Yuk Dae Jang

"Yukgaejang is a spicy, rich Korean soup made with brisket, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and scallions in bone broth, and it’s been perfected at this small, no-frills spot. The menu is limited (printed on a single laminated sheet with pictures), featuring just a few variations of yukgaejang (original, with noodles, or with tofu), as well as handmade steamed pork dumplings, pork belly with a side of kimchi, and cold buckwheat noodle soup. "

"There are more than 220 Yuk Dae Jang stores in Korea, with five in Southern California and just one in the SGV. Especially during the pandemic, I feel like I should eat mostly at tiny family-owned or independent shops, but there’s a reliability to this place that makes me happy. That means galbi jjim (beef short ribs), bossam (pork belly), and the namesake of yukgaejang (spicy shredded brisket stew in an ox bone broth) with toothsome ahjumma-made pasta that I can count on. When that ox bone flavor hits you, you realize that this place is all about the juice. With a small outdoor seating tent, this is a reliable spot to gather with your pod - when you’re done, pop over to Bopomofo Cafe for a refreshing boba from YouTube star Phil Wang. photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto" - Dakota Kim

"Yukgaejang, or Korean-style spicy beef soup, exists in a gray area of “soups with some noodles” alongside seolleongtang and gukbap where the noodles (usually dangmyeon, or glass noodles) are a relatively minor aspect of the dish. Enter Yuk Dae Jang, which takes one of Korea’s most beloved dishes and adds a healthy helping of wheat flour-based, hand-pulled knife-cut noodles. Traditionalist chefs might be given to pearl-clutching to see Korean royal court food sullied with such nonstandard ingredients as knife-cut noodles in a yukgaejang. With the city’s current obsession with thicker, hand-pulled noodles in noodle soups, however, the reimagining feels timely — and it tastes delicious." - Euno Lee