Thursday, April 02, 2026

Lapaba (Los Angeles, CA)

Lapaba The Pasta Bar
558 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020
213-839-3976
www.instagram.com/thelapaba/
Thu 04/02/2026, 07:30p-09:30p




Lapaba Exterior

My latest diversion into Koreatown brought me to the curiously-monikered Lapaba, which takes its name from the first syllables of "La Pasta Bar" (라파바 in Hangul). The Italian-Korean eatery soft-opened on January 28th this year, with the full opening coming a week later, and the aim here is to imbue the pasta traditions of Italy with the seemingly disparate flavors of Korea. Leading the kitchen is the husband-and-wife team of Matt Kim and McKenna Lelah, and also on board as partner is Robert Kim (Norikaya, ABSteak, Mama Lion), who took over the restaurant's building back in 2021 and spearheaded its rehabilitation. Further backers of the project include Joseph "Joe" Bastianich and his sister Tanya Bastianich Manuali, as well as the grande dame herself, Nancy Silverton.

About the Chefs: Matthew Kim was born in October 1984 to Korean immigrant parents, and grew up in Santa Clara, CA. After graduating from Cupertino High School, he attended Kendall College in Chicago from '02 to '05, and during his time there, interned at Trio under Grant Achatz. Following completion of his culinary degree, Kim cooked at sundry restaurants in the region before landing a spot on the opening brigade of Next, where he teamed back up again with Achatz while working day-to-day under Dave Beran. Next launched in April 2011, and it was here where he would really take his career to the, indeed, next level. In September 2014, he relocated to SoCal to lead the charge at Osteria Mozza, serving as CdC for Elizabeth Hong. Mozza, it turns out, is where Kim met his future partner in both business and life.

McKenna C. Lelah was born in July 1992 in LA, but grew up in Dallas, and began exploring the world cooking at the early age of nine. She later returned to Southern California for college, and attended Chapman University from 2010 to 2014, where she majored in communications and minored in Spanish. During this period, she spent a summer as a prep cook at Victor Tangos back home in Dallas, catered for Chapman's student film department, and also worked at Arc Food & Libations in Costa Mesa. In August 2014, Lelah became a line cook at Osteria Mozza, and would soon take a liking to her Chef de Cuisine.

Interestingly, Kim had a brief detour from Mozza when he moved over to 71 Above, taking part in the restaurant's July 2016 debut. However, he returned after a brief stint, but didn't stay too long before decamping for good in June 2017. His destination was Dialogue, where he was opening sous for his old boss, Dave Beran. Lelah, meanwhile, stayed at Mozza until December 2015, then became a line cook at Otium before rejoining Kim at Dialogue in 2017 as a chef de partie. The restaurant would bow in September that year.

Kim remained at Dialogue until around July 2019, when he transitioned to the opening team of Pasjoli, serving as CdC when the spot opened that September. He wound up leaving at the end of December 2020 to concentrate on Oui'd, a fancy cannabis edibles (truffles and gummies) venture founded in partnership with longtime compatriot Matt Rowbotham (a former sous at Next). The brand held its rollout in 2022, but shuttered in May last year.

Lelah's tenure at Dialogue lasted a bit longer than Kim's, but by January 2020, she had already launched her own business called Hand Picked by McKenna, focused on sourcing specialty produce from local farms, making use of relationships she'd cultivated during her time with Beran. She also worked a stint as a buyer at Worldwide Produce, and in 2021, joined Sightglass Coffee before teaming back up with her now-husband Kim (they got married in Cabo San Lucas in June 2021), managing operations at Oui'd from '22 to '23. In 2024, Lelah and her sister Riley Lelah, along with Kim, founded Riley's, a line of sauces that's still on the market.

Lapaba Interior
Lapaba resides on the ground floor of a 1926-era Wilshire Center edifice, right next door to Norikaya, in a storefront once occupied by 99¢ La Barata Market. The space was penned by Italian firm Costa Group, along with Kelly Architects. The focus here is clearly on the marble-topped oak pasta bar, which affords diners a peek into the kitchen and its dedicated room for on-site pasta-making. Total capacity should be around 44.

Lapaba Menu Lapaba Cocktail, Sool & Beer List Lapaba Wine List
Lapaba's menu of Korean-Italian fare is pleasingly compact, and is more or less divvied into sections for small plates, pastas, and desserts. Drink-wise, you'll find a smattering of low-ABV cocktails, some beer, sool, and a small wine list focused on Italy and France. Corkage is $50 per bottle, or $75 per magnum. Click for larger versions.

