Haemaru Sullungtang
Restaurant · Koreatown ·
Generous portions of Korean soups, stews, and meat dishes.
Generous portions of Korean soups, stews, and meat dishes.
"One of my favorite things to eat when I’m in Thailand is leng saap, a tower of pork ribs drowned in an aggressively spicy blend of fish sauce, lime, and Thai chiles often served with cubes of pork blood. It’s a dish that’s hard to come across in Los Angeles, but I enjoyed it recently in an unlikely place: Haemaru Sullungtang in Koreatown. The owners allegedly had leng saap on a trip to Thailand and loved it so much they decided to reverse-engineer the recipe and include it alongside their sullungtang and army stews. I, for one, am grateful — they completely nailed the tender pork and electrifying sauce. It feels like something that came out of a Thai kitchen, though I’m happy that I can order it alongside cozy kimchi samgyeopsal stew and crunchy mung bean pancakes. For me, this is just a reminder of how intertwined our cultures can be and how special Los Angeles is. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Matthew Kang
"A hard-to-find Thai favorite, leng saap — a tower of pork ribs drowned in an aggressively spicy mix of fish sauce, lime, and Thai chiles that’s often served with cubes of pork blood — turned up in an unlikely spot for me at this Koreatown specialist. The owners tried it in Thailand, loved it, and reverse-engineered the recipe to sit alongside their sullungtang and army stews, and they completely nailed the tender pork and electrifying sauce. It feels like something straight out of a Thai kitchen, and I’m happy I can order it here beside cozy kimchi samgyeopsal stew and crunchy mung bean pancakes." - Eater Staff
"A truly bizarre dish that strikes right into the nostalgic heart of every Korean-American, budaejjigae, or army base stew, is a mashup of American canned meats and Korean ingredients, a result of the tragic Korean War and its aftermath. Using the restaurant’s soulful bone broth, Haemaru builds this dish with a foundation of chopped kimchi, baked beans, onions, tofu, and those canned meats, topping the dish off with instant ramen noodles and a single slice of melty Kraft cheese. As you eat this dish, the flavor deepens, with the faux smoky flavors of the meats melding into the broth. —Matthew Kang" - Eater Staff
"A Koreatown spot serving a standout budaejjigae (army stew) built on soulful bone broth with kimchi, baked beans, tofu, canned meats, instant ramen, and a slice of Kraft cheese—an ugly-delicious, deeply comforting communal stew that deepens in flavor as it simmers." - Eater Staff
