Discover Koreatown’s Best Seafood Restaurants
We’ve all heard of the See Food Diet! I see food, and I eat it. On that happy note, if seeing is believing, you can enjoy some of the best seafood in town, just minutes away from The Pearl. From elegant oyster palaces to homey hole-in-the-wall joints, and just about everything in between, you’ll find the best seafood restaurants in Koreatown.
3500 W 6th St #101
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Named one of the top 5 Happy Hours in Koreatown by the LA Weekly, EMC Seafood & Raw Bar is a popular after work destination for fresh seafood, including plenty of slurpable raw oysters. EMC is a vibrant glass-walled space, presenting floor to ceiling windows, blond wood tables, and an icy raw bar loaded with oysters, live uni, and a seafood tower (for those that like variety). Enjoy your favorite drink from the fully stocked bar served by awesome mixologists.
3377 Wilshire Blvd #115
Los Angeles, CA 90010
It all began in a little Southeastern Texas town called Seadrift. With a population of just 2000, Seadrift was home to Yo’Daddy and his family of crabbers and fishermen. They labored in their boats year-round, catching oysters, crab and shrimp for the seafood industry. As toiling as the work was, every weekend the men would come home with their catch of the week to enjoy – they boiled crawfish and crabs, shucked raw oysters, grilled fresh fish – always with a beer in hand. With their flair for having a good time, warm hospitality and passion for excellent seafood, Yo’Daddy and Yo’Mama opened the first Boiling Crab in 2004. Now family and friends (and you, too!) can experience the fun and taste of a backyard crab fest in your own neighborhood.
4251 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
This cozy restaurant offers fine dining in a stylish setting, with a comfortable interior and relaxing outdoor seating. Known for its friendly service and affordable prices, Alaska Seafood Restaurant serves generous portions of fresh seafood, along with an array of sides. Specialties include shrimp scampi, catfish, baby octopus tempura, and prawns.
618 S. Serrano Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90005
Kitchen Sooda is a Louisiana inspired seafood spot featuring spicy shrimp, clams, mussels, king crab, snow crab, and a raw bar by Chef Karen Kang. The bountiful menu offers Korean-style dishes such as baby octopus in pork belly, cold sea snail with seaweed lychee, and char grilled eel, along with chicken wings, pasta and noodle dishes, and an interesting selection of starters. Wash it all down with your choice of bottled and taps beers, traditional Korean liquors, sake, wine, and sparkling wines.
Image: Yelp
3916 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Formerly known as Jaebudo 2, the recently renovated Daebudo specializes in Korean seafood barbecue in the heart of K-Town. The menu offers some unusual items like hagfish and sea eel, along with clams, oysters, lobsters, abalone, scallops, and more. Portions are large and prices are decent, served with a smile by friendly staff.
Image: Yelp
730 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005
Hwal Uh Kwang Jang is a tiny hole-in-the-wall joint tucked away in a mini-mall off Western Ave. serving sushi bowls by day and live octopus by night. Now that we’ve got your attention, Hwal Uh Kwang Jang is a live-seafood restaurant where everything is so fresh, it’s still quiverling. The house specialty is Hwaedupbap, a bowl of assorted raw fish, chopped curly leaf lettuce, shredded radish, gim (roasted seaweed sheets) and roe, that you mix with rice and their signature chogochujang (seasoned vinegar chile sauce).
Image: Yelp
3809 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90019
Very popular throughout the Americas, ceviche is a dish in which any variety of fish and other seafood is mixed (usually raw) with juices, herbs, and vegetables (and sometimes fruit). There’s evidence that a dish similar to ceviche was eaten almost 2,000 years ago in parts of Latin America.. Ceviche is prepared by “cooking” (without heat) the seafood with lemon juice, then adding diced onion, tomato and cilantro. To finish off the seasonings, you can add tomato juice, along with Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and hot sauce to taste. If you’re ready for an interesting meal with some history, La Cevicheria is great place to taste delicious food in a comfortable atmosphere.