Kitchen Story in Sawtelle is one of two Korean restaurant in a mini mall located in an area better known for Japanese food. I’m not sure why it’s named Kitchen Story, but it’s probably best described as home-cooked Korean food, right down to the instant ramen on the menu.

The interior is bright with a Instagram-friendly wall of fake grass, which they tried to make a trend, but the it’s their kimchi fried rice that gets the Instagram love.

The menu covers rice porridge, teokboki (spicy rice cakes), deep fried, stir-fried, rice bowls, soups/stews, fried rice, noodles (of the instant ramen variety) and kimbab.

No matter what you order, you will get banchan, the traditional small dishes that come with Korean meals.

One was easily identifiable as potato salad, albeit with slices of apples or pear that gave it a sweetness.

The second was kimchi, duh.

The last one was probably a pickled tofu dish of some sort. Whatever it was, I liked this one the most.

The fishcake kimbap was surprisingly tasty, with fishcake, egg, spinach, pickled radish and carrot. Unlike traditional Japanese sushi which has raw fish served with soy sauce and wasabi, kimbap needs no such accompaniment, with the pickled veggies providing a burst of flavor.

Kimchi fried rice is not something I would normally order on my own. Kimchi doesn’t particularly appeal to me, but my husband loves it. Oh, the things we do for love. The kimchi fried rice came with pork, vegetables, shredded seaweed, green onions and a fried egg on top. My husband loved it. I was on a treasure hunt, searching for bits of pork to eat with my rice.

Kitchen Story is a convenient way to get your Korean food fix, without hauling over to the difficult-to-park Koreatown (Sawtelle does present its own parking challenges, but at least the mini mall has a parking lot). Love for kimchi, optional.

Location – 2129 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Website – n/a
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – No
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes