Myung Dong Kyoja

Dumplings are called different things to different people. Mandoo's the word for Koreans. Considering Myung Dong Kyoja is a Korean restaurant, I have no idea why it has "kyoja" in the title, which is a re-imagined spelling of gyoza (Japanese dumplings). At any rate, here's what I ate:


Pork mandoo (Korean dumplings): most of the wrappers did not hold together during steaming, but the filling was tasty enough that I didn't mind. These mandoo were juicier than the fried kind.


Bibimguksoo (spicy cold noodles): these appeared to be green tea noodles as they were... green. Might've been an off night, but I remember this dish being better. It's been close to a year probably since my last visit, so perhaps they've gone downhill a tad.

I've made mandoo before and it's not difficult, just time consuming. You can use store-bought wrappers and mix together a simple filling of beef/pork and Asian seasonings (soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, etc.). I, for one, like to satisfy my mandoo hankerings by zipping over to Koreatown. But, you may be much more virtuous than me!

Myung Dong Kyoja
3630 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 385-7789