The Best Spots for Asian Food in Los Angeles

Hangari Kalguksu is a casual dining spot known for its specialty in Kal-guk-su, a hearty noodle soup flavored with garlic, onions, potatoes, and Manila clams. The restaurant also offers an impressive seafood noodle soup, with house-made noodles and a broth drawn from dried anchovies and a variety of shellfish. Additional menu items include traditional sides like radish and cabbage kimchi, and other delights such as the Hot Stone bibimbap.

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Nicole Jacobsen

Co-Founder TheFoodOffice – Stockholm, Sweden

One delicious eat in Koreatown is Hangari Kalguksu. They specialize in Kal-guk-su (hand cut noodle soup). Kalguksu is the most perfect comfortfood - hearty, steaming bowls filled with a rich noodle soup that are flavored with garlic and onions and thickened with potatoes and must include Manila clams. Each order comes of course with traditional sides of radish and cabbage kimchi. Really tasty and damn, those hand cut noodles!!

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Kato Restaurant offers a unique blend of Taiwanese and Japanese cuisines, presented in an ever-changing tasting menu. The freshness of the ingredients and playful mix of cultures are evident in every bite, with standout dishes including their explosive tomatoes, steamed fish, and yogurt/melon dessert. The staff at Kato is also noted for their exceptional service.

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Carsten Schmidt

Culinary Explorer – Washington/Los Angeles, USA

A Michelin Starred restaurant in a strip mall next to a dry cleaner and supermarket, it doesn’t get more LA than that. But what also doesn’t get more LA than that is the freshness of the ingredients, the playful mix of cultures, and just the innovation and fun you can taste in each bite. The Tomatoes were amazing, this explosion of flavors, the steamed fish, and lastly the yogurt/melon were the standout dishes for me. Lastly, let me also just say that the staff was amazing.

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Located in a Japanese supermarket's food court, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is a cash-only Japanese ramen chain known for its white tonkotsu (pork bone) soup served with a pickled plum. The ordering process is straightforward: you pick from shio (salt), soy, miso, or spicy miso ramen, place your order, and wait for your number to be called. Their Hokkaido-style shio (salt) ramen, which is lighter than many tonkotsu versions, is a popular choice for a comforting meal.

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Nicole Jacobsen

Co-Founder TheFoodOffice – Stockholm, Sweden

The white tonkotsu (pork bone) soup served with a small, pickled plum in a round bowl at @ramensantoukausmawa is worth traveling for. This is a Japanese ramen chain located in the food court of a Japanese supermarket in Los Angeles. The process is simple, you line up with your cash ready (cash only), then choose from shio (salt), soy, miso or spicy miso ramen. Move on to place your order and then just wait for them to call your number over the loudspeaker. We tried the Hokkaido-style shio (salt) ramen which is a bit lighter than other bowls of tonkotsu that we have tried over the years - and damn this was a comforting bowl!! 🤤👏🏻

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Specializing in Southern Korean comfort food, Jinsol Gukbap 3rd is known for its flavorful dishes such as the massive kimchi stew, jjimdak, and the signature gukbap. The restaurant takes pride in its pork-pronounced soups from Busan, South Korea, which owe their unique taste to a pork bone broth that has been simmered for 24 hours with a variety of roots and vegetables. Among the highlights of their menu are the strips of braised pork belly, which are so tender they practically melt under a pair of chopsticks.

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Randy Moon

Restaurant Owner – Los Angeles, USA

Southern Korean comfort food. From the founder of Hangari Kalguksu, southern Korean food of the highest quality. I like the (massive) kimchi stew, the jjimdak, and of course the namesake gukbap.

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Kuya Lord is a laid-back eatery where you can enjoy regional Filipino dishes, prepared in Chef Lord Maynard's unique style. The menu, though concise, is packed with flavorful dishes such as slow-roasted rolled pork belly and almond wood-grilled Hiramasa collar, which are customer favorites. The restaurant has a genuine feel, with friendly owners who are always eager to receive feedback, making it a comfortable and enjoyable dining experience.

