Best Friend

"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

"Roy Choi’s LA-inspired Best Friend is a high-energy, bustling restaurant in which more spirited groups will fit right in. In Choi’s words, the Korean restaurant spans hip hop to bibimbop, kimchi to spaghetti, and BBQ and late-night food. Access the dining room by entering the small convenience store off the Park MGM casino floor, and passing through the back. Inside, you’ll find a vibey dining room with lots of murals and neon lighting. Groups of around 14 can request the private dining room in which to dine on pork, belly bowls, slippery shrimp, and kimchi carbonara" - Janna Karel

"Pass through the entrance to Best Friend and you may think the Roy Choi venture is just a convenience store. Selling all the ramen, gum, and sodas that one would expect to find in a Los Angeles corner shop, you’ll need to inform the host behind the counter that you’re here for dinner. After passing through the back entrance, you’ll be led to the restaurant, where you and your group can order LA-inspired Korean dishes to share." - Janna Karel

"All things Los Angeles find a home in Roy Choi’s restaurant Best Friend, the Korean barbecue with LA roots at the Park MGM. Diners walk into a liquor storefront with bar stools for grabbing quick bites or picking up swag. Customers then head into the main dining room through a pink plastic freezer door to find a bar to the right. The dining room in bright colors almost vibrates with its rainbow hues. Plants hang from the ceiling, and a mural from Los Angeles artist Phung Huynh adorns one wall. A deejay booth spotlighting LA artists takes over one wall." - Janna Karel

"Best Friend is another venture by Roy Choi located at Park MGM. It is mentioned as the place where Choi and Favreau had important discussions about their culinary projects." - Janna Karel