more

i like that this place is almost entirely bar seating. there are only two tables at the end of the long bar. the bar is where the action is. you can see into the kitchen from many of the bar seats. the operation is very efficient and pro. spotless pans even! the service was lovely. food is italian with korean flair. the broccolini with ssamjang was excellent. the arancini type things were very crispy on the outside and creamy goodness on the inside. calamari pasta was al dente and tasted like a puttanesca sauce - more italian than korean. the nattie wine i had was excellent. i had to have the tiramisu-garu dessert. the creamy part is like a cold custard. the misugaru gives it a nutty profile that meshed well. got a taste of the truffle soft serve which was really good too! read more

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Ambiance was cute, service was great, food was delicious although some better than others. For apps we got the k meatballs and hamachi crudo. The k meatballs (especially the sauce for us) was really good. The crudo was fun with the mustard greens but I feel like I've had better hamachi crudo that hits the spot more, it wasn't tangy and punchy enough for me. Pastas we got the kimchi shrimp one, galbi, mushrooms, and corn. I'd rank galbi as #1 and would recommend getting. Followed by mushrooms & corn as close seconds. I really like the blackberry sauce in the mushroom pasta. The corn one was sweet and really yummy too but I like the corn agnolotti from cento better. The kimchi one was just ok and if I came back would not order it again. P.s. valet being right where street parking was made it really hard to stop, we had to circle a few times because we couldn't get the valet guys attention and didn't want to stop in ongoing traffic. Luckily found street parking when we were circling to valet. read more

Finally got to land a reservation tonight so the husband and I decided to go for an impromptu date night with our lil baby! Lol Right away, we were greeted by the warm and friendly hostess who got us a nice section of the bar that could accommodate our mini stroller. Jeff was our server and he was wonderful & super kind. We got both the matcha and yakult mocktails, the gem lettuce and cacio e pepe rice cakes for apps, the corn agnolotto, pesto, & lobster tonnarelli special, as well as both tiramisu & BTS desserts to share between the 2 of us & everything was delicious and fresh. You can definitely taste a bit of the Korean flavors in some of the dishes like the doenjang as the dressing of the Caesar salad and the makgeolli in the tiramisu. Chef McKenna & Chef Matt even got to say hi to us & our baby, which was so sweet! Definitely left dinner so full and happy! Also, their playlist adds to the already great ambiance! Will be back for sure to bring our friends (minus baby this time :) read more

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I went to Lapaba a couple of weeks ago after finally snagging a reservation right when they opened. I live just a few blocks away and had been excited to try it ever since I saw construction start on the corner. The space strikes that perfect balance being elegant yet casual, making it ideal for a date night. I sat at the bar, which I'd definitely recommend. The menu is more tapas-style, so it's great for sharing and trying a variety of dishes. I can't believe the only photo I took was of the fried chicken drumsticks, but the ambiance was so nice that I didn't want to disrupt the vibe by constantly taking pictures. We also ordered the meatballs, Little Gem Caesar salad, radiatore with galbi, agnolotti and the cheesy corn. Every dish was flavorful and well-executed. We ended with the black truffle soft serve, which completely stole the show. My boyfriend talked about it for days afterward! read more

Lapaba - Fried chicken drumsticks - Italian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came here for dinner and overall we enjoyed our meal. Started off with the meatballs and kimchi suppli. The meatballs were unique, with a bulgogi marinade in the meatballs that gave it a slightly sweet and umami taste. The suppli are basically kimchi arancini and very tasty. Followed with the orecchiette, kimchi rigatoni and galbi jjim pastas. We liked the orecchiette and rigatoni but underwhelmed by the galbi jjim, which we felt was a bit too rich. While we enjoyed all our dishes, we were a little surprised by how small the pasta dishes were. You only get about 6-8 bites out of each dish, which just feels a little small for the price you're paying. Mostly counter seating inside and the service is great. Parking is hard but got lucky and found street parking. read more

Welcome to your new favorite restaurant from the mastermind of Nancy Silverton, she's currently on a roll! This place takes a fun twist on delicious pasta and merges it with some Korean influences... the staff is super kind and helpful; and the vibe is cozy .. romantic and coupled with great eats! Welcome to Ktown Lapaba! read more

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Wife and I aren't typically the biggest fans of fusion, but this spot may have helped changed our mind. Service was 10/10 for starters. Love that it's a better so it feels like your server is there for you at all times even when busy. My favorites were the K meatballs, Galbi Jim pasta, and BTS ice cream was legit one of the best desserts I've ever had. Yuja sour cocktails was also great. Super refreshing. WILL BE BACK read more

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Service is 5/5. The menu is Korean Italian fusion, but in truth, I didn't really taste the Korean part in the actual food. I ordered the bulgogi meatballs, broccolini, and agnolotti & corn cheese. The meatballs just tasted like regular meatballs - I wish it had the bulgogi marinade on them. The broccolini did taste Korean-ish because of the ssamjang. The agnolotti was just corn agnolotti - it didn't taste anything like corn cheese. The food was decent, but not very Korean-inspired like I expected. read more