"Roy Choi’s Best Friend is Los Angeles’s Koreatown in a capsule. Vinyl strip curtains at the rear of a high-voltage bodega-style entry room give way to a vibey restaurant. Beneath the shroud of hanging houseplants and a thumping soundtrack, servers ferry heaping family-style portions of slippery shrimp and kalbi short ribs to tables. Here, Choi combines the flavors of Korean fusion food truck staples with Las Vegas extravagance. Marinaded short ribs come nestled in tortillas with tangy slaw and cilantro. Kimchi carbonara is rich and creamy with a satisfying kick. And uni dynamite is a standout — salty and buttery uni in a yuzu sriracha sauce with briny pops of ikura. Bold murals, a live DJ, and slushie cocktails in red Solo cups make dining here feel like an occasion worth celebrating with — as the name would have it — best friends." - Janna Karel
