Best Solo Dining Korean Restaurants in Los Angeles
15 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Baroo
Chef Kwang Uh's fermentation-focused modern Korean tasting menu draws from Buddhist and Taoist philosophy, with house-made ferments adding depth to every course.
Notable Picks
#1
Baroo
8.4
Chef Kwang Uh's LA Times Restaurant of the Year channels Buddhist philosophy and temple fermentation techniques learned during six months with nun Jeong Kwan into a six-course, $125 tasting menu that borrows from homestyle Korean bansang traditions. The Arts District space keeps service deliberately relaxed, avoiding the self-importance of typical tasting menus. Vegetarian and vegan options require 24-hour notice but rank among the city's best special-occasion plant-based meals.
Must-Try Dishes:
Hokkaido Scallop, Soy-Braised Wild Black Cod, Brandt Beef Short Rib
What Makes it Special: Chef Kwang Uh's fermentation-focused modern Korean tasting menu draws from Buddhist and Taoist philosophy, with house-made ferments adding depth to every course.
#2
Modu Cafe
8.4
Opened in October 2024, Modu Cafe is a minimalist bakery and coffee bar from pastry chef Jiyoon Jang specializing in Korean-inspired pastries with meticulous design. Items like dark chocolate mochi brownies, milk cream buns, and sweet potato or kabocha tarts draw early crowds and frequent sell-outs.
Must-Try Dishes:
Dark chocolate mochi brownie muffin, Perilla lime tart, Milk cream bun
What Makes it Special: Design-driven Korean-inspired pastries that feel both playful and refined.
Sulga specializes in rich, authentic Korean beef and oxtail soups, using premium meats and a broth simmered for deep, comforting flavor. Locals praise the traditional gomtang and attentive hospitality, creating a loyal following since its 2016 reopening. The simple, homey setting emphasizes honest comfort food over flash.
Must-Try Dishes:
Oxtail Soup (Kkori Gomtang), Short Rib Soup (Galbitang), Ox Knee Soup (Seolleongtang)
What Makes it Special: Beef bone soups made from recipes perfected over decades.
8.3
Gogobop is a modern Korean fast-casual spot built around customizable rice bowls topped with grilled bulgogi, gochujang chicken, and slow-roasted pork belly. High review volume across delivery platforms and steady lines in Westwood Village make it one of the most reliable places in 90024 for polished, barbecue-style Korean protein bowls.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef Bulgogi Bowl, Gochujang Chicken Bowl, Pork Belly Bowl
What Makes it Special: Build-your-own Korean barbecue bowls with generous grilled protein options.
8.3
Busan-style gukbap specialist serving deeply nourishing pork-based soups from broth simmered over 24 hours in cast-iron pots. The dwaeji gukbap arrives with tender pork and perfect rice, while the kimchi braised pork belly and sooyuk sides make this a destination for traditional Busan comfort food done exceptionally well.
Must-Try Dishes:
Dwaeji Gukbap, Kimchi Pork Belly, Sooyuk
What Makes it Special: Authentic Busan-style pork soup with 24-hour simmered broth
8.3
Vibes:
Hidden Gems Heaven
Comfort Food Classics
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Kitchen Sodam is a newer, homestyle Korean spot off Crenshaw where the focus is on carefully cooked daily specials rather than spectacle. With a small dining room, tight menu, and very consistent praise for execution, it feels like a neighborhood canteen for stews, bibimbap, and lunchboxes.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef bibimbap, Fish cake soup, Dosirak Korean lunch box
What Makes it Special: Compact, homestyle kitchen turning out carefully seasoned everyday Korean plates.
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Comfort Food Classics
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
HOLDAAK’s Highland Park outpost is a counter-service Korean fried chicken specialist where crisp double-fried wings and spicy sandwiches lead the menu. With combo boxes that hover around ten dollars, it’s one of the best value plays in the area for serious wing cravings.
Must-Try Dishes:
20 PCS Wings (Spicy or Caramel Soy), Spicy Holdaak Chicken Sandwich, Five-Piece Spicy Chicken Tender Box with Fries
What Makes it Special: Double-fried Korean wings and combos deliver big crunch and flavor for surprisingly low prices.
