EMC Seafood And Raw Bar Review - Koreatown - Los Angeles - The Infatuation
"People tend to get weird about seafood restaurants. Either they assume they’re all either sushi bars with intimidating menus, cheesy themed chains in mall parking lots, $400 meals of foam, or the stuffy, white-tableclothed graveyards from childhood with nightly specials including overcooked cod and secondhand cigarette smoke. EMC Raw bar, on the other hand, is a lively Ktown spot that shatters all preconceived notions of what a seafood restaurant can be. Located on the ground floor of a mall in Koreatown, EMC is, above all else, a hell of a good time. It has a big, modern feel, flat screen TVs on the wall playing soccer, and a very solid beer and cocktail list. So, it’s a sports bar? Hardly. Take a look around and you’ll spot everything from a handsy first date in the corner to a family of four enjoying a rare night out of the house, to a big group of friends downing sake like it’s mineral water. Oh, and The Spice Girls are blasting over the soundsystem. It’s weird and cool and entirely different than anything else you’ll find in LA. And the menu is just as wonderful. Anyone who’s attempted to plan a group outing to a seafood restaurant knows people get pretty particularly about their fish. But at EMC, the menu is so varied that if somebody doesn’t walk out happy, it’s their own fault. Want to go all-in on some oysters and salmon carpaccio? Play it closer to home with a lobster roll and fish tacos? You can go either way, because all of it is good. There’s also a decent meat section, and a garlic noodle you shouldn’t be embarrassed about ordering. The best thing on the menu, however, is the creamy uni pasta, and you simply can’t leave here without ordering it for the table and then actually just eating all yourself. EMC is one of those rare casual restaurants that’s good for everything and everyone’s price point, but also interesting and fun. The fact they’re serving very solid seafood is almost just a bonus. So skip your boring group hang spot this week and go to EMC for a meal you’ll actually remember. Secondhand smoke not required." - Brant Cox
