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Best Korean BBQ In Los Angeles

There's something about cooking meat over an open flame that appeals to our inner caveman. Here are the best spots in town to enjoy this carnal pleasure.

Park's BBQ
955 South Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 380-1717
www.parksbbq.com

While far from the most economical barbecue pit, Park's Barbeque offers friendly service and meat that is a cut above the offerings of its neighbors. Expect to find perfectly marbled wagyu beef and a special hybrid breed of pork called Tokyo X.

Road To Seoul
1230 S Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(323) 731-9292

While ordering a la carte is an option, it's the all-you-can-eat meat fest that brings diners back time and again to Road to Seoul. The variety of banchan, meats, and mardinades is enough to keep even the biggest appetite satisfied. Best of all, it's only $16.99 to stuff yourself silly.

Shik Do Rak
2501 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 384-4148
www.address.com

The usual protocol at Korean barbecue joints is to consume as much meat as possible. Some chopsticks may stray to the banchan for a quick second, but it's usually grill to mouth for most. Bucking the trend, Shik Do Rak encourages diners to wrap their grilled meats with oily sheets of pliant rice paper (dduk bo ssam) and accessorize with all manner of raw garlic, jalapenos, herbs, and greens. The experience is more balanced this way.

Soot Bull Jeep
3136 W 8th St
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 387-3865

Chances are pretty good that your clothes and hair will smell like charred pork when you're through eating at Soot Bull Jeep, but it's a small price to pay because the barbecuing there is as good as it gets. Order a variety of beasts--the short ribs and baby octopus never fail to please--and grill and drink the evening away.

Tahoe Galbi
3986 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 365-9000
www.tahoegalbi.com

Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM, Tahoe Galbi offers an unbeatable all-you-can-eat lunch affair for $9.99. It includes a variety of banchan and condiments, as well as heaps of pork belly, beef brisket, and chicken. Make sure to order only as much as you can eat or risk paying for the extras. They're sticklers here for wasting.

Cathy Chaplin is a Los Angeles-based food writer and photographer. Her widely-read blog Gastronomy has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Saveur.com. Ms. Danh's food writings have appeared in numerous publications including National Geographic, Saveur, and Time Out Vietnam.
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