#8
Assa K-Food
8
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Hidden Gems Heaven
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Family-run Korean street-food stand from Ken & Savannah Lee serving hand-sliced bulgogi bowls, tteokbokki, and gimbap at the Lincoln & Rose corner. Locals line up for made-to-order plates priced for everyday stops and cooked with care.
Must-Try Dishes:
Hand-sliced bulgogi bowl (glass noodles or rice), Tteokbokki in spicy house broth, Handmade gimbap
What Makes it Special: Korean street food cooked to order with fruit-fermented kimchi.
Vibes:
Comfort Food Classics
Quick Bites Champions
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Family Friendly Favorites
Hansol Torrance anchors the H Mart food court with a long menu of soups, hot pots, and noodles that feel built for everyday eating. Shoppers and regulars come for steaming galbitang, soon tofu, and cold naengmyeon in an efficient counter-service setting.
Must-Try Dishes:
Galbi tang, Seafood soon tofu, Hot stone bibimbap
What Makes it Special: Food-court Korean that eats like a full restaurant menu.
#10
Perilla LA
8
A Busan-inspired banchan shop that rotates its lineup of Korean side dishes with uncommon precision, earning a spot on the NYT 50 Best Restaurants list for that singular focus. The format is built for solo lunchers grabbing a dosirak box or a spread of banchan to go, not a sit-down occasion. With only 62 Google reviews running at 89% five-star, early signals are strong but the track record is still short.
Must-Try Dishes:
Black Cod Dosirak, Gimbap, Gyeran-mari
What Makes it Special: A banchan shop inspired by Busan takeout culture, named to the NYT 50 Best Restaurants list for its obsessively perfected rotating Korean side dishes.
Worthy Picks
7.8
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Tucked into The Bloc, Korean Kimbap Express focuses on freshly rolled kimbap and simple rice bowls designed for quick downtown lunches. It’s a counter you hit when you want something lighter than barbecue but still unmistakably Korean.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef kimbap, Fishcake kimbap, Beef rice bowl
What Makes it Special: Grab-and-go kimbap and bowls bringing Korean street-snack energy downtown.
Moonbowls operates as a delivery-forward, gluten-free Korean-inspired bowl shop tucked just off 3rd Street. Bowls lean lighter and plant-forward, with build-your-own options and clearly labeled vegan and gluten-free choices.
Must-Try Dishes:
Korean Hot Chicken Bowl, Impossible Beef Bowl, Gochujang Cauliflower Wings
What Makes it Special: A delivery-first Korean-inspired concept focused on gluten-free, healthier bowls.
7.8
ON + ON Fresh Korean Kitchen is a fast-casual, build-your-own bowl concept translating Korean flavors into lighter, veggie-forward combinations. It’s the practical option near Costco and Home Depot when you want bibimbap-style bowls with lots of greens and a quick in-and-out experience.
Must-Try Dishes:
Classic BBQ beef bowl, Spicy pork bowl, Grilled chicken and veggie bowl
What Makes it Special: Korean-inspired bowls with lots of vegetables and fast-casual convenience.
#14
Olympic Noodle
7.7
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Hidden Gems Heaven
Olympic Noodle is a low-key Korean noodle shop just off Gower that specializes in hearty bowls and simple comfort plates. Locals treat it as a quiet escape from the Hollywood chaos, especially on cooler nights when a big steaming bowl is all that matters.
Must-Try Dishes:
House Hand-Cut Noodle Soup, Spicy Seafood Noodle Bowl, Dumpling Soup
What Makes it Special: A small Korean noodle house focused on generous, soothing bowls at fair prices.
#15
The Bop
7.6
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Hidden Gems Heaven
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
The Bop is a compact 3rd Street counter spot where Japanese-leaning rice bowls and chirashi donburi share space with Korean flavors. Locals use it as a casual option for customizable bowls that land somewhere between sushi bar and comfort takeout.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bara Chirashi Don, Bulgogi Bowl, Salmon Ikura Don
What Makes it Special: Japanese-Korean rice bowls and chirashi in a tiny counter space.