One of the most popular Korean barbecue chains, and Korea, returned to Koreatown after a year and a half of closing. Now Baekjeong is back in a new location, its grill galbi table grills, fine slices breast, beef belly, pads, pork jacket and beyond, every centimeter of table space full of benchn, meatballs or stews in a dining room destined to replicate the vibrant streets of Seoul.
The Baekjeong Korean barbecue and Banchan's variety return with a more colorful location of Koreatown.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
“It is designed to make you feel that you are sitting outside having barbecue,” said Samuel Kim, senior director of operations. “In Korea there are many small neighborhoods in which restaurants will establish grills and people will only eat and drink all night outside the street.”
In addition to its most colorful design, the return to Koreatown also implies plans for an internal dry aging program for its range of meats and an expansion that takes care of the entire building with two private dining rooms, seats for a waiting area and a new cocktail bar specialized in Korean spirits.
The personality of television and former fighter Kang Ho Dong founded the chain in Korea in 2003, and finally extended through the United States, landing in Los Angeles in 2012. At the beginning of 2024, when Baekjeong closed in Chapman Plaza after more than a decade in operation, the owners hoped to return to Koreatewn finally. The end of that space also marked the end of his career as a franchise; The parent company of the chain, Kijung Hospitality Group, now owns it directly.
“We would have loved to have been able to stay in Chapman Plaza, because that became a bit of K-Town's heart, but unfortunately we couldn't cling to that place,” Kim said. “So, when we were looking for a new place, we only wanted something that allowed us to expand what we were offering, a place that was bigger and had a wide parking lot because parking is always a problem in Koreatown.”
On 8th Street they found a wide space for a dining room that feels approximately 150 (comparable to its old house of Chapman Plaza), in addition to a parking lot where they now offer a Valet service below $ 5.
Fresh handmade dumplings, fried in the new Baekjeong location in Koreatown.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The construction is underway in the rest of the building, and the bar is expected to open in mid -summer, which Kim said that it will have Korean manufacturing spirits and organic and non -transgenic ingredients, such as fruits, without artificial corn or sweetening syrups. Perhaps, he added, there will even be a menu of bars bites for those who do not look for a complete grill meal.
The team is also preparing a new lunch menu, which will offer Korean dishes to the letter, such as pork chops from a pound and triip fillets of a pound with church-fried rice of garlic and banana, all with a price of less than $ 20. There is also a new focus on homemade dessert continue), but they were specifically done with the relaunch of Koreatown in mind.
Baekjeong is open in Koreatown from Monday to Friday from 11:30 am to midnight, and on Saturdays and Sundays at midnight.
3429 W. 8th St., Los Angeles, (213) 668-6328, Baekjeongkbq.com
Cento Raw Bar presents a completely white textured interior.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
RAW bar
One of the city's pasta authorities recently expanded its West Adams restaurant with a dreamy and immersive raw bar and cocktail next to it. Cento Raw Bar is the new monitoring of chef Avner Levi A Cento Pasta Bar, where the Beast and Sotto student gave his Mignon Pop-up pasta his own location and a broader menu.
A three -level seafood tower in Cento Raw Bar in West Adams.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
In the new concept focused on seafood of 2,000 square feet of Levi, diners are abundant in aesthetically compound seafood towers, raw with fruits and other small dishes within what it feels like a siren den.
The creative director Brandon Miradi (who has worked with evening and Lacma) supervised the design of Cento Raw Bar, which includes a completely white interior, fresh flowers that rest on ice in the bar, candles, colorful personalized dishes and vases of flowers made by Miradi. The cocktails, served in glasses from the Museum of Modern Art, include Piña Coladas, Martinis Classic, Jalapeño Margaritas, a turn of delight sunny in the screwdriver, non -alcoholic concoctions and more.
