I got to try Hojokban in New York, so of course, when I found out one opened up in Los Angeles, I also had to check it out to see how it compares! I did not make a reservation before going, but luckily, there was a good amount of open tables when I arrived! The staff were very friendly and all the servers were so kind.
It took us a pretty long time to decide on what to order – everything on the menu sounded really good, and I also wanted to try something I didn’t have at the New York location. The staff also gave us some recommendations, and pointed out which dishes are their specials and which are their standard items. Even the table sitting next to us gave us a recommendation on one of their cocktails.
The banchan was tasty, but the kimchi was my favorite. I do wish they brought us more of the kimchi!
Starters
Cucumber Sobagi – hot house cucumber, gochugaru, tofu puree, garlic sesame oil – This starter was recommended by the staff. It was good, but I wouldn’t order it again. The cucumbers were refreshing, but the tofu puree didn’t stand out to me that much.
Perilla Buckwheat Noodle – cold-pressed perilla oil, gim jaban, soy dressing – The Perilla Buckwheat Noodle was my favorite dish at the New York location, so I really wanted to order it again. At this location, the chef seemed to have put a bit more dressing so it tasted saucier. Otherwise, the texture of the noodles were just as good as I remembered.
Fried Chicken – yangnyeom sauce, pumpkin seeds, pickled fresno chili – I was a bit hesitant to order fried chicken. It’s pretty expensive! However, this fried chicken turned out so good. The chicken was crispy and cooked perfectly, and the sauce was amazing. Would love to eat this again!
Mains
Truffle Jjajangmyeon – fresh wheat noodles, black bean sauce, minced beef, wood ear mushrooms – Honestly, this jjajangmyeon took so long to come out that I thought they forgot our order. This ended up being my favorite dish of the evening. The truffle flavor was so good and not overpowering. It might not look that good when you first see it, but after you mix the noodles, sauce, and wood ear mushrooms, it looks much better. The wood ear mushrooms actually went really well with everything. The noodles were so good I wish there was actually more noodles to enjoy the sauce with. I’m so glad we ordered this!
Cocktail
Sagwa Old-Fashioned – mungyeong baram oak-aged apple soju, black walnut, sujeonggwa demerara syrup, persimmon dashi – This cocktail was recommended by the table next to us! The staff was even nice enough to split one order into two glasses for us to try. I liked it, but not quite enough to order it again.
When we were done with our meal, the staff also came out with dessert – Melona bars on the house! What a nice touch. Overall, this was a nice meal. The prices were definitely more expensive than New York (even the same dish is pricier in LA!). I do want to try the Salmon Ssambap, Pork Belly Suyuk, and Nak-Gob-Sae next time! I’ll be sure to bring a bigger stomach so I can also get the Truffle Jjajangmyeon again too. Maybe I’ll give the Perilla Buckwheat Noodles another chance too. What would you order?