We at DCist have a dream. A dream that one day Honey Pig will open a 24-hour temple to Korean barbecue within the District’s limits, preferably within spitting distance of our favorite watering hole. Honey Pig, if you are listening, please know that we are ready to give you all our hard-earned dollars. In the meantime, we’ll have to settle on bumming rides from friends to Annandale for a taste of the best Korean food in the region. And because the average person probably isn’t going to rent a car just to eat kimchi, we present you with our favorite Korean restaurants in the D.C. area, ranked by transit accessibility. Because even car-less millennials deserve to eat Korean food.
Dolsot bibimbap at Mandu. Photo by Tony DiFilippo.
BONCHON: Spicy, crackling fried chicken is the order of the day at BonChon, a Korean chain known for their double-fried wings. Each order is fried twice and comes tossed in either a soy garlic or hot and spicy glaze. For fans of a truly crispy chicken wing, it’s well worth the 20-minute wait to feel the crust shatter under your teeth and give way to juicy meat below. Both sauces are pleasantly savory, but I give a slight edge to the warming gochugaru-laced hot sauce. BonChon operates under a franchise model, which means that each location offers a slightly different menu when it comes to appetizers and entrees. My advice: just stick with the chicken, and you won’t be disappointed. —Alicia Mazzara
BonChon has six locations in the metro area. The Arlington location at 2201 N. Pershing Drive, the Rockville location at 107 Gibbs St, and Hyattsville location at 6507 American Boulevard are both Metro-accessible. The chain is opening their first D.C. store near Navy Yard in the spring.
CAFE KIMCHI: One would be hard-pressed to describe Cafe Kimchi’s menu as authentic, but if you love fermented cabbage, this Barracks Row establishment has got your number. Traditional dishes, like bibimbap and japchae, share menu space with more pedestrian items like a chicken club or a cheeseburger. But the real gems are the Korean-fusion dishes, which range from green tea pancakes to a kimchi bacon grilled cheese, kimchi quesadillas (a dish I often prepared for myself during my broke grad student days), and a righteous bulgogi burger stuffed with marinated beef, slaw, and a fried egg. Basically, if you can dream it, they’ll put kimchi on it.—Alicia Mazzara
Cafe Kimchi is located at 751 8th Street SE.
KOCHIX: The Korean-style wings at Bloomingdale’s KoChix are like a drug. No, really, you can’t eat just one. You always have to have one more until your belly is busting out of your pants, and you realize you’ve broken a sweat from eating wings. But it’s justified: KoChix’s Korean-style wings are double-fried for the perfect amount of crispiness and available with either soy garlic, honey spicy, or hot honey spicy sauces—each amazing in their own right. Beyond the wings, KoChix offers some truly spectacular bimbimbap and bulgogi bap that rival any other bap in the city. KoChix is seriously dangerous. Start eating there once and you’ll find yourself there every day of the week. Brb, getting KoChix. — Matt Cohen
KoChix is located at 400 Florida Avenue NW.
NEW YOUNG’S DELI: If New Young’s Deli were closer to my apartment, it might just be able to fill the Adam Express-sized hole in my stomach created when the Mount Pleasant favorite closed this spring. Tucked between the wholesale noodle and goat meat vendors clustered near Union Market, New Young’s Deli is a tiny mom-and-pop restaurant serving classic Korean dishes. Portions are generous and the menu is heavy on the soups, seafood, and spicy beef and pork. The place is worth a visit for purely sociological reasons alone—the clientele is a fairly fascinating cross section of the city—but the food is also pretty tasty. Service is primarily take-out, but there are also a handful of small tables if you’d rather eat in. Word to the wise, New Young’s Deli is only open for breakfast and lunch.—Alicia Mazzara
New Young’s Deli is located at 353 Morse Street NE.
MANDU: With two locations in D.C., Mandu is the best bet for Korean food in the city. Mandu serves a nice selection of banchan to start your meal as you peruse their extensive menu—there are lots of vegetarian entrees, though you could gorge solely on grilled meat, if that’s your thing. Entrée highlights include a great dolsot bimbimbap, a sizzling stone pot full of veggies nestled on top of rice that has just the right amount of crispiness, and the kimchi jjigae (a spicy soup with kimchi, pork and tofu), which is the perfect comfort on a cold night. But the best part about Mandu is the happy hour deal, when drafts are $3, sojutinis (a chilled combination of soju and juice) are $4, and an order of mandu—the delicious dumplings that are the restaurant’s namesake—will set you back $4. I usually find myself happily ordering multiple aloe sojutinis and plates of the pan-fried veggie mandu. —Elizabeth Packer
Mandu has locations at 1805 18th Street NW and 453 K Street NW.
