Koreatown, Los Angeles
Charcoal, short ribs, and a table you stay at
Charcoal-grilled Korean BBQ in the daeho-kalbijjim tradition.
Since 2009
Patient food, cooked over real fire
Sofia's Choice began with a grill, a Sunday, and a family that could not agree on anything except the meat. We opened on Vermont Avenue in 2009 with eight tables and one charcoal pit, and we still cook the way that pit taught us — over real charcoal, one order at a time.
From the grill
What to order first
Six plates that tell you what kind of kitchen this is. The rest of the menu is worth your time too.
The room
Booths built around the grill
Every table has its own pit and its own extraction hood, so the smoke goes up and not into your coat. Corner booths seat six and are worth asking for.
At the table
Grill nights and tasting classes
A few times a month we hand the tongs over and teach the room — cuts, marinades, the ssam wrap, and why the charcoal matters. Seats are limited to the counter.
From the tables
What people say
The galbi is everything you want from Korean BBQ — smoky, perfectly marinated, and you don't walk out smelling like the kitchen. The host walked us through the ssam wrap.
Sarah K.5 out of 5 · Google Banchan keeps coming. The doenjang jjigae is the best I've had outside Seoul. Bring people who already love Korean food and people who haven't tried it yet — both will be happy.
James T.5 out of 5 · Google Brought my parents who used to live in Seoul. They cried at the patbingsu. Real stuff, not the watered-down version.
Daniel R.5 out of 5 · Yelp Service is warm. The bossam is enormous and the napa wraps are crisp. Lost a star only because we waited 30 min on a Friday.
Aaron M.4 out of 5 · Yelp Best date spot in Koreatown if you can score a corner table. Order the saeng galbi and a cold bottle of soju.
Lia C.5 out of 5 · Internal
Come and sit down
123 Vermont Ave, Los Angeles. Walk-ins welcome; the corner booths go first on Friday.