Hojokban (Los Angeles, CA)
Hojokban Restaurant
734 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-785-3400
www.hojokban.com
Sat 02/28/2026, 06:00p-08:35p
I recently made my way to the Arts District for a birthday dinner, and our party's venue of choice was Hojokban, a casual modern Korean spot that was birthed years ago in Seoul's tony Gangnam District. The brand first expanded to the US back in November 2023 with the launch of an outpost in New York's Midtown East, which was actually accomplished in partnership with HAND Hospitality, the company behind numerous Korean-inspired concepts in NYC, including Jua. Given that restaurant's performance, LA was targeted next, and after a popping up at Melody in 2024, Hojokban ended up grand-opening on November 20th last year.
The history: The story of Hojokban begins with Joon Lee (이준범, Lee Joon-beum), who hails from South Korea but moved to the United States when he was a middle-schooler, eventually attending University of Michigan for economics. He stayed 16 years in the US before returning to Seoul, and spent 2011 to 2013 working at a burger joint in Gangnam's Dogok ward. In 2014, he decided to branch out on his own by creating an American-style hamburger concept by the name of 5BEY (오베이) in Gyeongnidan, Itaewon. The place was mildly successful, but served as the predecessor to his more popular Downtowner (다운타우너) mini-chain, started in 2016.
May 2017 saw the founding of Lee's GFFG (Good Food for Good), a parent company that went on to establish a dozen brands. However, only five appear to be currently operational: all-day brunch spot Littleneck (리틀넥, 2016), the donut-focused Cafe Knotted (노티드, 2017), Hojokban (호족반, 2019), "newtro-style" pizzeria Clap Pizza (클랩피자, 2020), and churro-specialist Minute Papillon (미뉴트빠삐용, 2022). The aforementioned Downtowner is still around as well, but was sold to the Salady (샐러디) sandwich chain in December 2024. We see a similar situation with American-Chinese eatery Woktionary (웍셔너리), which has also left the GFFG family.
Getting back to Hojokban, its first location debuted in September 2019 in the Cheongdam ward of Gangnam. Its name is derived from the Hanja characters 好族飯, which features on the restaurant's Korean-market logo and translates roughly to "good family meal." Hojokban also possesses a second meaning that references a particular type of soban dining table with tiger-shaped legs. From the beginning, the idea was to showcase fusion-y Korean fare, as evinced by further Hanja on the original logo: 西洋 韓食, or "Western Korean food." However, for the American market, said text has been modified to 新義 韓食, or "new concept Korean food," which I suppose is more palatable for the target audience.
Hojokban takes over a structure (next door to 715 Sushi) that previously held the 3.1 Phillip Lim boutique, and before that, was home to the likes of Bourbon DTLA/Bourbon Supper Club, Nola's, and Jason Ha's E3rd Bistro & Bar/E3rd Steakhouse & Lounge. The space was remodeled under the watchful eye of Amber Koh, GFFG's directory of brand strategy, and now sports a handsome aesthetic that balances hues of green with warm, woodsier tones. It's also important to note that Hojokban shares its building with LA's second Knotted cafe, which opened right at the start of December last year (the first location at Westfield Century City dropped in April 2025).
Here we see Hojokban's menu, which is pleasingly concise, though given that we were a large party (i.e. over seven people), we had to go with the restaurant's prix fixe offering, priced at $75 per person. To drink, you get a handful of low-ABV cocktails, a brief wine list, as well as a selection of sool. Meanwhile, corkage is $35 a bottle, limit two (or $70, limit one for magnums). Click for larger versions.
First to arrive at the table was a quartet of banchan, which were indeed refillable. Of course, we had to have the requisite napa cabbage kimchi, with its familiar sweet heat.
Done up jangajji-style, kkwari-gochu (shishito peppers) were teeming with deep, savory flavors backed by an underlying sweetness.
Strawberry Moon [$14.00] | hwanggeum bori golden barley soju, cava, strawberry shrub, gochugaru, perilla
We ended up trying all four cocktails, and up first was this refreshingly fizzy, fruity number, tarted up a smidge by the inclusion of chili powder.
The kongnamul muchim certainly did the job.