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David P. Leja

@thegastrojourney – Palma, Spain

Small casual restaurant serving regional Filipino dishes in chef Lord Maynard’s way. One of our favorite meals in LA was this one, and it’s very unlikely you will find a better value for money spot in the city. This place was initially born as a pop-up during covid times until former Bestia chef Lord Maynard decided to turn it into a restaurant. The menu is short but packed with super tasty dishes. We ordered the following: * Tray with slow-roasted rolled pork belly. * Almond wood-grilled Hiramasa collar, toyomansi & chili-garlic oil. We liked both dishes, but the pork belly was definitely our favorite, and actually every part of that tray was really tasty, the pickled vegetables were super refreshing and had a nice touch of acidity, the noodles were very flavorful and the rice was perfect to combine with the pork belly. The place felt so genuine and the owners were so friendly and always asking for feedback, you could really feel they were really happy running the place.

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Known for its authentic Thai street food, Radna Silom is a must-visit for noodle lovers. Their rad na thin noodles come highly recommended, especially if you're lucky enough to visit when the mom is on the wok. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, they have successfully adapted by opening a streetside stand with seating, ensuring a unique dining experience.

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Randy Moon

Restaurant Owner – Los Angeles, USA

Thai street food, try the rad na noodles During the pandemic, they opened a streetside stand with seating. If I go it's usually right around closing time (midnight) for the rad na thin noodles. If the mom is on the wok then I might get a couple extra dishes too!

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Transforming a former bank building into a dining space, YESS offers an uncomplicated menu featuring local seafood, vegetables, and California meats. The restaurant is known for its ambitious approach to traditional cooking. It is recognized as one of the most exciting dining spots in the US.

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Randy Moon

Restaurant Owner – Los Angeles, USA

Yess Restaurant, one of the most exciting restaurants in the US. They've spared no expense in turning a former bank building into a supremely ambitious but also uncomplicated meal of local seafood and vegetables, California meats, and old-fashioned cooking.

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This two-Michelin-star restaurant, n/naka, offers an exceptional dining experience with a modern interpretation of the Japanese culinary art form of Kaiseki. The restaurant prides itself on using the finest seasonal ingredients from both California and Japan to create a unique fusion of flavors. The menu is constantly evolving, offering a preset thirteen-course dinner service from Wednesday to Saturday, with each course exquisitely plated, balancing old and new tastes and flavors.

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Geeta Bansal

EIC of Salty Magazine – Newport Beach, USA

Chef Niki Nakayama’s 2 Michelin star, Kaiseki California take utilizing local, seasonal ingredients. In full disclosure, a reservation at the 2 Michelin starred Kaiseki style Japanese restaurant is not easy to land but definitely worth pursuing. Chef Niki Nakayama’s version is a modern California take utilizing local, seasonal ingredients, some not usually identified with the traditional multi-course style, instilling a unique sense of place to the dining experience. The vibe at n/naka is serene and elegant, the service gracious, the sake and the wine and non-alcoholic pairing well-curated. While the exquisitely plated courses open a window into modern Japanese food they magically manage to balance the old and new in taste and flavors. The dinner service runs Wednesday through Saturday with a preset thirteen-course menu. The standout course, a Chef’s choice or Shiizakana, is a nontraditional and absolutely delicious spaghetti alla chitarra, a black truffle topped pasta dressed with abalone liver and pickled roe. Since the menu is hyper-seasonal and evolving constantly, the highlights vary with each experience adding unique taste memories. Chef Nakayama and her partner Carole Iida also opened n/soto, a California Japanese style Izakaya during the pandemic offering an evolving bento with a la carte service to follow.

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Specializing in kappo cuisine, Shibumi offers an elegant and mesmerizing Japanese dining experience with a focus on seasonality. The intimate 40-seat restaurant, run by Chef David Schlosser, is known for its unique and rare selection of beverages paired with seasonal offerings. The dishes are prepared using the highest quality local, organic, and sustainable ingredients and are served on handmade ceramics, adding to the overall aesthetic experience.

