During our recent trip to California, we wanted to track down the absolute best Korean restaurants in the area. We got some amazing recommendations from locals in Los Angeles and Anaheim, and we knew we had to go. We always say a good Instagram photo does not guarantee good food, but these spots completely lived up to the hype. If you are planning a trip to Southern California, here is our honest guide to where you need to eat and what you need to order.
We hit three spots over two days: one famous Korean franchise near Disneyland in Anaheim, one Michelin Guide-recognized galbi spot in LA Koreatown, and a traditional Korean shaved ice shop to close everything out. Here is how it all went.
Sookdal β Near Disneyland, Anaheim
If you are spending any time around Anaheim or Disneyland, Sookdal is a must-visit. It is a famous franchise from Korea that has built a real reputation here in Southern California, and the popularity is immediately obvious when you arrive. Even though they close at midnight, people are still lining up at 11:00 PM. We have heard of waits stretching to two hours, so plan ahead and do not show up hungry expecting to sit down immediately.
The Vibe at Sookdal
The restaurant has that energetic Korean BBQ atmosphere: the smell of smoke and grilled meat hits you the moment you walk through the door, the tables are equipped with built-in grills, and the room is loud in a good way. This is not a quiet date night spot. It is a communal, boisterous, everyone-is-having-fun kind of place. The kind of Korean BBQ experience that feels like a party.
Fair warning: the restaurant gets very greasy. The smoke and oil from the grills hangs in the air, and you will smell like Korean BBQ for the rest of the night. This is the universal KBBQ experience, but Sookdal is particularly intense about it. If you bring a nice purse, put it inside a plastic bag to protect it from the oil. Your hair and clothes will need attention later. Totally worth it, just go in prepared.
The Meat: 10-Day Aged Pork
Sookdal specializes in 10-day aged pork, and it is the defining feature of their menu. We were expecting the pork belly to be super melty and fatty in the way some high-end KBBQ can be, but it was actually cooked to be more on the dry, crispy side. That distinction surprised us. It still tasted amazing, just different from the expectation. The aging process gives the pork a deeper, more concentrated flavor than fresh pork belly, and that comes through clearly once it is on the grill.
The "7 Ways" Experience
This is what makes Sookdal genuinely unique. They give you a laminated guide showing seven different ways to eat your grilled pork. You take the crispy pork and wrap it with combinations of cheese, brisket, and various sour Korean pickles including Myeongyi Namul (wild garlic leaves). Vincent is usually quite picky about pickles and fermented flavors, but he absolutely loved how the sourness cut through the grease of the pork. The acidity and the richness balance each other perfectly in a way that keeps you going back for the next piece.
Working through all seven methods is both the fun and the mission. We did not make it through all of them, but we got through most. Each combination is genuinely distinct.
Soowon Galbi β LA Koreatown
For our second stop, we headed into LA Koreatown, which is a world unto itself. We didn't realize it until we arrived, but Soowon Galbi is recognized by the Michelin Guide, which is not a small thing for a Korean BBQ restaurant in LA. We went during an off-peak time, not a Friday or Saturday night, and there was already a wait when we arrived. That alone tells you everything you need to know about how popular this place is with people who know what they are looking for.
The Vibe at Soowon Galbi
Compared to Sookdal, Soowon Galbi is a different register: a bit calmer, a bit more focused on the quality of what is on the grill rather than the energy of the room. It still has that essential KBBQ atmosphere, the smoke, the communal grilling, the banchan spread across the table, but there is a more intentional, refined quality to everything here. The kind of restaurant where the cooking is being taken seriously.
The Michelin recognition makes sense once you are sitting there. Every element is considered: the cuts of meat, the marinade, the sides, the way the staff manages the grill.
The Signature Galbi (Marinated Short Rib)
This is why people come to Soowon Galbi. The marinated short rib is unbelievable. Incredibly soft with a slightly sweeter, more complex seasoning than most galbi we have had: it reminded us strongly of our favorite KBBQ spot back in Phoenix, but elevated into something more polished. The marinade caramelizes beautifully on the grill and the meat pulls away from the bone with just the right resistance. This is the dish you go to Soowon Galbi for, and it delivers completely.
The Banchan (Side Dishes)
Their banchan is next level and not an afterthought, which it can be at lesser Korean BBQ spots. The standout for us was the salted spinach with sesame oil: packed with rich, savory, deeply satisfying flavor from the sesame. Every side dish on the table felt like it belonged there rather than just being filler to round out the spread.
Order the Spicy Bibim Naengmyeon
The spicy cold noodles at Soowon Galbi are essential. Do not skip them. The best way to eat them: grab a tangle of the cold, chewy buckwheat noodles with your chopsticks and wrap them directly around a hot piece of freshly grilled, sweet, caramelized galbi. The contrast between cold and hot, between the vinegary spice of the naengmyeon and the sweetness of the meat, is one of those combinations that makes you stop and reconsider every meal decision you have made that did not include this.
Sul & Beans β LA Koreatown
After all that heavy, savory Korean BBQ across two restaurants, we needed something cold and refreshing to close the Koreatown chapter. Sul & Beans is a traditional Korean shaved ice spot in K-Town, and it was exactly the right call.
The Vibe
Sul & Beans has a clean, casual atmosphere: the kind of place where you go for dessert after a big meal and find a line of people who had the exact same idea. It is sweet-focused and simple, which is perfect when you are already full from a serious grilling session.
What We Ordered: Red Bean Bingsoo
We got the large Red Bean Bingsoo for $13.50, which arrived completely covered in sweet red bean paste and Injeolmi (roasted soybean powder). The bowl was enormous, the kind of portion where two people sharing it will both leave satisfied.
What I appreciate most about good Bingsoo is that the sweetness is never aggressive. Sul & Beans does this right: the shaved ice is delicate and fine rather than chunky, it melts instantly on your tongue, and the red bean paste is sweet but earthy rather than sugary. The Injeolmi powder adds a nutty, toasted flavor that softens everything into a very gentle, clean finish.
After the intensity of KBBQ smoke, fat, and soy-heavy flavors, this was the perfect refreshing reset. Subtle, cold, and genuinely satisfying in a completely different way from everything that came before it.
Practical Info
All three spots are in the greater Los Angeles area. Sookdal and the Southeast Asian spots we covered separately are in the Anaheim area, roughly 30 to 40 minutes from central LA depending on traffic. Soowon Galbi and Sul & Beans are both in Koreatown, easily accessible from most central LA locations.
For Sookdal: expect a wait, especially on weekends and late nights. Show up with time to spare. For Soowon Galbi: go during off-peak hours if possible, or be prepared to wait. For Sul & Beans: more casual, faster turnover, and very reasonable prices.
Budget around $40 to $60 per person for a full KBBQ meal at Sookdal or Soowon Galbi including meat, sides, and drinks. Sul & Beans is well under $20 for two people sharing.
Final Thoughts
If you are planning a Southern California trip, do not sleep on the Korean food scene in Anaheim and LA Koreatown. These are the spots that locals actually go to, not the tourist-facing versions of Korean food. The wait at Sookdal and the slightly more refined experience at Soowon Galbi are both worth your time, and they offer genuinely different takes on Korean BBQ that complement each other rather than overlap. And if you are in Koreatown after dinner, walk over to Sul & Beans and let the Bingsoo remind you that the best meals always end on a quiet, cold, sweet note.
Also on the same California trip, we hunted down the best Malaysian and Indonesian food near Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. Both guides together make a solid Southern California food itinerary.
