Between the pandemic and recent ICE raids, LA restaurants have been hurting, and high-profile closures like Here’s Looking at You have made national news.
But you may also have noticed new signs and grand openings in Koreatown lately, and the data bears that out: In 2024, 61 business licenses were issued here, more than any other neighborhood in LA, according to city Office of Finance data analyzed by Crosstown.
For Henry Delgado, who in June opened Buena Comida Mexicana on Western Avenue, the existing food scene and dense makeup of the neighborhood were the draw.
“There’s a lot of foot traffic here, a lot of families walking around, people getting their coffees in the morning. You don’t really see that in other cities anymore,” said Delgado, co-owner and manager of the family-run restaurant. “That’s the reason why I came here and had the motivation to open up here.”
The trend is continuing this year: Another 34 licenses have been issued to Koreatown restaurants so far in 2025. That is second only to downtown.
The data tracks with what longtime restaurant critic Merrill Shindler has witnessed.
“It keeps growing,” said Shindler, whose credits include editing the Zagat Guide as well as writing for the Southern California News Group and The Eastsider. “I drive through K-town, and I cannot believe it: This is a new one. That’s a new one. That’s a new market.”
The thriving food scene, which draws serious foodies, along with Koreatown’s multicultural audience also appealed to chef Monica Kim, who opened Seogwan by Yellowcow KBBQ in June. But she also had concerns about competition, even as an experienced restaurateur.
“There are already so many Korean barbecue restaurants here,” said Kim, who has run Yellow Cow Korean BBQ in Gardena for nearly 30 years.
Kim looked for a way to bring something different. She found it disappointing that most Korean barbecue restaurants serve the same simple side dishes, like a salad.
“For us, the side dishes change every day,” she said. “I don’t think Korean cuisine is just one main dish. It’s when the main, the sides and the rice are in harmony.”
Her specialty is Pyeongyang naengmyeon, a North Korean cold noodle dish made with buckwheat noodles in a bland, icy meat broth.
While several local restaurants have started to serve the dish, most U.S. establishments stick to Hamheung-style naengmyeon, known for its stronger flavor.
“It took seven years to open Seogwan in LA, and we wanted to offer something that didn’t exist here yet,” Kim said.
Overall, business licences across LA have been declining steadily for a decade, but restaurants are an outlier, with the 742 issued in 2024 representing a 47.5% increase over the count in 2019, according to Office of Finance data (in some rare instances, the license is not for a new restaurant, but a transfer of ownership or other factor). In Koreatown, the number of new licenses plunged in 2022, but the current year’s count is nearing pre-COVID totals.
The roster of recent Koreatown arrivals also shows a breadth of options, from Gabin Korean Grill at Fourth and Western to a Filipino lechon spot on Third Street to Sushi Hanna located in a shopping center on Wilshire Boulevard to a Sweetgreen on Sixth Street.
The variety is no surprise to Shindler, who pointed back decades to when popular Italian spot Little Joe’s was smack in the middle of Chinatown.
“We live in a multiethnic city,” he said.
Variety is also visible within the Korean dining scene in the community. Schindler said personal favorites are Kobawoo House, which serves Korean-style pancakes, and Surawon Tofu House, which is known for making the tofu for its sundubu-jjigae in house.
How can a restaurant draw diners with so many choices and an influx of new eateries? It’s simple, said Elizabeth Hong, owner of Olympic Noodle. The restaurant continues to draw consistent crowds, even as it’s weathered major challenges like the ‘92 riots and COVID pandemic over its 44 years in operation.
“We just focus on good service and good food, and we don’t skimp on seasoning,” she said. “No matter what new places open, our food still speaks for itself.”
