Does anybody here like Korean food? What do you think the best spot in LA is? (Simi Valley: house)

[Setsuko]

So many places to chose from I'd like to see some opinions.

[disgruntled la native]

The best Korean food will undoubtedly be in Koreatown, at one of those really expensive places.

But I can name two very good Korean places in the westside that won't break the bank: Tokyo Kalbi and Manpuku

[Charles]

Oaks Korean BBQ in of all places, Simi Valley. I've eaten there many times, but I am no expert. I love the BBQ on the table and tons and tons of kim chi.

Oaks Korean Bbq - Simi Valley, CA

[pbergen]

i love korean food, and have been eating it my entire life. the thing is, most of that noshing has taken place on the east coast and during trips to korea, so despite trying quite a few spots in LA, i've still only been to a fraction of the numerous korean eateries in the region. what's more, most of the places i've visited have been in koreatown, so my recommendations are geographically limited; i still haven't really explored the suburban korean commercial enclaves (the most prominent of which are in cerritos, fullerton, and garden grove, and to a lesser extent irvine, torrance/gardena, northridge, and rowland heights) as thoroughly as i'd prefer, but i know there's a lot of good food outside of LA city proper.

in other words, the following recommendations aren't meant to be ironclad or anything, as i'm still in the process of figuring out the best spots myself.

i should also note that the best spots are usually specialists that focus on preparing one or two dishes really well rather than offering a wide variety of dishes. generally speaking, the "jack of all trades" korean restaurants that try to please everybody are only ok at best, so i'm not sure that i can recommend a single "best" spot if you're looking for that type of all-purpose restaurant with a wide-ranging menu. instead, it would help if you told me the specific dishes you like, since there are a million korean restaurants in LA that focus on one dish.

that said, here are is a non-comprehensive list of a few places i've tried and liked:

soowon galbi: barbecue specialist; best cuts are the galbi, chadolbaegi, and joomoolleok, in that order. samgyupsal (pork belly) was good, too, but not on the level of park's. note: for some reason the food seems to be better when you order each cut of meat separately rather than as part of a combo. might be a coincidence, but maybe not.
park's barbecue: barbecue specialist; best cut by far is the "tokyo x" pork belly samgyupsal. the other cuts are quite good, too, but IMO not up to the level of soowon. btw just like soowon, this place uses wood charcoal to cook the meat, so you'll reek all day after eating here. you really can't go to the places that try to be more americanized and less smoky by using a gas grill, since the meat doesn't taste the same.
soban: best spot i've tried thus far for non-barbecue, homestyle dishes (i.e. the stuff korean moms actually make on a daily basis) like stews, sauteed dishes, grilled fish, etc. good banchan, too.
seongbukdong: similar to soban, but less expensive and with a smaller menu. i think soban is a little bit better, but this place is also great for homestyle korean food. both places have a very korean clientele, all-korean menus (as far as i know - maybe there's an english menu if you ask), and waitresses who don't seem to speak any english, so try to go with a korean speaker if you can.
western doma noodles: kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) and soojehbee (hand-kneaded dough soup) specialist. very homemade-tasting. again, bring a korean friend.
chuncheon dak galbi: grilled/stir-fried spicy chicken specialist; for some reason it's received mixed reviews, but every time i've been here with my friends, we've really enjoyed the food.
kobawoo: pork bossam specialist. serves the same bossam dish that helped make momofuku's celebrity chef (and korean-american) david chang famous, only at a fraction of the cost. another true comfort food dish. best consumed with soju or beer.
han bat sullungtang: sullungtang (beef soup) specialist; perfect post-drinking/hangover remedy.
masan: agu jjim (spicy steamed monkfish) is the thing to get here. don't mind the mixed reviews on yelp - most of those reviewers apparently don't know what the house specialty is. a lot of people also get a kick out of ordering the live octopus (san nakji) if that's your thing. the rest of the menu is hit-or-miss, but that's besides the point.
nam won gol: mudfish stew specialist. korean restaurants that specialize in this dish are extremely rare outside of korea, but if there's any city in the nation that'll have this type of eatery, it's LA. fwiw, this dish is actually available at some of the large menu restaurants, but it never tastes good b/c they use frozen mudfish, which has no flavor. otoh, this place uses fresh mudfish just like in korea, which makes all the difference. definitely bring a korean translator.
dae bok: one of the only blowfish specialists (korean or otherwise) i've found in LA. i wouldn't necessarily rank this place as one of my LA korean favorites (i've actually had much better in korea), but it's solid enough. fyi the restaurant is not in koreatown per se; it's actually in neighboring westlake. i figure that if you're japanese (which i'm assuming based on your user ID), you might like this place.
corner place a.k.a. gilmok: dongchimi guksu (cold noodle soup) specialist. note: best eaten during really hot weather.
koo's hodduk cart: small cart outside of a korean supermarket that sells hot, freshly made, small pancakes filled with a sweet honey-based filling; it's the perfect cheap snack to eat on the run.

there are many other places, but i'm too lazy/tired to think of them right now. if you have a craving for a specific dish, just let me know.

[Setsuko]

Wow great recommendations thanks ^^^^^^^^^

[smokingGun]

i'm not crazy about k food but i'm a sucker for good korean bbq or soon tofu hotpots, or even korean-style sushi.

[bhcompy]

The Cerritos area also has a lot of Korean options as the area is heavily Korean. Bit different than the trendy places you'll find out in LA that feature fusion this and fusion that