RICE BAR: I’ll preface this by saying that yes, I am aware that Rice Bar is not considered authentic Korean. But for car-less residents of D.C. who work downtown and find themselves craving bibimbap, Rice Bar is the best. It’s essentially the Chipotle of Korean food—you choose a base (3 kinds of rice, lettuce, noodles or noodle soup) and your toppings, including expected staples like kimchi, bulgogi, and of course, a fried egg. And just like Chipotle’s oversized burritos, the bowls at Rice Bar come sized to sate the most voracious appetites. I’m a big fan of black rice with spicy tofu, broccoli, marinated cucumber, roasted seaweed and sweet potato shoot. If customizing your own bibimbap is too overwhelming, Rice Bar also offers its own signature combinations. You’re then able to season your bowl to your liking, as all the tables have bottles of sriracha, sesame oil, hot chili oil and gochujang. With bowls costing between $8 and $12, depending on your toppings, Rice Bar serves up a satisfying, affordable lunch. Unsurprisingly, there is usually a long line on weekdays, but the staff is efficient at fixing orders and moving you through quickly. —Elizabeth Packer
Rice Bar is located at 1020 19th Street NW. The sign out front says Bibimbap Sushi, for unknown reasons, but inside it’s Rice Bar.
Galbi at Lighthouse Tofu. Photo by R Lopez.
DA RAE WON: There are two Korean restaurants within a stone’s throw of each other in this nondescript strip mall off of Route 1 in Beltsville. On a recent Saturday night, the line of Korean diners waiting to get into Dae Rae Won stretched the length of the restaurant, while there was no wait at all the other, open Korean restaurant (whose food seemed fine to me) just a few doors down. I’ve only tried one item on Da Rae Won’s menu, but it’s the kind of thing people would happily line up for in city limits. When you order a lunchtime portion of garlic honey wings, it may seem pricey, but what you get is enough finger-lickin’ juicy wings for three people.—Pat Padua
Da Rae Won is located at 5013 Garrett Ave, Beltsville, Md.
HEEBEEN: I’m no expert on Korean food, but whenever a Korean-Canadian co-worker is in town, a bunch of us go to Heebeen in Alexandria for a long lunch and it’s always delicious. There’s a big buffet with all manner of Korean dishes, another with freshly made, tasty sushi, and yet another buffet with desserts and sweet cinnamon tea. Still, the real draw is the BBQ. Like many Korean spots, they have a grill at the table, and with a big pile of meat and some lettuce leaves to pick it up, you can eat like a king, then feel sleepy the rest of the day, fighting off a food coma. It may not be gourmet, but if you’re hungry, it’s a solid choice. — Andrew Wiseman
Heebeen is located at 6231 Little River Turnpike in Alexandria, Va.
HONEY PIG: If you’ve been to eat Korean food anywhere outside D.C., it’s probably been at a Honey Pig, the mecca of Korean barbecue around these parts. The restaurant’s wildly popular meats—grilled tableside by officious waitresses—has spawned four locations open 24 hours in case you need to eat spicy pork belly right now. The long lines and impossible parking situation are arguably worth it for a taste of sweet, caramelized protein and a hefty serving of crispy seafood pancake. Marinated bulgogi and galbi are classics, but you’ll also find more exotic items like intestines and tripe. Be prepared to roll yourself out the door, redolent with the scent of sesame oil, notes of K-pop ringing in your ears. —Alicia Mazzara
Honey Pig has four locations, two in Virginia and two in Maryland.
KOGIYA KOREAN BBQ: Like Honey Pig, Kogyia specializes in Korean barbecue grilled at tables outfitted with giant stainless steel ventilation fans. The key difference comes down to four little words: all you can eat. Kogiya offers two all-you-can-eat set menus, one for $23/person with brisket, three kinds of pork belly, and spicy chicken. For an additional $6, you can also feast on endless intestines and tripe. The deal also includes soup, rice, and an array of banchan (a selection of tiny appetizers). Kogiya is currently closed for renovations but will reopen on October 13. That gives you exactly one week to start stretching your stomach.—Alicia Mazzara
Kogiya is located at 4220-A Annandale Road in Annandale, Va.
