The Bazaar's Holly Jivin Slurps Koreatown Noodles

Los Angeles is home to a lot of restaurants, and among them are hidden gems some Angelenos just aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's many food luminaries to share with us their under the radar recommendations for Dining Confidential.

Most nights, Holly Jivin is handling tickets at ever busy The Bazaar inside the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, but on off nights, she's roaming around Koreatown with husband Adam Cole (with whom she's planning to do a barbecue spot in Culver City). Her picks? Ma Dang Gook Soo on Western, Western Doma Noodle House, and late night spot Dan Sung Sa. Here's why:

My main reason for going to any of those places in Koreatown is that you have these tiny little Korean ladies who always do the cooking. It almost feels like somebody's mom is cooking for you versus going to any other restaurant. It's hard for me to pick a favorite between the three of them.

Western Doma has my favorite banchan, and there's this one lady that waits on all the tables. You have to be patient because she's not super fast. The same ladies are always cooking in the back.

I used to go to Dan Sung Sa a lot more because it's a great late night spot to go with the cooks. I think it's gotten a little more expensive but my favorite thing to get is the BBQ pork ribs. The blood sausage is really good and the kimchi soup that you get to start is also a favorite.

At Ma Dang Gook Soo, they have the most amazing Korean chicken noodle soup. It's the perfect hangover cure if you're ever in that situation. Great service, consistent, and it's great knowing that somebody's mom is putting out the food. When I came here from Atlanta, I kind of fell in love with Koreatown. I love Korean barbecue, but I like to go to a place where there's no cooking required. I love when they do the cooking for you.