The most unusual of the banchan was clearly the sagwa kkakdugi, made with Granny Smith apples instead of the usual mu. This made for a sweeter, softer eating experience, though I have to say that I still prefer the traditional radish version.
Wando Sour [$16.00] | sesame oil-infused jinmaek 22 soju, toasted gim syrup, lime, melon soda
Taking its name from Wando County, an area known for its gim, this was my favorite cocktail of the foursome. The key was the back-and-forth between nutty sesame and savory seaweed, softened just a tad by that melon soda.
1: Cucumber Sobagi 오이 소박이 | hot house cucumber, gochugaru, tofu puree, garlic sesame oil
Our first proper course brought a riff on oi sobagi featuring crunchy cucumbers joined by plenty of nutty heat, but more intriguingly, the enveloping creaminess of puréed tofu.
2: Perilla Buckwheat Noodle 들기름 메밀국수 | cold-pressed perilla oil, gim jaban, soy dressing
Hojokban's interpretation of memil guksu comprised satisfyingly-textured buckwheat noodles accompanied by the subtle nuttiness of deulgireum, along with the more apparent savoriness of soy and gimjaban.
Sagwa Old Fashioned [$19.00] | walnut butter-washed mungyeong baram oak-aged apple soju, sujeonggwa demerara syrup, persimmon dashi
This apple-boosted old fashioned variation was certain the most autumnal of the cocktails, with loads of warm, sweet spices commingling with an almost brown butter-esque sensation.
3: Yukhwe 육회 | korean beef tartare, sesame soy dressing, gim mayo, lotus root chips
The yukhoe delivered, largely thanks to the deft interplay of creamy, nutty, and savory tastes going on. Nice crunch from those yeongeun chips, too.
Pork Belly Suyuk 돼지고기 수육 [$27.00] | simmered, garlic confit, soy glaze, peanut ssamjang
Our first supplemental dish paired slices of boiled samgyeopsal with the deep, spicy kick of ssamjang, all while those zippy greens did a commendable job moderating the strong flavors at play.
KE12 [$18.00] | mir soju, doenjang demerara syrup, stereoscope espresso, toasted black sesame
The last cocktail was essentially a modified espresso martini, one with all the dark fruit, coffee, and chocolate notes I expected, but with an additional bit of interest from the incorporation of soybean paste. I wouldn't have minded more sesame, though. And if you're wondering about the name, "KE12" refers to a Korean Air flight from LA to Seoul.
4: Truffle Potato Jeon 트러플 감자전 | potato jeon, truffle aioli, bacon, grana padano
A decidedly untraditional gamjajeon turned out to be a table favorite. It was like a giant, super-crispy hashbrown, imbued with the goodness of both creamy truffle and cheese, though I wanted to get more from the advertised bacon. This was even tastier when taken with some kimchi.
5: Fried Chicken 호족 치킨 | yangnyeom sauce, pumpkin seeds, pickled fresno chili
Hojokban's signature yangnyeom chikin featured crispy, shattery exteriors and super juicy, flavor insides. The bird was delish just by itself, though I didn't mind a dab of that honeyed sauce, either.
For tonight's twentieth anniversary bottle, I brought the 2006 Opus One. No doubt one of the most iconic wines to ever come out of Napa Valley, the Bordeaux-style blend celebrated its first vintage in 1979, and was the brainchild of Château Mouton's Baron Philippe de Rothschild and California wine legend Robert Mondavi. Inviting nose of cassis, roses, leather, dried herb, and cedar-y spices--pretty much just what I was expecting. On the palate, think fine tannins and a balanced acidity alongside mature-yet-vivacious black-n-blue fruits, black pepper, and more of that woodsy spice. This was in a nice place tonight, but could easily sustain itself over the next decade I reckon.
6: Ramyeon Fried Rice 컵라면 볶음밥 | shin ramyeon, bacon, chili oil, crispy onion
The bokkeumbap was undoubtedly a crowd pleaser. It really did capture the comforting essence of Shin Ramyun, which was well-incorporated with salty bacon, onions, and the mouthwatering heat of chili oil.
A couple of our next dishes were heated using gel-based chafing fuel.