LIGHTHOUSE TOFU: Hidden away in an unassuming little building just off Columbia Pike and Gallows Road in Annandale sits Lighthouse Tofu. While it’s not much to look at from the outside, step inside and you’re immediately welcomed by the friendly staff and warm, inviting smells. Go for the soondubu, soft tofu soups that come boiling hot (hot enough for you to cook an egg in, which they provide), in spiciness levels ranging from “white” (seriously) to “spicy spicy.” There are a variety of soondubu options to choose from, including all seafood or all meat, vegetarian-friendly choices like mushroom, and combinations like shrimp, oyster, and beef. Before your soup arrives you’ll be served an array of small dishes to share (known as banchan): kimchi, pickled vegetables, bean sprouts, to name a few. If you’ve come with a group or are feeling extra ravenous, order a seafood pancake to start. It’s probably exactly what you assume a seafood pancake is: shrimp and squid cooked up in a batter with scallions. Order a la carte, or choose a combo meal for two, which includes two tofu soups, along with a few other selections like bulgogi and dumplings. No matter what route you choose, no one leaves Lighthouse Tofu hungry.—Elisabeth Grant
Lighthouse Tofu is located at 4121 Chatelain Road in Annandale, Va.
OEGADGIB: If you’re looking for a casual night out with some hungry friends, head over to Oegadgib for their $18.99 all-you-can-eat option. You’ll be served up two types of beef, pork belly, and chicken to be barbecued at your table, and they’ll keep it coming as long as you keep eating. The banchan are also all-you-can-eat, which you’ll be happy about once you try their seasoned lettuce. It sounds crazy, but you might come back to this Korean barbecue with this lettuce on your mind —Elisabeth Grant
Oegadgib is located at 7331 Little River Turnpike in Annandale, Va.
SHILLA BAKERY: Need something sweet to cut the taste of kimchi in your mouth? Head to Shilla Bakery for a Korean-style dessert. Delicate macarons, beautiful fruit-topped cakes, and fluffy rolls beckon from beyond the cooler case. If you’re feeling ambitious, get the bingsoo, a monstrous bowl of shaved ice, ice cream, fruit, and textural delights like chewy mochi or cornflakes. A single serving can easily feed four people, though I did witness one man put away the entire bowl solo. Flavored bubble teas and Illy coffee make for a less intense dessert experience, and there are always free samples if you just want to nibble.—Alicia Mazzara
Shilla Bakery has six locations in Virginia and Maryland. The Annandale location at 7039 Little River Turnpike is the original.
TO SOK JIP: I don’t have a Korean grandmother, but if I did, she might be behind the stove at To Sok Jip. Korean friends have noted that this tiny operation serves truly authentic, homestyle Korean fare. So authentic that the translations on the menu leave a bit to be desired, and service can be rather surly. Still, for the adventurous, it may all be worth it for a magical bite of a giant crispy seafood pancake, grilled mackerel, or the bossam, a dish of sliced pork belly that you wrap in Napa cabbage.—Alicia Mazzara
To Sok Jip is located at 7211 Columbia Pike, Annandale, Va.
YECHON: Once you’ve been to Yechon Korean Restaurant, you’ll be happy to know it’s open any time you’re craving it, 24 hours a day. Yechon is a very popular place, nearly full every time I’ve been, and it’s easy to see why. It has an upscale feel to it, with the attentive staff barbecuing meat to perfection at your table while dressed in beautiful traditional Korean dress. The meat is high quality and artfully presented before being cooked up in front of you. A selection of side dishes delightfully take up most of the space on the table. As a bonus, Yechon is located directly next to Breeze Cafe, a great spot to grab a bubble tea or a dessert and sit on a rooftop patio after dinner. —Elisabeth Grant
Yechon is located at 4121 Hummer Road in Annandale, Va.
ADVENTUROUS EATER BONUS: For something really off the beaten path, check out Seoul Soondae (4231 Markham Street in Annandale, Va.) which specializes in Korean blood sausage speckled with gelatinous bits of cellophane noodles, or Bang Ga Nae (6499 Little River Turnpike in Annandale, Va.) for spicy goat stew cooked tableside. —Alicia Mazzara
