In the past year we’ve seen no shortage of world famous chefs heading out West and opening shop in Los Angeles. Time will only tell if this phenomenon will bear fruit for a majority of the transplants, but we can say for sure that David Chang has struck gold with Majordomo. At his north Downtown restaurant, Chang tackles the food through the lens of a first-generation Korean-American, crafting a modern produce-driven Korean menu that pays tribute to the food of his childhood, as well as the excellent, decades-old Korean restaurants of Los Angeles. The restaurant, a sparsely decorated warehouse reminiscent of Amass in Copenhagen or Rossoblu in the Arts District, has been packed since reservations went live. As you sit down at your seat and scan the room before ordering some bing bread with eggs and smoked roe, you just might catch a glimpse of celebrities like Iron Chef Bobby Flay or comedian Eric Wareheim. The menu is packed with hits but our favorites of the night were the sweet kombu cured diver scallops served with a delicate Pink Lady apple dashi, a fresh marinated mushroom salad, and the incredibly cooked black cod that had just the right amount of heat to it. The daily changing menu is fairly priced and it’s entirely possible to create a satisfying meal of small sharing plates for under $50. Some of the signature meat dishes at the restaurant like the Spicy Bo Ssäm and Smoked APL-style ribs will run you a bit more, but the dishes come in several coursed out preparations and are a meal of their own. Majordomo was one of the more memorable recent dining experiences we’ve had of late and we’ll be sure to return once we can snatch another reservation.
Style: Korean
Address: 1725 Naud St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (Chinatown)
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 5:30-10PM, Saturday 11:30AM-2PM and 5:30-11PM, Sunday 11:30AM-2PM
Menu: majordomo.la
Price: Small plates $5-14, Entrees $12-52, Sharing plates $38-190
Reservations: SevenRooms
This review was written by In The Loup contributor Ash Narayan