Fine, Fresh, Fierce: L.A. Food!
Hello foodies!
My name is Justin Yue, and today I wanted to share some of my food adventures in the fine, fresh, and fierce Los Angeles with ya’ll! A few of my friends were asking me the other day why I went to L.A. just for the weekend, and my best excuse is because the plane tickets were cheap. Haha!
L.A. is known for being the hub of fit yoga moms, juice cleanses, Sunday brunch dates, and delicious Mexican and Korean food! L.A. Koreatown (K Town) is poppin’. If you drive through the area at night, you will see plenty of lit up signs scattered across the street, advertising Korean BBQ, milk tea, and dessert shops. Knowing this, I knew that I wanted to get Korean food during my first day in L.A.!
Tofu & Noodle: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tofu-and-noodles-los-angeles-2
When I got off my flight, I wanted something that was filling but not too heavy. So, instead of going out for Korean BBQ, we went to get Korean noodles. Tofu & Noodle is really homey–there are a handful of tables inside, and the kitchen is close to where the diners are. Pastel colored wallpaper lines the inside of the restaurant. This place is great for those who want to catch up with friends and family in a quiet place.
Right when we sat down, the waiter greeted us with complimentary cups of cold buckwheat tea. I ordered the Spicy Knife Cut Noodle soup with beef brisket and the purple rice kimbap! The noodle soup, which had sesames in it, was thick and reminded me of egg drop soup. The restaurant doesn’t use MSG, so I didn’t have any unpleasant sensations in my throat after eating the noodles. The noodles themselves looked somewhat like larger versions of instant noodle, but were nothing like the infamous Top Ramen us college students are too familiar with. Instead, they were a lot more chewy, thick, and were actually made in house!
The second item I ordered was rice kimbap (Korean rice rolls). The kimbap here was a little different than usual because it was made with purple rice. Inside were eggs, carrots, sausages, and veggies! The rice was soft and slightly sticky.
Sul & Beans: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sul-and-beans-los-angeles
This place is amaaaaaaaazing! After getting dinner at Tofu & Noodle, we went over to Sul & Beans to get Korean shaved ice. Sul & Beans does parking validation, which is a plus given that finding parking in L.A. is close to impossible. Inside the restaurant are several fake models of the different types of shaved ice the restaurant offers. The toppings range from strawberry, to mango to Oreo. All of the shaved ice options are truly impressive and look like they are from a Japanese anime book. We ended up getting the Oreo shaved ice, which was sweet but not too overwhelming. The ice itself is not flavored, but bits of chocolate and Oreos were scattered inside the mountain of ice and above it. Korean music plays inside the restaurant on a TV screen, and it gets packed especially after dinner time. But, the table turnover is usually pretty fast. I would definitely recommend this place for those who like sweet, but not overwhelmingly rich desserts!
Both restaurants serve delicious food, and I would definitely recommend anyone who is in the area to try and stop by both places! Going to L.A. reminded me how much I miss quality Asian food and how limited the selection for Asian food is in Philly. Even though I now spend a little over eight months on the East Coast, I will always be a California boy at heart. West Coast, Best Coast!
Peace Out, Girl Scout!
Justin Yue
Penn Appétit Blogger