Hojokban, The Mulberry and more opened at the end of 2025
Before the dinner service begins at Restaurant Ki, chef Ki Kim prefaces that his tasting menu showcases New Korean cuisine — it’s not a reinvention of Korean food but rather a creative approach to the culture’s traditional dishes.
And while Restaurant Ki is more than worth the visit, Angelenos can find plenty of New Korean eateries that are outside of the fine dining realm (even despite the disappointing April 2025 closure of Yangban).
The Mulberry pork spare ribsCredit: Bonjwing Lee
From Seoul, Hojokban followed its New York City outpost by landing in the Los Angeles Arts District, serving contemporary Korean comfort food. Over in Beverly Grove, fast-casual chain Seoulmates (which serves Korean street fusion) had an exciting addition in late August when Bap & Bird — a Korean fried chicken and omubap concept — opened within the space.
Credit: Courtesy Bap & Bird
Meanwhile, Highland Park gets in on the action with chef Debbie Lee’s Yi Cha. Lee first stirred up hype in the early 2010s with her modern Korean food truck Ahn-Joo, from which she brought over to Yi Cha the Korean fried chicken, a dish that is among her menu favorites. With other dishes like the esquites-style wagyu bone marrow corn cheese and Chef Deb’s Hangover Stew (gamjatang, a spicy pork and potato variety), she hopes to see a routine of regular and new diners. “If we’re doing our job right, it should feel like your favorite neighborhood spot that also happens to serve some of the best Korean food you’ve had,” she says.
Yi Cha’s shareable dishesCredit: Stan Lee
This aim of “solidifying the sense of community” is also top of mind for David Lee, who co-owns The Mulberry on Sawtelle. The bistro arrived at the end of November with an array of Korean-American dishes that have L.A. influences. The Korean aguachile delights in an icy kimchi broth, while steak tartare is served on crispy rice, all in a stone pot. A Caesar salad comes with puffed rice. Lee explains, “Our goal with The Mulberry was to create a warm neighborhood destination to enjoy a cozy meal, ideally while also running into your friends, solidifying the sense of community — a Cheers bar of sorts, if you will.”
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