Sun Nong Dan is an LA Koreatown staple. A reliable restaurant that works as well for a group crowded around a cheesy-torched plate of sizzling galbi jjiim, as it does for a casual meal of gom tang or guk bap. Importantly, it is also a 24/7 establishment. Well, mostly. Of the 4 locations, 2 are truly 24/7, one is only closed for 1 hour (between 5 and 6am) each day, and the other is closed from 5am – 11am each day (but a 5 min drive to the other K-town location, which is open 24 hours), so for most intents and purposes, it is a 24/7 restaurant, which we love.

There are a few important hallmarks of a Koreatown staple. Plastic water containers. Paper placemats. Metal banchan bowls. Sizzling bone broth in stone bowls. Generous portions, plated with more fire than finesse. Fast service, no frills. The hum of Korean and English, and probably if we’re being honest, some Chinese in the restaurant. The rich comfort of homey beef forward dishes. It’s like a time capsule, a consistent experience that removes you, momentarily, from the rest of the world. And you focus on the hot plates and bowls of food right in front of you. You can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia, even if you didn’t grow up with home cooked versions of these dishes.