Another Korean BBQ: Ssang Kogi Nara

All of Mr. Monkey's college friends are Korean. He's never explained why. (While we're at it, all of Mr. Monkey's high school friends are Jewish, and I don't know the reason for this either.)

But we're here today to talk about his college friends, who always take us to Korean barbecue places that I've never visited. Sometimes I wonder how all of these places survive.

We ate at Ssang Kogi Nara (3416 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles) with the college gang before going out to karaoke.


I spied no white people, although I think there were a couple of Latino folks. Good sign.

I didn't know what to make of sashimi at a BBQ joint, but I went with the flow.

Our Korean friends never let us down. Solid all-you-can-eat.

Wan Turns 40: O Dae San

I've been friends with Wan for over five years now. She was one of my first Internet friends and remains one of my best. When Lilcee suggested a surprise party to celebrate Wan's fortieth birthday, we all happily obliged and met at O Dae San (2889 W. Olympic Blvd.,
Los Angeles), where we indulged in all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue for just $16.99.

Happy birthday, Wan! We love you so much!

Best Crust Ever: Mr. Pizza

Whenever we go to concerts at The Wiltern, I'm always intrigued by Mr. Pizza across the street. One night, we finally went inside to try Korean pizza. Yes, you read that right. Korean pizza!



Mr. Monkey saw this deal and was sold.

Blacken [sic] chicken -- Cajun chicken breast, tomato, goat cheese (regular price $16).

I only had a bite to taste it. It was fine. Nothing special.

I had no interest in pasta. I was only there for one thing.

The Beselo -- four different pizzas in one ($26).
(1) Potato Gold -- tomato sauce, mozzarella, ground beef, corn, onion, potato wedge, nacho chip flakes, sour cream.
(2) Shrimp Gold -- salsa sauce, mozzarella, Cajun shrimp, mushrooms, ground beef, corn, onion, bell pepper, olive, jalapeño, bacon bits.
(3) Crab Gold -- Alfredo sauce, crab, mozzarella, ground beef, onion, bell pepper, paprika, bacon bits, bleu cheese dressing.
(4) Secret Garden -- spicy Alfredo sauce, Cajun chicken breast, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, olive, spinach, bleu cheese dressing.

This is what I came for! I love variety!

The toppings are plentiful and interesting, but really there is only one reason to go to Mr. Pizza.

SWEET POTATO MOUSSE CRUST!

I loved loved loved this. It was like dessert at the end of every slice.

LOVED. GO TRY THIS. CAPS NECESSARY.

Disastrous Dduk: Ahn-Joo

Ahn-Joo made my co-workers and me really sad.

The Korean snack bar on wheels sounded so promising.

Bulgogi bowl -- Korean BBQ beef, garlic fried rice, spicy pickled cucumbers ($8).

This was the winner amongst our selection, which is pretty pathetic because it was only ok at best.

Spicy chilled buckwheat noodles, Fuji apples, Korean vegetables ($5) and bacon-wrapped rice cylinders, jalapeño ponzu ($3).

The soba was utterly forgettable. The bacon-wrapped rice cylinders were nice little bites, but we'd had higher hopes for them.

Spicy chicken and Korean pepper skewers ($3).

Awful. Nuggets of dry. Like Sahara dry.

Korean nachos -- fried rice cakes, smoke chile queso, soy-braised pork, kimchee salsa ($7).

Terrible. I love dduk. Love! I hated this. The pork was palatable, but the dduk was so wrong. So dessicated. So rock-hard. We could've pelted each other with them. They were a far cry from the wondrous chewiness that they should've been.

Fuji apple egg roll, ginger mascarpone ($5).

These were an acceptable end to the meal. Actually, they tasted kind of good, but I'm not sure if we enjoyed them simply because we ate them after that horrible mess of a dduk disaster.

If this meal was indicative of what Ahn-Joo always serves, I don't know how it stays in business.

Korean Chicken Noodle Soup: Ma Dang Gook Soo

Ma Dang Gook Soo (869 S. Western Ave., Ste. 1, Los Angeles) serves Korean noodles. It's a small place, and chances are it'll be packed when you go.

There are 26 items on the menu, which you may peruse while you wait, so you can order as soon as you sit down to a few plates of panchan.

Below are dishes from two visits.

Kal gook soo (handmade knife-cut wheat flour noodles) is the specialty of the house. I love this chicken version ($7.85).

This is comfort. This is chicken noodle soup, Korean-style. Wondrous, chewy, happy noodles.

Kimchee kal gook soo ($7.85).

Tangy and spicy.

Buckwheat noodles in soybean milk ($8.25).

Served cold. I think it's an acquired taste. Totally not my cup of tea.

Mountain vegetables with rice and meat ($8.25).

You may recognize this as bibimbap. We ordered it when we saw several other tables do so. Quite a nice version for a noodle house! Unexpected win!

Dumpling soup ($8.25).

Same great chicken soup but with big fat dumplings in it. Yum.

If you like noodles, you must visit. All the doughy items are fab.