Charred Broccolini
Charred Broccolini [$13.00] | peppers, ssamjang, whipped tofu
Broccolini is almost always a good decision, and it certainly was tonight, with the veggie's bittersweetness playing well with the satisfyingly savory heat of ssamjang, all while the inclusion of mint brightened things up.

Yuja Sour
Yuja Sour [$16.00] | soju, YUZUCO yuzu
Our first cocktail did a fine job showcasing the fragrantly sweet-n-sour nature of yuja, all rendered in a smooth, foamy package. I did miss that boozy heft you find in a traditional whiskey sour, though.

yuzu ranch, 치킨무
Fried Chicken
Fried Chicken [$16.00] | calabrian chili, yuzu ranch, 치킨무
Chicken drums arrived generally on point in terms of juiciness and tenderness, and were imbued with a sweet heat that made them enjoyable just by themselves. However, I did prefer a dip into that herby ranch, and the chikinmu's tang and crunch were certainly appreciated.

Hamachi Crudo
Hamachi Crudo [$19.00] | pink lady apple, cucumber dashi, hot mustard
Fatty slices of yellowtail were paired with a bevy of bright, pungent flavors, with the apple adding a smidgen of sweetness to the mix.

Negroni Sbagliato
Negroni Sbagliato [$17.00] | apertivo, vermouth, prosecco
A fizzy negroni made for a fitting apéritif thanks to its easy-going, fruity, floral, bitter nature.

Little Gem Caesar
Little Gem Caesar [$15.00] | doenjang, gim croutons, shaved parmesan
This riff on the classic Caesar salad turned out better than I expected. The key for me was the funk of the soybean paste, and how it juxtaposed with that sweet, crunchy lettuce and salty, seaweed-enhanced croutons, the Parmigiano contributing just a touch more oomph.

Agnolotti & Cheesy Corn
Agnolotti & Cheesy Corn [$24.00] | smoked scamorza, brown butter, thyme
It was now time to get into the pasta portion of the meal. A plate of corn cheese-inspired agnolotti did a decent job recalling the classic anju staple due to its interplay of sweet corn and smoky cheese. At the same time, brown butter provided a warmth underpinning it all, and I got a welcomed kick of black pepper, too.

Dalgona
Dalgona [$16.00] | soju, toasted soybean, coffee
This third cocktail seemed like a dalgona coffee-based twist on your usual espresso martini. It was definitely on the dessert-y side, and did indeed express the sugary, smoky flavors I expected.

Radiatore & Galbi Jjim
Radiatore & Galbi Jjim [$25.00] | short rib ragu, shiitake, red wine
Soft, sweetly savory shreds of long-cooked beef worked as a nod to the comforting flavors of galbijjim, while texturally, the ragù made sense with that radiator pasta.

Orecchiette & Sausage
Orecchiette & Sausage [$23.00] | gochugaru, fennel, bloomsdale spinach
A dish of ear-shaped pasta was one of my favorites. The orecchiette showed off a satisfying chew, and really worked as a stage for the back-and-forth between delectably herby bits of sausage and the bittersweetness of that spinach.

2006 Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana
It was now time to open up the 2006 Marchesi Antinori Tignanello Toscana, part of my twentieth anniversary stash. One of the "big five" Super Tuscans, the wine celebrated its first vintage in 1971, and comes to us from a Florentine producer that traces its roots all the way back to the 14th century. This particular vintage was reportedly composed of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc, all aged in new oak barriques. Initial whiffs brought a concentrated bouquet of barnyard, tar, violets, and candied dark fruits. On the palate, I found this pleasingly grippy, with loads of prune-likes notes countered by nuances of earth, chocolate, and smoke. Half-an-hour in, I began getting additional elements strongly evocative of roasted meats, both on the nose and in the mouth, with extra aromas of menthol to boot. This was in a good place tonight, but could probably develop even further over the next decade.

Bucatini & Amatriciana
Bucatini & Amatriciana [$23.00] | guanciale, jjajang, pecorino
This next pasta dish did indeed recall its Korean-Chinese noodle inspiration, and I quite liked the firm-ish texture on the bucatini. Though, given all the heavy, dark-toned flavors at play, I would've liked something more to lighten the mood, perhaps a play on your usual jjajangmyeon accompaniments of cucumber, raw onion, or danmuji.

Garganelli & Pesto
Garganelli & Pesto [$20.00] | perilla, sugar snap peas, pine nuts
This decidedly verdant plate of pasta was another favorite because of how well the herby, minty character of kkaennip was incorporated into a pesto. The bright, crunchy bits of pea were another treat, and I was a fan of the nuttiness contributed by the jat, too.

