Ode to LA K-Town

Really? We needed a New York Chef to tell us that K-town is a cultural treasure to native Angelenos?!

Enough of that NYC vs LA stuff @J_L :wink:

None of the FTC/CH crew reported on this spot so maybe we do?

I will say a lot of the patrons were middle aged Korean speaking families and even elderly Korean couples so I’m not sure Chang’s twitter feed is enough to explain the popularity.

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Sun Nong Dan is actually famous for their spicy kalbi jim. If you go for dinner time, I’d say 8 out of 10 tables will have ordered it.

it’s Korean dishwater posing as $11 soup, what’s there to report on?

Also, this thread is useless without the latest/greatest pochang macha, norangbang&hostess bars. Cuz without those, you might as well follow David Chang’s IG

We hear about every single opening and closing of a random dumpling place in SGV but nothing on one of the most popular restaurants in K-town right now?

you mean this thread? If so I disagree.
Or this thread? If so I agree.

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as i mentioned before, david chang also dropped $100 at kang kang in alhambra and loved that as well. outside of the SJB, the only thing to recommend kang kang is price point.

http://luckypeach.com/lunching-at-kang-kang-food-court/

NPR had a story on two cookbook authors who were inspired by, among other things, LA’s Koreatown.

Sun Nong Dan has had a wait for quite awhile. Non korean patrons have definitely increased though. Used to frequent Young Dong but now always go to Sun Nong Dan.

It is more expensive though. Their jangachi, kimchi, and kkakdugi are much better though as well as the broth.

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i’d be more influenced by the fact that david chang is… korean, but either way, some angelenos won’t venture into k-town for various reasons that you and i may not agree with, but it is what it is.

that center is quite the spot sun nong dan and hangari. between those 2 spots, it keeps that parking lot a zoo pretty much at all times.

Damn David Chang why you gotta blow up my spot!

I love Sun Nong Dong especially because its 24/7. If you want pork neck stew just go next door to Yanji Gamjatang I think I spelled it right but you get the idea.

So how about Korean BBQ these days?
Is anyone cooking over charcoal anymore? I imagine Soot Bull Jeep still is but their meat quality was never that great.

parking and traffic??

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Not super sure if worth its own post, but stopped into Yangji Gamjatang the other night for gamjatang. Pretty great. The pork was much easier to de-bone than the version I last had at Keungama, but soup maybe not quite as spicy or “licorice-y” in flavor. Also, less potato. Stunningly great crispy/seared portions of pork though, which I hadn’t seen before and massive portion (took half home). Plus 8 banchan… for $12 ($15 with tip). Place is pretty dope.

Need to go to Ham Ji Park though still. I always eat late, wish they were open till 12 =/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDpmN3eE0Gx/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDpmU-nE0G_/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete

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Had the Spicy Galbi Jjim and Beef Soup Combo at Sun Nong Dan last night. Such a great dish of beef ribs and thick rice cake, carrots and potato.
The wait at 9:30 PM for 2 was about 20 mins.

Maybe better to go earlier. My friend and I went this past Wed at 6:30PM. Sat down right away. When we left ~1.5-2 hrs later, there were a TON of people filling up the front and back entrances.

Also invite a lot of friends. The portions are BIG.

i guess big is equivocal; a group of 4-5 of us felt it necessary to get a double order of their ribs (which is IMO one of the main reasons to go there, besides the gamjatang) to have enough to go around.

Was that the only thing your party had? The two of us (neither of whom have small appetites) had a few leftovers when we ordered ribs + potato/pork neck stew. I think we could easily have fed 3-4.

I hesitate to say this, as this place is quickly becoming a treasured darling, but Get Bbul does charcoal, and does it well. But you have to settle for seafood, I suppose.

#Sacrifices

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