Nak-Gob-Sae 낙곱새 [$34.00] | baby octopus, daechang, shrimp, glass noodle, chopi peppercorn, gim rice
Nakgopsae is named after its main ingredients: nakji, gopchang, and saeu. All three components were on point, and I especially appreciated the not-over cook on the shrimp and the "spongey" texture of the intestines. The soup's pervasive spiciness and savor helped tie everything together, and I liked how that side of well-seasoned seaweed rice helped even out all the heady flavors happening.
Nakji Tteokbokki 낙지 떡볶이 [$27.00] | rice cakes, gochujang sauce, baby octopus, gim bugak
The gungmul-tteokbokki had that chewy rice cake consistency I was looking for, while the restrained heat from the red chili paste veered very recognizable as well. The octo helped mix things up texturally and taste-wise, and I also enjoyed the extra crunch from the fried seaweed.
7: Manila Clam Tang 조개탕 | manila clams, daepa, jalapeño, kalguksu
Our jogae-tang did a nice job conveying the brine of those clams, juxtaposing them against the zestiness of shredded green onion, all while those slick knife-cut noodles served as a moderating element.
8: Hojok Galbi 호족갈비 | beef short rib, soy glaze, fresno chilis, peanuts, red leaf lettuce salad, seasoned rice
Last up was the kalbi, which clearly showed off the customary sweet and savory qualities of its marinade, though I wanted a heavier dose of smoke on the meat, along with less chew on some of the pieces. The additional heat from the chilies worked for me, as did the peanuts, and I didn't mind how that zippy salad lightened things up a tad, either.
No pastry chef is employed at Hojokban, so dessert duties were handled by a selection of Melona (메로나) bars, a popular brand of ice pops manufactured by Binggrae (빙그레). I opted for the purple yam, which effectively married the trademark nutty sweetness of ube with a distinct lactic character.
The birthday girl received a bonus serving of Choco Pie (초코 파이).
I'm usually a tad skeptical of "fusion" cuisine, and thus had some reservations coming in here, but I'm glad to report that tonight's meal turned out better than expected, a sentiment also shared by my dining companions. I think the food works because, despite straying from traditional at times, it manages to maintain a certain sense of familiarity and authenticity. I could definitely see Hojokban becoming a go-to of mine when I'm looking for Korean cooking in the vicinity of Downtown.
734 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-785-3400
www.hojokban.com
Sat 02/28/2026, 06:00p-08:35p
I recently made my way to the Arts District for a birthday dinner, and our party's venue of choice was Hojokban, a casual modern Korean spot that was birthed years ago in Seoul's tony Gangnam District. The brand first expanded to the US back in November 2023 with the launch of an outpost in New York's Midtown East, which was actually accomplished in partnership with HAND Hospitality, the company behind numerous Korean-inspired concepts in NYC, including Jua. Given that restaurant's performance, LA was targeted next, and after a popping up at Melody in 2024, Hojokban ended up grand-opening on November 20th last year.
The history: The story of Hojokban begins with Joon Lee (이준범, Lee Joon-beum), who hails from South Korea but moved to the United States when he was a middle-schooler, eventually attending University of Michigan for economics. He stayed 16 years in the US before returning to Seoul, and spent 2011 to 2013 working at a burger joint in Gangnam's Dogok ward. In 2014, he decided to branch out on his own by creating an American-style hamburger concept by the name of 5BEY (오베이) in Gyeongnidan, Itaewon. The place was mildly successful, but served as the predecessor to his more popular Downtowner (다운타우너) mini-chain, started in 2016.
May 2017 saw the founding of Lee's GFFG (Good Food for Good), a parent company that went on to establish a dozen brands. However, only five appear to be currently operational: all-day brunch spot Littleneck (리틀넥, 2016), the donut-focused Cafe Knotted (노티드, 2017), Hojokban (호족반, 2019), "newtro-style" pizzeria Clap Pizza (클랩피자, 2020), and churro-specialist Minute Papillon (미뉴트빠삐용, 2022). The aforementioned Downtowner is still around as well, but was sold to the Salady (샐러디) sandwich chain in December 2024. We see a similar situation with American-Chinese eatery Woktionary (웍셔너리), which has also left the GFFG family.
