HOJOKBAN LA

Seoul-Based Korean Restaurant Hojokban Just Opened in Los Angeles | Eater LA

"A Seoul-born contemporary Korean restaurant that launched in 2019 (with a New York outpost in 2023) has debuted in the Arts District with a menu that’s modern in style yet firmly rooted in Korean flavors, much of it inspired by CEO Joon Lee’s mother-in-law. Expect jeon and galbi alongside perilla noodles slicked with perilla oil and soy dressing, Hojok galbi glazed in soy then topped with Fresno chiles and peanuts, cold starters like yukhoe (listed as yukhwe) with crispy lotus root chips and yellowtail mulhwe in chilled doenjang broth, and hot bites including budae jjigae reimagined as a pancake, truffle potato jeon with black truffle aioli, and honey fried chicken. Larger plates span pork belly suyuk, a bubbling red-hued maeuntang with monkfish liver, gochujang-glazed chicken on nurungji (crispy rice), and a breaded bone-in pork chop in a cream-infused rosé curry, with finishers like salmon ssambap dotted with uni and caviar, Shin ramyeon fried rice, and truffle jjajangmyeon. Drinks revolve around soju cocktails—the Strawberry Moon (golden barley soju, strawberry shrub, gochugaru salt rim) and the Gim-Let (sesame oil–infused soju, toasted gim syrup)—plus wines by the glass and deep selections of makgeolli, cheongju, and soju, including Red Monkey makgeolli, Jinmaek 22, and Hana Makgeolli yakju. The room echoes the brand’s New York look: a dark, green-and-wood space where a tiled entry leads to a stone bar before a grayscale hillside painting, with globe-lit booths and plant wallpaper; hardware and finishes come from South Korea, and the mood aims for serious cooking that’s still fun, fit for date nights or birthdays. Open Sunday–Thursday 5–9 p.m. and Friday–Saturday 5–10 p.m., with reservations on OpenTable." - Rebecca Roland