Seong Buk Dong
Korean restaurant · Koreatown ·
Tender braised short ribs & spicy mackerel served in strip mall
Tender braised short ribs & spicy mackerel served in strip mall
"Serving a varied menu of Korean comfort food classics for nearly two decades, this Koreatown mainstay offers some of the best galbi-jjim, fried fish, and banchan in Los Angeles in a no-frills, expanded dining room that’s well-suited for both small and large groups. The food leans into the essence of Korean homestyle cooking from Gyeongsang-do, reflected in dishes like spicy braised mackerel (godeungeo jorim) made with mukeunji, or very-aged kimchi, served in a small, beat-up metal pot that feels like it came from a Korean grandmother’s cabinet, with deeply umami flavors that complement the oily, intense fish and thick discs of softened radish that soak up the sauce. Tender short ribs arrive in soy or spicy versions, but servers steer you toward the classic non-spicy galbi-jjim, with melt-in-your-mouth chunks of beef short rib in a balanced braising liquid studded with bite-sized pieces of carrot and potato. Fried yellow corvina, served two to an order, challenges your chopsticks skills as you pry out flaky, salty pieces that are perfect over hot rice with a few bites of kimchi, embodying true halmoni food. The restaurant is best for quiet, satisfying meals with family and friends, where conversation is the main soundtrack aside from distant kitchen sounds and the clinking of plateware, as there’s little in the way of decor or curated ambience. An insider move is to grab a Korean-flavored popsicle from the small fridge up front for a sweet finish, especially since most Korean restaurants don’t serve dessert." - Matthew Kang
"Homestyle Korean food has become a rarity in Los Angeles over the years, with many immigrants retiring or turning over operations to escape the often challenging task of running a restaurant. Like South Korea itself, many restaurants will trim menus and specialize in just a few dishes to attract a tighter clientele, but Seong Buk Dong continues to be a versatile menu with all of the classics — bibimbap, soontofu, beef bulgogi, and pan-fried fish. Simple but well-made banchan comes at the start of every meal, including crunchy bean sprouts, thin strands of burdock root, and a scoop of apple-pocked potato salad. Korean restaurant veterans will be delighted by the spicy braised mackerel swimming in an ultra-savory sauce flavored by well-aged kimchi. Spoon some of the tender fish and aromatics over rice for an absolute flavor bomb, an ethereal mix of salty, sweet, and umami that represents the profound heart of Korean cooking. The braised beef short ribs are also among the best in town, the cut pieces slightly chewy on the edges but still melt-in-mouth tender. In the past few years, the dining room has even expanded into the next-door space, offering more tables that typically don’t fill until prime dinner hours. On the opposite end of the strip mall, huge crowds eagerly wait for a seat at the popular Dan Sung Sa pocha, a late-night drinking spot. Little do they know that the gem offering supreme Korean dishes is on the other side of the lot. — Matthew Kang, regional lead, Southern California/Southwest Must-try dish: Godeungeo jorim (braised spicy mackerel), galbi jjim (braised beef short rib)" - Mona Holmes
"Previously a tiny strip mall slot, this classic Koreatown restaurant has recently expanded to the next-door space, more than doubling the seat count. Seong Buk Dong serves up well-crafted, comforting Korean dishes with huge flavors. The braised short ribs are a crowd-pleaser, along with the stone pot bibimbap. The spicy-braised mackerel is a show stopper with layers of rich flavor that go perfectly spooned over multigrain rice. Basically, everything on the menu is good to great, as if a Korean grandmother herself lovingly made every dish." - Matthew Kang
"This is a cramped, bare bones restaurant in a strip mall. The slightly-sweet galbi jjim (braised short ribs) is as tender as Passover brisket, but the must-order is a spicy octopus bibimbap. First, because we haven’t had anything else like it, and second, because it’s delicious. Seongbukdong shares their parking lot with a Korean pub and a karaoke bar that are both intimidating and bit overpriced, but well-worth wandering into if you’re game for the night turning into an adventure." - eric lane
"There are a few rice dishes on Seongbukdong’s menu, a pared down restaurant housed in the same strip mall as Sun Nong Dan, but our favorite is the nakji dolsot bibimbap. It’s a hot, spicy, red-hot version of the bibimbap, that’s served in a stone pot, creating a layer of crispy rice on the bottom. Little pieces of octopus have been cut up and seasoned with sesame oil, salt, and gochujang, and you’ll get hit with a wave of seaweed scents as soon as it hits the table. It’s a one-way trip to feeling like you’re eating a meal in a small sea town in the middle of Korea, even though you’re just on 6th Street and haven’t been to the beach in months." - brant cox, kat hong
