No idea. I was surprised when the stars came out because Baroo seems like an easy pick.
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Sent you best present 2025 
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whatās the dress code/vibe like at baroo? we have a reservation this weekend. we generally pack very light for short trips to l.a (one suitcase between the four of us)ādo we need to stick in āsingle useā nicer clothes/shoes for this meal or is it generally on the casual side?
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This is LA, dress codes donāt exist.
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casual
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I had a roommate years ago who worked as a server at an expensive restaurant in LA. Most people would call it āfancyā. In LA, he said, the wealthiest patrons often wore the most casual clothes. My roommate was a nice guy and treated everyone with respect, but he emphasized that in LA in particular thereās a significant financial consideration - both for servers and restaurants as a whole - to making people feel welcome regardless of dress.
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Just donāt show up nekkidā¦
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you think that but then you move to the midwestā¦
The vibe there is casual, non-stuffy. Nobody will bat an eye if you wear jeans and a t-shirt / sweater.
And I agree with everyone else that virtually no restaurant in LA will kick you out for attire. Believe me Iāve tested it, with t shirt, sweatpants, and flip flops at several high-end places.
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thanks.
iām not worried about being kicked out/not being let in. just didnāt want to stand out too sharply in jeans and sneakers.
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Youāre more likely to standout if you wear a suit to Baroo! Itās a pretty tight, open space, and not a formal vibe at all.
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Iām not sure thereās anyplace in LA with good food where youād stand out because you were wearing jeans and sneakers.
There are places people (actors? models? influencers?) go to be seen, so they dress up, but the food doesnāt have to be good, so itās not.
it is informal but stylish. jeans are fine. maybe not Hoka hiking bootsā¦
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soā¦you guys are saying itās a casual place?
All LA is a casual place (except Magic Castle)ā¦
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Nobody is going to pay attention to what you wear as long as you arenāt sporting something in the vein of Lady Gag circa 2009 - 2012?
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Iāll preface by saying that I like nearly everything about Baroo: the ambiance, the service, the ginkgo bowls for the vegetarian meal, the ties to Jeong Kwan Sunim, Uh Kwang and Mina Park being sweethearts, etc.
Iāll also preface by saying that while I carry some bias from being raised Korean and donāt have an experienced and refined palate, I make the effort to appreciate subtle and novel flavors, including those that are more on the periphery of what I consider tasty. I find the New York approach to fine dining Korean a bit played out and repetitive now, and I want nothing more than to champion some other meta*.
- Hit the history books! Learn from a monk! Adapt that river snail and dried radish greens soup you had traipsing through the Korean countryside!
Starting with the good. The jokpyeon among the amuses was straightforward. The mountain greens rice was tasty when I left out the jangajji. The little quenelle of baek kimchi (with some perilla oil, I think) that came with the short rib was something Iāll try making at home. The black cod was nearly as advertised, though I found the dongchimi out of place, and the combination of the sauce and the curry seasoned fried papaya served with it tasted eerily like goraebab (neither a good nor bad thing - pictured below).
But nearly every dish/course I had left me utterly confused when considered as a whole. I donāt think itās a matter of poor execution cause the cooking was precise (e.g. the doneness on all the proteins was perfect), but the intentions of the kitchen are bit lost on me.
A little case study with the lobster course: The batter was light, airy, and incredibly crisp. I was ready to respect the restraint they were evidently trying to exercise with the unseasoned jobs tears āsoupā/tea. However, I can only describe the flavors of the fried lobster as smoggy (?? - likely whatever they dusted it with) and the soup as being not entirely unlike bathwater. I say the latter as someone who can get down with very barren and sparse flavors.
I wasnāt outright offended by anything. The soolbbang was mostly enjoyable, if not lost on the palate quickly. The jaetbangeo almost grew on me as I teased my mind open between the bites and learned to savor the bugak and lettuces it came with. The short rib wasā¦ lonely but (again!) cooked well. But tasting them mostly just felt like wading through some creative fog of flavors.
I canāt tell if Iām a bit addled from hitting my head earlier in the day, or if there some set of taste buds Iām not privilege to, or if the food this restaurant serves has that same alienating chemical quality as cilantro, but I am simply thoroughly and utterly confused by what Iāve had here today.
I would also, however, willingly throw myself in front of a bus to defend the sweet folk at Baroo trying something different with Korean food. I just wish it was all a bit tastier to me.
Edit: The unfinished thought thatās going through my mind looks something like āā¦a very roundabout attempt at restraintā¦ā
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Great post that put into words I could not muster from my experience. I did get to try Baroo Canteen when they were in a now demolished shopping hall/swap meet. The flavors then were rustic, rugged, bold and punchier compared to the current iteration. Much of the subtleties exercised now were a bit lost on me. I wasnāt ready for it. The experience had me questioning what was this food about and what was my take away in the absence of bold punchy flavors I normally associate with my scattered Korean cuisine experience. Still enjoyable, in a different way.
Maybe it is about emptiness or voidness. idk
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Baroo 1.0 was not at the indoor swapmeet. It was in a mini mall a few blocks from Hollywood Forever. Matthew Kim/former FoH duo of Baroo now runs a different concept there.
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