Perilla LA

"The fun, freewheeling menu at this inventive banchan shop in Chinatown would be stunning on its own, but the food at Perilla is even more impressive in the context of their lush patio. Once you pick up your dosirak from Perilla's miniature kitchen cottage, go find a seat in the adjacent courtyard cluster that flows into an idyllic garden. It's filled with banana trees, colorful umbrellas, and couples sipping yuzu soda between bites of sweet pepper muchim. The next time you need a long, leisurely lunch in the sunshine to boost those serotonin levels, head here. " - nikko duren, brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins

"When Bakers Bench first opened in 2021, it was a tiny Chinatown kiosk that would regularly sell out of plain croissants by early afternoon. The pastry shop has since moved just five minutes away to a much larger brick-and-mortar location in the same courtyard as Perilla. The counter-service bakeshop sits next to a burger joint in a craftsman bungalow, serving a full range of vegan sweets like yuzu poppy seed scones and cherry white sesame coffee cake, but the best items are still the flaky, buttery pastries. We especially love the furikake croissant—it’s got a fun crunch with toasty, salty flavor encrusted on every inch of its golden-brown top layer. Grab a box of to-go pastries, or hang out in the flower garden around back and contemplate the power of churned cream." - Nikko Duren

"In a town full of great Korean food, Perilla stands out for its fantastic seasonal banchan. But it’s the mini meadow surrounding this Chinatown spot that transforms a quick lunch into a substantial event. Formerly a pop-up, this daytime spot in Chinatown operates out of a tiny cottage where colorful umbrellas sway over patio tables, and people walk through a garden sipping housemade yuzu soda. The dosirak boxes filled with marinated cod or spicy beef here are executed with the obsessive perfectionism of a breakup text and exactly what you want to eat during an impromptu picnic in the sunshine. " - sylvio martins, brant cox, nikko duren, garrett snyder

"Even though Perilla is only a stone’s throw away from the 110 Freeway and not far from Sunset Boulevard, the usual Los Angeles bustle feels worlds away sitting in its shaded patio tucked into Victor Heights. The chill vibes make for an ideal setting to relish chef Jihee Kim’s contemporary California take on Korean comfort food. The gimbap served with a nasal-clearing mustard sauce is very good, as is the collection of banchan made with locally grown produce. But there’s something about the perfectly cooked doenjang-marinated black cod served on top of steamed rice with potato salad and prepared vegetables that warrants a return visit. Flavorful, filling, and fresh — it’s my favorite lunch in LA right now." - Eater Staff

"A long, leisurely lunch in the sunshine is sometimes crucial for maintaining your sanity. When it’s one of those days, our destination of choice is Perilla, an inventive banchan shop in an idyllic courtyard cluster on the border of Chinatown and Echo Park. A lot of that has to do with their convenient grab-and-go cold case, stocked with a rotating selection of Korean sides like sweet pepper muchim and marinated okra. But beyond that, Perilla is an excellent spot to spend a few hours picking at a spread of kimbap and dosirak on their huge (and leafy) garden patio. This casual daytime cafe takes inspiration from owner-chef Jihee Kim’s hometown of Busan—where little banchan shops are a takeout staple. After cooking at Rustic Canyon, she began turning local produce into funky-fresh fermented dishes for her own banchan pop-up. Now Perilla lives in a 200-square-foot space that doubles as a neatly stocked mini-mart. But don’t let the color-coordinated yakju bottles and sauces on shelves fool you—what Perilla’s unassuming kitchen puts out is on par with the best Korean restaurants in LA. And the fact that you can eat it in a beautiful communal courtyard next to a banana tree is icing on the cake. photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp The banchan at Perilla is what Graceland is to Elvis fans—worthy of a special pilgrimage. The vegetable-dominated dishes aren't formally listed on the menu as they tend to vary from day to day, but a selection of a half-dozen or so containers is the first thing you’ll see when you step inside. And for good reason. The banchan here are executed with the obsessive perfectionism of a breakup text. So whether you’re granted collard green kimchi drizzled with sweet plum syrup, sprouting cauliflower tossed in sesame oil, or the creamy potato salad tinted with apples and fermented cucumber, it’ll probably be the highlight of your day. Beyond banchan, Perilla dabbles in lunchboxes, rice combos, and noodle plates that you should order with the confidence of Taylor Swift watching the charts on New Music Friday. Their cod dosirak is the unmistakable headliner of this section, served perfectly charred and honey-glazed like a holiday dinner centerpiece. Though the gimbap is pretty special, too—each roll of dried seaweed is inch-perfect and skillfully packed with a balanced mix of creamy avocado chunks, crunchy pickled radishes, and marinated mushrooms. Perilla might have the ease and efficiency of a takeout window, but a sit-down meal in the adjacent mini meadow transforms an otherwise quick lunch here into a substantial event (in other words, you’ll want to pull a Cranberries and linger in the garden). The fun, freewheeling menu would be stunning on its own, but the food becomes even more impressive in the context of the impromptu picnic happening daily on Perilla’s lush patio. Food Rundown photo credit: Jessie Clapp Banchan Rice Combo This sampler plate should be your go-to for a solo lunch. For $15, you get to try four of that day’s banchan (picked by the staff), served over warm rice dusted with seaweed powder. The staff do a great job of picking complimentary banchan, which makes the dish come together when you mix all the varied textures and flavors in the paper tray. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Gimbap An unmissable snack. The assortment of eggs, pickles, and meticulously cut vegetables are tucked inside toasted nori to form a neat little mosaic. And while this rice roll is a crunchy marvel on its own, the tiny squeeze bottle of spicy mustard sauce on the side adds some much-needed heat. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Rolled Omelet A visual masterpiece that tastes as slick as it looks. It’s a feat of science that this soft pinwheeled egg dish stays fluffy while the seaweed at the center retains its crunch. Don’t hesitate when you see this stocked in Perilla’s refrigerated case. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Spicy Beef Dupbap Even though this entree has the word “spicy” in its name, the marinade has more of a sweet taste. It's delicious, but you can probably skip this one unless you’re in the mood for simple, nicely-charred beef over rice. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Cod Dosirak While we like Perilla’s juicy marinated chicken dosirak, it’s the fish that steals our heart. We appreciate the smokiness of the two big chunks of grilled cod, and how the tender fish mixes with the soft-crunchy banchan beneath. If you’re looking for a strategic lunch order, this is also one of the more filling dishes. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Avocado & Mentaiko Rice Do not, under any circumstances, skip this dish: it represents all that we love about this place. Between the bright pearls of trout roe, creamy avocado, and drizzle of rich mentaiko sauce on top, it looks a side dish you'd get from an over-the-top sushi roll spot. The briny roe against the buttery-cool avocado works through, and the combination of flavors is elegant, but also goes off like a bomb in your mouth." - Nikko Duren