Popular Korean duck barbecue spot Sun Ha Jang has opened up a front outdoor patio for one of LA’s most unique tabletop grill styles. After a parade of fatty, delicious duck seared on a skillet, diners get flavor-packed fried rice to end the meal.

Seafood staple Soban can do no wrong, starting with an amazing array of banchan to begin each meal. The menu features terrific raw crab dressed one of two ways, either in a garlicky soy sauce or thick spicy red pepper sauce, as well as pan-fried fish and spicy braised black cod (or opt for the spicy beef short ribs instead).

There’s basically only one menu item at this Koreatown classic: large cast-iron pans of spicy Korean dakgalbi, a dish that develops through the course of the meal with tender pieces of chicken thigh, rice cakes, cabbage, and a sweet-spicy sauce that reduces over time. And at the end of the meal, servers take the last portion of each serving and make an amazing seaweed-and-perilla-infused fried rice.

One of South Korea’s most prolific fried chicken chains, Pelicana has opened in Koreatown with its selection of sticky, saucy fried chicken pieces served with pickled radish cubes. The spicy variants actually bring a real punch while the soy garlic and non-sauced fried chicken are among the best in the genre thanks to juicy, well-seasoned birds.

The cloudy bone marrow broth here is legendary, as are the tender slabs of brisket and various organ meats floating in it. The menu here is very simple — seolleongtang only. Build the meal with seasonings, kimchi, and rice, along with a dash of salt and sprinkling of green onions.

Koreatown’s longtime mom-and-pop (in this case, mom-and-son) restaurant Jun Won has reopened as a takeout-only spot serving some of the city’s best samgyetang, a comforting cold weather soup of ginseng chicken. Jun Won Dak also serves some longtime favorites, from galbijjim to eundaegu joorim (spicy braised black cod) to enjoy at home.

Known for its terrific mul naengmyeon, this casual restaurant indeed serves one of LA’s most refreshing versions of the buckwheat noodle soup, which is great with a sizzler plate of grilled galbi. The menu is otherwise reasonably compact, and while cooler days might not lead to cravings for cold, tangy noodle soup, things like boiled mandu and kalguksu (hot knife-cut noodle soup) are worth trying outside of the summer months.

There’s a lot of all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue in LA, but perhaps none has stood the test of time as well as Yerim, which retains excellent overall quality for a modest price of under $50 for most menu options. The tender, flavorful meat coupled with free-flowing drinks and attentive service make this a solid pick for groups that need a lot of KBBQ in one sitting.

This classic K-Town restaurant had an ownership change in recent years, but longtime customers likely won’t be able to tell the difference on the plate. Everything from the stellar radish banchan (the restaurant’s namesake) to the seared fish tastes as it should, which is to say, just like a grandmother’s cooking. The tiny, packed dining room filled mostly with Koreans should be a key indicator that this place remains a community fixture.

With some of the finest knife-cut noodles in town, Hangari regularly fields ridiculously long waits. The dumplings and boribap-style banchan starter are also terrific here. As for the noodles, both the clam and the chicken noodles are worth trying.

Koreatown’s all-night galbi jjim destination serves it with tender chunks of short rib, chewy rice cakes, and tons of spice. While the soups are more than respectable, crowds wait in line for the meat festival in a stone bowl. Top the galbi jjim with cheese to take it to the next level. There’s a big new location along Western Avenue as well — in the former Sizzler building.

An iconic Koreatown cocktail spot with an impressive midcentury interior, the Prince offers a modern Korean pub menu of crispy whole-fried chicken, seafood pancakes, and other classic drinking fare in a dining room resembling a movie set. This makes sense since the venue has been used in countless movies and television shows.

This restaurant might be on the small side, but it serves up well-crafted traditional Korean dishes with huge flavor. The braised short ribs are a table-pleaser, along with the strong pot bibimbap. The spicy-braised mackerel is the show stopper, with layers of rich flavor that go perfectly when spooned over multigrain rice.

Though lunchtime crowds go for the bossam, a Korean specialty featuring pork belly slices and accoutrements, it’s worth trying the traditional dishes as well. The hulking seafood pajeon is a classic, as well as the kimchi stew in a stone pot. The classic, dimly lit dining room is now open again.

Enduring Korean barbecue specialist Yangmani treats intestines on the same level as primal cuts, and the crowds every night as evidence of the restaurant’s popularity. Owner Jennifer Choi, who also owns Ong Ga Nae in Koreatown, and has recently expanded Yangmani to Rowland Heights, is always ready to get creative with her dishes, including a stellar kimchi fried rice studded with nubs of crisped gopchang.