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Nicole Jacobsen

Co-Founder TheFoodOffice – Stockholm, Sweden

It’s no surprise that Shibumi, a Japanese restaurant that specializes in kappo cuisine, tops our list of food experiences in Los Angeles! To be frank, Downtown LA was a​ disappointment for us but one restaurant not​ to miss out on is Shibumi - a restaurant that specializes in kappo cuisine, which results in an elegant and mesmerizing Japanese dinner with a focus on seasonality. We tried their medium-range omakase, twelve very different and beautiful dishes by chef David Schlosser.

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This Japanese restaurant, Tsubaki, is known for its intimate ambiance and flavorful sharing plates. The recommended dishes include prawns and chicken skewers, which are particularly popular among the visitors. With its roots in Japan and a California mindset, Tsubaki provides both indoor and outdoor dining experiences.

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Margaux Koopman

Foodie – London, United Kingdom

Delicious Japanese restaurant. Delicious Japanese sharing plates in Echo Park with intimate ambiance. I particularly recommend the prawns and chicken skewers.

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Enjoy a unique dining experience at Anajak Thai Cuisine, where you can delve into a rich menu featuring classics like Massaman Brisket Curry and Southern-Thai Fried Chicken. The restaurant offers a diverse wine selection, including traditional and vanguard wines from Mosel, Champagne, and Burgundy. Special events like Thai Taco Tuesday add a fun twist to the dining experience, with a rotating menu of tacos and tostadas.

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David P. Leja

@thegastrojourney – Palma, Spain

Thai restaurant with a nice wine selection in Sherman Oaks. This was one of our favorite meals, if not the favorite meal of this trip. First of all, Sherman Oaks is becoming cooler by the minute, we want to explore this area more on our next trip, as on our way there we saw many cool spots and just a nice general vibe. We really enjoyed the restaurant's atmosphere, the sommelier was super friendly, as was the rest of the team, and perhaps the only downside is that it can be a touch tight depending on where you get seated. Regarding the wine, they have a pretty wide selection, and it includes a couple of natural wines so there’s a little bit for everyone here. Now, focusing on the food, we had the following: * Massaman Brisket Curry. * Southern-Thai Fried Chicken. * BBQ Pork Collar, coriander molasses, soy & sesame. * Pad Thai. Except for the Pad Thai, which wasn’t bad, but we wouldn’t order it again, we absolutely loved the rest of the dishes, and the one that stood out the most was the Massaman Brisket Curry, this was the best Massaman we’ve had so far, it’s super rich in flavor, with a nice thick texture, the brisket was still juicy, just a great dish. Definitely one of our new favorite spots in the city, and a place we want to come back to on our next trips.

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Offering a unique take on Thai cuisine, Night + Market Song is known for its fun and enjoyable atmosphere. The friendly staff caters to a menu that includes dishes like Khao Soi Jay, Grilled fatty pork jowl, and Beef short rib panang, with the Khao Soi being a standout favorite. The restaurant also boasts an extensive list of natural wines, making it a great spot for wine enthusiasts.

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David P. Leja

@thegastrojourney – Palma, Spain

Thai restaurant with natural wines. First of all, this restaurant has three different locations in Los Angeles, all similar but at the same time all have some different dishes and wines, so it can be interesting going to all of them. Out of all the restaurants we visited in LA, this had the most fun and enjoyable atmosphere without a doubt. The staff here is super super friendly, fun and helpful at all times as well, another thing we loved here. The food as mentioned is Thai, but sometime with a personal twist on it. The dishes we had were: * Khao Soi Jay. * Grilled fatty pork jowl. * Beef short rib panang. All dishes were tasty and in our opinion well executed, but the dish that stood out the most for us was the Khao Soi which we totally loved, fresh with a nice acidity but still very rich and flavorful, and with a nice play of textures. The wine list is extensive and exclusively based on natural wines, and when it comes to natural wines it’s definitely one of the best lists in town. As a tip, ask for the reserve list if you want the best bottles in the house. One last thing to mention, this place is actually cheap for LA standards.

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