Sun Nong Dan
Korean restaurant · Koreatown
710 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Highlights
Tender braised short ribs, bubbling hot pots, and grilled meats
Tender braised short ribs, bubbling hot pots, and grilled meats
"Yeah, we’ll say it. It sucks that we can’t dine-in at Sun Nong Dan anymore. Basically half of the experience was sitting down in their tiny dining room and watching, in equal parts fascination and horror, as your bubbling cauldron of galbi jjim got blowtorched to hell by your server. And looking back, maybe that was a metaphor? Maybe we’ve become the delicious combination of short ribs, rice cakes, and veggies that have been blasted into Dante’s Inferno, as a result of 4,000 weeks of isolation. Just something to think about. Anyway, everything from the aforementioned galbi jjim to their oo guh ji galbi tang, or spicy beef and cabbage soup, is available for takeout and delivery. Call (213) 365-0303, or find Sun Nong Dan on most major delivery platforms. Blowtorch not included." - kat hong
"The classic spot has two locations in Koreatown, a newer location on Western Ave. where the lights stay on 24 hours a day, and the original on 6th St that stays open until 1:30am. But whether you come at 2pm or 2am, you'll see groups huddled around massive cauldrons of galbi jjim (huge cast-iron plates of spicy, tender short ribs, rice cakes, and vegetables in a red galbi sauce). Order it with cheese on top, and they'll blow torch it at your table until it's melted and bubbly. Beyond this incredible stew, the soups are also worth your time." - brant cox, arden shore, nikko duren, sylvio martins, garrett snyder
"With two locations in Koreatown, this late-night galbi-jjim destination serves the dish with tender chunks of short rib, chewy rice cakes, and tons of spice. Top the galbi-jjim with cheese to take it to the next level. While the soups are more than respectable, crowds wait in line for the meaty stone bowl. Early in the morning, the older crowd comes in for discounted soups, like the one with seasoned cabbage and tender chunks of brisket." - Matthew Kang
"There’s a near-constant line outside this Koreatown spot, and everyone’s here for the galbi jjim. This braised short rib dish comes boiling in a cast iron cauldron, and you should add cheese, mostly so you can watch the server break out a blowtorch. It’s a $65 dish, but with some banchan, it’s more than enough food to feed four, because it comes with potatoes, rice cakes, and roughly four pounds of ribs. It’s especially great if you and your friends are tired of splitting three pieces of jalapeño yellowtail four ways." - brant cox, brett keating
"This Vietnamese spot on La Brea (there’s one on Sawtelle too) is the perfect place for a night where you don’t feel like cooking, but also don’t really feel like eating out. There’s very little fuss involved here - you’ll find easy parking, the menu isn’t overwhelmingly big, and it’s both quick and affordable. The pho and banh mi are great here, but you’re missing out if you don’t get the cold noodle salad with pork." - brett keating
