Hite Kwang Jang

I have been curious about Hite Kwang Jang for a long time; it's on Wilshire, one of Koreatown's major streets, and the word "Hite" always catches my eye. Now, I have no idea how the delicious Korean beer Hite is affiliated with this establishment, but I do know that I could put away a lot of pitchers here with the kind of no frills bar food they've got going on. Charles and I wrapped up the weekend with a Sunday night dinner amidst the kitschy decor (aside from the Korean alcohol ads, Hite Kwang Jang looks like a place that could serve Swedish meatballs and waffles; as in they have an inexplicable nutcracker statue).


Charles pours icy cool goodness into a glass mug, which I'm sure he would love to own. The beer was wonderfully cold!


One of Charles's favorite Korean dishes: dduk-bok-ghee (I hyphenate to facilitate). A spicy rice cake dish that is probably more snack or late night fare than an actual entree. HKJ's version is quite good and a healthy portion, to say the least.


Korean style (sort of) fried chicken aka tong-dak: see, I don't think of this dish as fried chicken straight up. More like roast chicken with super crispy skin and no breading. That pile of shredded cabbage has the obligatory Thousand Island dressing (Koreans love themselves some Thousand Island).


Sweet pickled radish cubes, which is served with the chicken. ONE OF MY FAVORITE ITEMS ON EARTH.


Freebie (I think) pan-fried cake: I heart Korean savory pancakes. I'm fairly sure this one had green onions and kimchi in it. Simple, but tasty.

We really enjoyed our meal here, it's harder than you'd think to find a quiet place to grab a drink and some grub without breaking the bank. Our bill was about $40, which included the cute 1000cc baby pitcher of Hite. Looking forward to many visits in the future!

Hite Kwang Jang
3839 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 384-8999