Getting back to Hojokban, its first location debuted in September 2019 in the Cheongdam ward of Gangnam. Its name is derived from the Hanja characters 好族飯, which features on the restaurant's Korean-market logo and translates roughly to "good family meal." Hojokban also possesses a second meaning that references a particular type of soban dining table with tiger-shaped legs. From the beginning, the idea was to showcase fusion-y Korean fare, as evinced by further Hanja on the original logo: 西洋 韓食, or "Western Korean food." However, for the American market, said text has been modified to 新義 韓食, or "new concept Korean food," which I suppose is more palatable for the target audience.
Hojokban takes over a structure (next door to 715 Sushi) that previously held the 3.1 Phillip Lim boutique, and before that, was home to the likes of Bourbon DTLA/Bourbon Supper Club, Nola's, and Jason Ha's E3rd Bistro & Bar/E3rd Steakhouse & Lounge. The space was remodeled under the watchful eye of Amber Koh, GFFG's directory of brand strategy, and now sports a handsome aesthetic that balances hues of green with warm, woodsier tones. It's also important to note that Hojokban shares its building with LA's second Knotted cafe, which opened right at the start of December last year (the first location at Westfield Century City dropped in April 2025).
Here we see Hojokban's menu, which is pleasingly concise, though given that we were a large party (i.e. over seven people), we had to go with the restaurant's prix fixe offering, priced at $75 per person. To drink, you get a handful of low-ABV cocktails, a brief wine list, as well as a selection of sool. Meanwhile, corkage is $35 a bottle, limit two (or $70, limit one for magnums). Click for larger versions.
First to arrive at the table was a quartet of banchan, which were indeed refillable. Of course, we had to have the requisite napa cabbage kimchi, with its familiar sweet heat.
Done up jangajji-style, kkwari-gochu (shishito peppers) were teeming with deep, savory flavors backed by an underlying sweetness.
Strawberry Moon [$14.00] | hwanggeum bori golden barley soju, cava, strawberry shrub, gochugaru, perilla
We ended up trying all four cocktails, and up first was this refreshingly fizzy, fruity number, tarted up a smidge by the inclusion of chili powder.
The kongnamul muchim certainly did the job.
The most unusual of the banchan was clearly the sagwa kkakdugi, made with Granny Smith apples instead of the usual mu. This made for a sweeter, softer eating experience, though I have to say that I still prefer the traditional radish version.
Wando Sour [$16.00] | sesame oil-infused jinmaek 22 soju, toasted gim syrup, lime, melon soda
Taking its name from Wando County, an area known for its gim, this was my favorite cocktail of the foursome. The key was the back-and-forth between nutty sesame and savory seaweed, softened just a tad by that melon soda.
1: Cucumber Sobagi 오이 소박이 | hot house cucumber, gochugaru, tofu puree, garlic sesame oil
Our first proper course brought a riff on oi sobagi featuring crunchy cucumbers joined by plenty of nutty heat, but more intriguingly, the enveloping creaminess of puréed tofu.
2: Perilla Buckwheat Noodle 들기름 메밀국수 | cold-pressed perilla oil, gim jaban, soy dressing
Hojokban's interpretation of memil guksu comprised satisfyingly-textured buckwheat noodles accompanied by the subtle nuttiness of deulgireum, along with the more apparent savoriness of soy and gimjaban.
Sagwa Old Fashioned [$19.00] | walnut butter-washed mungyeong baram oak-aged apple soju, sujeonggwa demerara syrup, persimmon dashi
This apple-boosted old fashioned variation was certain the most autumnal of the cocktails, with loads of warm, sweet spices commingling with an almost brown butter-esque sensation.
3: Yukhwe 육회 | korean beef tartare, sesame soy dressing, gim mayo, lotus root chips
The yukhoe delivered, largely thanks to the deft interplay of creamy, nutty, and savory tastes going on. Nice crunch from those yeongeun chips, too.
Pork Belly Suyuk 돼지고기 수육 [$27.00] | simmered, garlic confit, soy glaze, peanut ssamjang
Our first supplemental dish paired slices of boiled samgyeopsal with the deep, spicy kick of ssamjang, all while those zippy greens did a commendable job moderating the strong flavors at play.
KE12 [$18.00] | mir soju, doenjang demerara syrup, stereoscope espresso, toasted black sesame
The last cocktail was essentially a modified espresso martini, one with all the dark fruit, coffee, and chocolate notes I expected, but with an additional bit of interest from the incorporation of soybean paste. I wouldn't have minded more sesame, though. And if you're wondering about the name, "KE12" refers to a Korean Air flight from LA to Seoul.
