Roycifer and I have had a display, lately, of slightly masochistic behavior.
Okay, maybe I’m being dramatic. Let me explain. We’ve been visiting Korean restaurants in Koreatown, just the two of us, for about … lessee … 5 trips in the span of not more than a week. That is, while not having a Korean-speaking fellow accompany us. Now if you have ever visited a Los Angeles Koreatown establishment while not being Korean–and no one in your party able to speak Korean–you know exactly what I mean. Think: potentially poor mean service, servers exchanging annoyed looks with one another, Korean patrons who unabashedly look at you while conferring back to themselves in Korean about how funny-looking you are (I imagine that’s what they’re discussing, anyway).
All this, though, has not stood in our way. We’ve been on a bit of a Korean noodling kick, and we’ve been determined to get our noodling fix. Nothing would stop us.
While I could certainly use one, two or eight Korean friends who would be willing to have me tag along to eateries in nearby Ktown, I must admit that Roycifer and I have enjoyed our adventures thus far. And to be fair, we’ve had mostly pleasant experiences in each of the restaurants, what with the help of smiling, nodding, gesturing and pointing. Also, it helps a lot when the menus have numbers next to each item. “Number five, please.” I admit I was a bit hasty to judge and despite prior experience at, for instance, Korean BBQ places–the ladies have all been really nice. And the food. The food. Every bowl of noodles we’ve encountered has been drastically different from the last, despite their being called the same thing in Korean. Adventures in noodles, indeed.
I’ve taken a liking to chik naeng-myun. They are black arrowroot noodles in cold broth, which are a chewier and more gluttonous version than the clear buckwheat variety.
This particular bowl, I had at the Yuchun at 6th and Alexandria, just as they were closing. Perhaps that’s why I barely got any broth. And so an important lesson in Korean noodling is: Go well in advance before close.Â
We had also tried a different hole-in-the-wall a bit off Wilshire about a half-hour before close, and they had stopped serving noodles entirely; so, we defaulted to two servings of watered-down soon dubu (spicy tofu soup). Allow ample time before restaurant closes to partake in noodles, because you will get the bottom of the batch or not get any, at all.
If it’s too late, you can always battle the college clubbers (who are not coming from Le Prive since it’s shut down, now) and head to Hodori or Nak Won House at Western and Olympic, which are both open 24/7. I personally would recommend Nak Won House, though, as I’ve consistently had better experiences there.*
I had a bowl of chik nyeng-myun at a different Yuchun on Olympic and it came with a proportionate amount of broth. I added a bit of mustard, as I like to do with my cold noodles, and it was perfect. So tasty. Perhaps my first bowl would have been as tasty and proportionate if I had visited the first Yuchun earlier in the day.
Roycifer, on the other hand, prefers his noodles hot. He has taken a liking to handmade noodles, which are served in a hot broth and are wheatier in composition. A bit more traditional and similar to Chinese and Taiwanese noodles we’re used to. He really liked his bowl of handmade noodles at the Yuchun on 6th (and came with chili-spiced green onions), more so than at the Yuchun on Olympic. His bowl of handmade noodles at Naekwon House were surprisingly very tasty as well, despite it being a 24/7 joint.
I also gave it a shot, as his bowls of hot, handmade noodles looked mighty tasty to me. A typical bowl might be flavored with anchovies, and eventually we found a place that was known for their Kal Gook Soo.
We went to Ma Dong Gook Soo on Western to try them out.
I got the kimchi variety of their handmade noodles and Roycifer got the chicken-flavored. Both our bowls were tasty and mighty hearty. My bowl was perfectly spicy, and they gave Roycifer some chili paste to add to his.Â
One thing’s for sure: Our adventures aren’t over. I’ll be reporting back.Â
Also, any suggestions as to a type of noodle or restaurants in Koreatown or elsewhere to try are greatly appreciated!! 
Pasta? Puh-leeeze…Marco Polo was a thief. (Kidding.)
Love,
*e
* BTW, have you noticed that the ladies who work at Nak Won step outside onto the sidewalk to detract foot-traffic heading to Hodori into their own restaurant? I imagine the “Ladies of Nak Won” and the “Ladies of Hodori” might have some sort of monthly midnight brawl in the depths of Koreatown, whereas they “bring it on” for some sort of cash prize awarded to the winner.
Also peep Rameniac‘s review on Yuchun.