Levi's food menu involves rotating small dishes such as raw oysters; Ikura with smoked smoked fish sauce; Raw Hamachi with cherries and jalapeño; Uni paste refrigerated with crab; lobster fusion sliders; Seafood towers of two and three levels with lobster claws with ribs with citrus, prawns and beyond; and non -elegant dishes such as stuffed eggs with caramelized onions. Cinto Raw Bar is only without prior appointment and is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 5 to 11 pm
4919 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, Instagram.com/centorawbar
Stuffed eggs, crudités with fried sauce and cocktails at the Benjamin bar.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Benjamin bar
A new place of cocktail brothers in one of the best bars in Los Angeles is now open, pouring inventive brews that involve the tastes of mole oil, rye washed with miso, Nori fog, clarified pineapple and Daiquiri strawberry ice cubes.
The Benjamin – Recently called by the Times as one of The best places in the city to drink a drink -I One of the most forceful hamburgers in the city and other exclusive Americans in the corner of Melrose and Formosa avenues. In May, the owners Ben Shenesassafar (aka: Ben Hundreds, of the street clothing brand The Hundreds), Kate Burr and Jared Meisler announced the Benjamin bar, a top bar that fills the old house of the Moon's room of Meisler.
The vice president inherent in the Benjamin bar is a strain pineapple variant made with aging rum, clarified pineapple, coconut, Jamaica pepper and a strawberry-toaiquiri ice cube.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
While the Bar Benjamin stage feels tandem to his older brother, his beverage program is completely separated. Jason Lee (previously from N/Soto and Baroo) and Chad Austin (previously from Mulholland and Bootlegger Tiki) built a new and ambitious cocktail program with separate drinks in categories of rich, tasty, unexpected, bright and Boozy, with only two retreats from Benjamin: the “Martini” Martini “SHENASFAR.
Some cocktails are totally original, while others vanish from the classics, such as the Gibson with infusion of all Bagel, the margarita made with a mezcal washed with Sichuan, or the Negroni made with tomato gin and vermouth infused with Ruibarbo. The Boy Tommy leads the coconut rum, the red curry and the green tea of fungus fermented with coconut foam, while the paddington, a wink to the favorite bear in England around the world, uses Gin, Pisco, Marmalade Orange and a burned cordial.
To eat, look for shrimp rolls, stuffed eggs, raw with fried sauce and more. Bar Benjamin is open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 pm at midnight, and from Thursday to Saturday from 6 pm to 1 am
7174 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 500-1122, Barbenjamin.com
The sushi bar in Saijo.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Saijo Hand Roll Bar
A new manual bar of the founder of the Ramen Jinya chain is serving Temaki and Kushiyaki in a 24 -seat sushi bar in Culver City.
Kushiyaki of shrimp and meat in Saijo in Culver City.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The Saijo de Tomo Takahashi hand roll bar specializes in manual rolls, which come to the letter; in sets of two, three or four pieces; Or as lunch specials: toro full, lobster, grilled lubina, unagi, salmon and wagyu. The algae are roasted to the order, and the exclusive hand roll of the restaurant is filled with blue crab, shrimp, salmon belly and cucumber.
In a wink to the influence of his family's Robatayaki restaurant in Ehime, Japan, the new Roll bar of Takahashi's hand also serves a variety of grilled skewers, which include pork chasu, tsukune, ginkgo nuts, vegetables and shrimp with garlic butter. Sake, beer and wine are also available. Saijo Hand Roll Bar is open from Sunday and Tuesday to Thursday from noon to 2:30 pm and 5 at 9:30 pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 2:30 pm and 5 at 10 pm
12473 Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, 424-479-7977, saijohandroll.com
The firm of the Marathon Burger firm is a Double Wagyu Smash cheese hamburger, homemade pickles, grill on the grill and fools in pickled.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Hamburger marathon Venice
The Nipsey Hussle marathon continues in Venice with the launch of an advanced Marathon Burger position right on the Paseo Marítimo.
The culinary branch of the lifestyle of the deceased rapper, marathon, debuted earlier this year Throughout Melrose with the brother and commercial partner of Hussle, Samiel “Blacc Sam” Asghedom, leading the position. Now Asghedom and the Marathon team are serving a small marathon hamburgers menu that includes Wagyu Smash hamburgers and wings, breakfast sandwiches, french fries and drinks in a walk window in front of Muscle Beach.
Marathon Burger is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm
1827 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, marathonburger.com