4: Truffle Potato Jeon 트러플 감자전 | potato jeon, truffle aioli, bacon, grana padano
A decidedly untraditional gamjajeon turned out to be a table favorite. It was like a giant, super-crispy hashbrown, imbued with the goodness of both creamy truffle and cheese, though I wanted to get more from the advertised bacon. This was even tastier when taken with some kimchi.
5: Fried Chicken 호족 치킨 | yangnyeom sauce, pumpkin seeds, pickled fresno chili
Hojokban's signature yangnyeom chikin featured crispy, shattery exteriors and super juicy, flavor insides. The bird was delish just by itself, though I didn't mind a dab of that honeyed sauce, either.
For tonight's twentieth anniversary bottle, I brought the 2006 Opus One. No doubt one of the most iconic wines to ever come out of Napa Valley, the Bordeaux-style blend celebrated its first vintage in 1979, and was the brainchild of Château Mouton's Baron Philippe de Rothschild and California wine legend Robert Mondavi. Inviting nose of cassis, roses, leather, dried herb, and cedar-y spices--pretty much just what I was expecting. On the palate, think fine tannins and a balanced acidity alongside mature-yet-vivacious black-n-blue fruits, black pepper, and more of that woodsy spice. This was in a nice place tonight, but could easily sustain itself over the next decade I reckon.
6: Ramyeon Fried Rice 컵라면 볶음밥 | shin ramyeon, bacon, chili oil, crispy onion
The bokkeumbap was undoubtedly a crowd pleaser. It really did capture the comforting essence of Shin Ramyun, which was well-incorporated with salty bacon, onions, and the mouthwatering heat of chili oil.
A couple of our next dishes were heated using gel-based chafing fuel.
Nak-Gob-Sae 낙곱새 [$34.00] | baby octopus, daechang, shrimp, glass noodle, chopi peppercorn, gim rice
Nakgopsae is named after its main ingredients: nakji, gopchang, and saeu. All three components were on point, and I especially appreciated the not-over cook on the shrimp and the "spongey" texture of the intestines. The soup's pervasive spiciness and savor helped tie everything together, and I liked how that side of well-seasoned seaweed rice helped even out all the heady flavors happening.
Nakji Tteokbokki 낙지 떡볶이 [$27.00] | rice cakes, gochujang sauce, baby octopus, gim bugak
The gungmul-tteokbokki had that chewy rice cake consistency I was looking for, while the restrained heat from the red chili paste veered very recognizable as well. The octo helped mix things up texturally and taste-wise, and I also enjoyed the extra crunch from the fried seaweed.
7: Manila Clam Tang 조개탕 | manila clams, daepa, jalapeño, kalguksu
Our jogae-tang did a nice job conveying the brine of those clams, juxtaposing them against the zestiness of shredded green onion, all while those slick knife-cut noodles served as a moderating element.
8: Hojok Galbi 호족갈비 | beef short rib, soy glaze, fresno chilis, peanuts, red leaf lettuce salad, seasoned rice
Last up was the kalbi, which clearly showed off the customary sweet and savory qualities of its marinade, though I wanted a heavier dose of smoke on the meat, along with less chew on some of the pieces. The additional heat from the chilies worked for me, as did the peanuts, and I didn't mind how that zippy salad lightened things up a tad, either.
No pastry chef is employed at Hojokban, so dessert duties were handled by a selection of Melona (메로나) bars, a popular brand of ice pops manufactured by Binggrae (빙그레). I opted for the purple yam, which effectively married the trademark nutty sweetness of ube with a distinct lactic character.
The birthday girl received a bonus serving of Choco Pie (초코 파이).
I'm usually a tad skeptical of "fusion" cuisine, and thus had some reservations coming in here, but I'm glad to report that tonight's meal turned out better than expected, a sentiment also shared by my dining companions. I think the food works because, despite straying from traditional at times, it manages to maintain a certain sense of familiarity and authenticity. I could definitely see Hojokban becoming a go-to of mine when I'm looking for Korean cooking in the vicinity of Downtown.
posted by kevinEats at
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