Tonnarelli & Lobster
Tonnarelli & Lobster [$33.00] | chili, ginger, lobster jus
Ostensibly taking a page from the jjamppong playbook, the evening's final pasta was another standout. I was captivated by how the lobster's sweet-saline qualities meshed with the punchiness of that ginger, with the chili imparting a lovely undercurrent of heat to the dish. Nice al dente texture on the noodles as well.

BTS
BTS [$14.00 + $30.00] | black truffle soft serve, brown butter + Orra Caviar supplement • Sustainably sourced Siberian sturgeon caviar
And with that, it was now time for dessert. We'll start with my favorite of the four, one I suppose that's fittingly named after Bangtan Sonyeondan, as the famed K-pop boy group just had their long-awaited comeback on March 20th. Now I'm usually wary of caviar supplements, but it was absolutely worth it in this instance, as the roe married flawlessly with both the muskiness of black truffle and the inherent sweetness of the ice cream itself. And if that wasn't enough, the brown butter crumbles added another layer of sugary depth and texture that served as the perfect finishing touch.

Bingsoo
Bingsoo [$14.00] | Korean style shaved, market citrus, mochi, condensed milk
This reworked version of bingsu also met the mark. The light, almost fluffy consistency of the shaved ice was what I was looking for, and worked as a base for contrasting components of chewy tteok, zippy citrus, and those crunchy, nutty bits. It all coalesced rather swimmingly, especially with that condensed milk helping to tie everything together.

Tiramisu- Garu
Tiramisu- Garu [$14.00] | misugaru, makgeolli, black matcha
Next was one of the cleverer takes I've seen on the ubiquitous Italian sweet treat that is tiramisu. The crux here was the utilization of black tea powder, which lent an earthy, roasty quality that linked up seamlessly with your classic flavors of coffee and cocoa.

Pavlova
Pavlova [$14.00] | black sesame, strawberry, crème fraîche
Last up was the pavlova, which brought together a properly crisp, airy meringue with the time-honored combo of berries and cream, all punctuated by nutty pinpoints of sesame. No complaints here.

I came into Lapaba not knowing quite what to expect from a Korean-Italian mash-up, but left pretty content with my experience. I'd say that the cuisine undoubtedly leans more Italian than Korean, and can essentially be likened to well-made Italian fare with Korean flourishes. The result is cooking that's generally familiar, but also quite novel at times. Overall, a very welcomed entrant to the K-town dining scene.




Tonight's 이차 (i-cha) duties were handled by The Normandie Club, located just up 6th Street inside Hotel Normandie. It'd been a while since I last visited the cocktail bar, so it was nice to give the place another go after all this time. I do hope that ownership can figure out what to do with the old Walker Inn space, though.

The Normandie Club Cocktail List The Normandie Club Beer & Wine List
The Normandie Club's cocktail list and beer/wine selection. Click for larger versions.

Dry Martini
Dry Martini [$16.00] | Gin or Vodka
The dry martini was indeed as dry as its name would indicate, and made for a bracing start to this imbibing session.

Old Fashioned
Old Fashioned [$17.00] | Coconut-Washed Bourbon, Apple Brandy, Spiced Almond Demerara, Angostura Bitters
A reimagined version of the most classic of cocktails really highlighted the coconut, which absolutely permeated the drink and worked hand-in-hand with the nuttiness of the advertised almond.

Swizzle
Swizzle [$17.00] | Mezcal, Old Tom Gin, Maetixa, Ginger, Galangal Falernum, Lime, Lemon, Sumac
In this refreshing take on the swizzle, the sharp, spicy bite of galangal and ginger certainly caught my attention, but was kept in check by the cocktail's fruitier, citrusy notes.

Daisy
Daisy [$17.00] | Tequila, Plum Brandy, Jasmine Rice, Banana Liqueur, French Aperitif, Lime
This was probably my favorite of the five cocktails, largely due to how the jasmine rice was incorporated. The grain's fragrance and warmth really appealed to me, and I enjoyed how it was combined with the drink's sweeter flavors and bitter-leaning backbone.

Piña Colada
Piña Colada [$17.00] | Bourbon, Rum, Angel Food Cake, Coconut, Pineapple, Cane, Lime, Chartreuse Foam
We ended with the most dessert-y, most decadent cocktail of the quintet, one that did indeed convey some of the flavors you'd expect to find in angel cake, but intertwined with tropical fruit and citrus. A fun drink to end on.

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