Book a Table at These Next-Level Modern Korean Restaurants Now

Chef Debbie Lee has brought the modern interpretation of her family’s North Korean roots to Silver Lake, where the tasting menu reflects dishes that were specifically prepared for the royal family of Korea’s last dynasty, the Joseon, founded in 1392. The acclaimed television personality and cookbook author is doing it deftly, with dishes like Kongguksu, chilled soybean noodles made more decadent and cross-cultural by adding Italian bottarga, and umami-laced soy pickle brined martinis to boot.

Katianna and John Hong applied training in fine dining to their old school deli-meets-Asian mini-mart when it first opened in 2021, and now it’s been reimagined as a more sophisticated, sultry space worthy of their prowess. The reopening of the space welcomes in an entirely new menu, as well as a more polished ambience. The plastic cafeteria trays have been replaced by custom ceramics adorned with composed dishes of gochujang-braised black cod with Joseon radishes or stone pot rice with Peads and Barnetts pork belly. Thankfully, the seasonal banchan is here to stay.

Founder David (오택) Faulk handcrafts his vibrant, complex, slightly effervescent makgeolli at his distillery in Pasadena, where he makes the traditional Korean drinks with “California rice, a little bit of wheat, and no compromises.” Angma translates to “demon” in Korean Buddhism, and it’s Faulk’s belief that this rebellious spirit of being pulled off course should be embraced rather than shunned. He’s one of the few pioneers embracing makgeolli-making stateside, and we couldn’t agree more.

Executive Chef Jun Bum Oh infuses his Korean American background into many of the dishes and techniques at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ restaurant, and this year, he created a pop-up to run in tandem with Song Kang-ho’s retrospective series. Before a screening and Q&A with the actor known for his role in Parasite, Snowpiercer, and The Host, Oh prepared a menu that allowed film buffs to enjoy dishes featured in the Oscar Award-winning film Parasite, including pork belly bossam and steak jjapaguri.

When chef Kwang Uh and his wife and business partner, Mina Park, first opened their experimental strip mall joint in 2018, diners were entranced by the shelves practically buckling under the weight of giant jars of ferments. Now, the couple, who first met while studying at the Buddhist temple of Jeong Kwan, made famous by an episode on “Chef’s Table,” have evolved Baroo into a full-fledged tasting menu-only space in the Arts District that allows Uh’s culinary storytelling to shine. Expect esoteric soju cocktails, and dishes that use some of the best produce in the biz, including minari and pichuberries from Korean-owned Girl & Dug Farm.