This restaurant doesn't have an easy descriptor, except that it has a variety of traditional dishes to go along with some specialty duck dishes of note. In particular, there's a table-top grill where smoked duck breast might be one of the most unique preparations around. And there's a whole roasted duck stuffed with glutinous rice and other aromatics, though it must be ordered four hours in advance. It's worth the wait.

This soondae specialist does the Korean blood sausage right, with the classic sliced preparation that makes a great snack or good hangover cure. It can also be ordered in a large soup or stir-fry that's good for sharing.

This bar looks straight out of Seoul, with a dingy interior that feels like a streetside pub. There bites are authentic, flavorful, and true to the motherland. Get the bossam or tofu kimchi and wash it down with Hite and soju.

There aren't many places that specialize in naeng myun, cold Korean buckwheat noodles, but the ham hung or skate wing version here that's tossed in a sweet-spicy sauce is pretty amazing.

The massive wang, or king dumplings, were featured on Anthony Bourdain's The Layover, but that doesn't mean the other dumplings aren't worth ordering. The handmade specialties are still a treat.

An all-night diner, Keungama's suhl lung tang, or beef bone soup, has a bit of a lustier, more intense flavor than some of the other shops around the city, but it's hard to compete against the expansive interior and its near-crumbling room when it's 4 a.m.

Wako gets most of the attention when it comes to Korean-style tonkatsu, or pork cutlet, but the version at this Kobawoo-adjacent restaurant is pretty respectable, and very reasonably priced for lunch.

The lamb and other skewers at this Chinese-style restaurant in Koreatown are a fun thing to share with a table of friends, washed down with ice cold Korean beer.

The hefty cauldrons of jon gol are intense, but they make for a great shareable meal with friends and family. There's fried rice, classic stew pots like kimchi jigae, and plenty of other home-style preparations that aren't toned down in flavor.

This rather bizarre restaurant is no place for the neophyte Korean foodist, but there are some dishes here that can't be found anywhere. Named after the region between North Korea and China, this place mainly caters to immigrants. Try the stir-fried dried pollack or the "lamb stew."

This fried chicken specialist is a great place to take down a few pitchers of beer with spicy Korean wings and more. The rather authentic environs don't hurt the experience either.