Restaurants mentioned in this post:
Hodori
1001 S. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90006
213-383-3554
Ma Dang Gook Soo
869 S. Western Ave. #1
Los Angeles, CA 90005
213-487-6008
Nak Won House
1001 S Vermont Ave Ste 103
Los Angeles, CA, 90006
213-388-8889
Yuchun
3470 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020
213-389-1200
Yuchun Chik Naeng Myun
3185 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90006
213-382-3815
Looking at all of the food makes me hungry! I don’t think I’ve ever had Korean noodles… we usually get the tofu bowls at a place in Gardena.
I’m so ready for lunch now.
Awesome. Food rocks.
Speaking of homemade noodles (Taiwanese style) please try the hubster’s and my fave place in Alhambra called “Heavy Noodling” on the corner of Garfield and Garvey. The knife-sliced noodles are so QQ (chewy) and the broths are wonderful. I love the tendon soup the best. They also have a good fried onion pancake. Oh, and you may also want to go to 101 Noodle Express on Valley in Alhambra for their beef rolls. Jonathan Gold has a great review on it. (you must google it!) I’m getting hungry.
And to think…that big bowl of goodness costs less than “yogurt” from Pinkberry. Go figure.
i love food!!
I agree. I hate all Koreans too.
jk
@Nancy: Thanks so much for the suggestions!! We’re going to definitely try!! I am always a fan of going back to my roots…
@Albolin: Get rid of the hate in your heart. JK.
@Everyone: Go eat, already!!
do you happen to yelp, e? follow up: what is your yelp account if so!
to nancy’s suggestion, heavy noodling is indeed QQ, but i prefer take out orders. oh, and i prefer their noodles without broth , with lots of vinger
After two years of monthly Korean company lunches at my mostly Korean company, I think my co-workers are finally getting the hang of what ‘vegetarian’ means.
My adventure in K-Town was going with my Korean friend and a couple of her, er, less-than-culturally-sensitive friends. One of them gets frustrated with a parking lot security guy who speaks mostly Korean, and finally screams at him ‘You really need to learn how to speak English!!!!’ Classy.
You mean Korean people act like French people?
And don’t mess with us Italians! Our pasta is sacred!
@albert: I yelp! indeed. But I don’t advertise it much, mostly because I haven’t really found the dedication to the site in me that would require more reviews than I have indeed written. It’s a helpful site at times, but I usually go by word of mouth for new suggestions to try.
http://estarla.yelp.com
I love vinegar–but i guess I still classified it at broth. Vinegar broth, sure, but yeah…
@lexybeast: We’re all exposed to that type of ignorance at least 100 times in our lives, huh? My friend last night also told me a baffling story about this couple that had just moved next door to them in the Silver Lake area originally from Orange County, and the first thing they said to my friends (one of which was born Texan): “Oh my God I’m so glad there are other white people who live here.”
@Fastbreak: Haha yeah you know I baited you.
Yay! Jeanie and I had noodles…. soooo good!
*e, an update: heavy noodling has closed its doors for business. i stopped by MPK this previous wknd and decided to stop by for take-out and to my dismay…
@Tiffany: Ooh I’m glad. Relieved, too, that it somewhat lived up to the hype of my post.
@Albert: That makes me extremely sad. I’ll be over at your place so you can cook for me, to compensate. Thanks in advance.
e*, your funeral.
if you like cold noodles you have to try corner place in cerritos and try their dongchime gooksoo. it’s a korean bbq restaurant but their cold noodle is their speciality. and u can’t get it to-go cuz they think you’re gonna steal their noodle recipe.
The Corner Place
562-402-8578
19100 S Gridley Rd
Cerritos, CA 90703
i think there’s a gilmok in la somewhere but i’m not too sure of the cross streets.
@yewj: Thanks! I love The Corner Place on James E. Woods…I know Cerritos has great Korean food, though.
Mmm I do love their naeng-myun so I will have to try that other one. 
Oh man, this makes me so hungry for jah jyang myun (sp?!)!!!
Hey *e,
As a Korean, I have to apologize if you ever had rude/mean/bad service at a Korean restaurant just because you were not Korean.
I can be your ethnic guide anytime buddy.
@wangkon936: Apology not accepted!
Though your intentions are golden, I don’t particularly believe in apologizing for another’s actions simply just because you are a member of his/her same race. If that were accepted, then it follows that singular members may be scapegoated for the actions of any other douchebag of the same race. I not only don’t subscribe to that but vehemently protest the burden of that sort of responsibility. It justifies “generalizing,” if you will. 
*hugs*
My offer to be a guide still stands…
I must provide penance, how vicarious it may be…