Naeng Myun Nara, Patisserie Eguchi and Scoops

I woke up on Saturday with a Maggiano's food hangover. What can I say, the Grove's options are severely limited. I originally set out for some sul-lung-tang (beef bone soup is how I'd describe it), but a sign for Naeng Myun Nara caught my eye (nara means country or land, so obviously I had to investigate a place that brought visions of meadows and rainbows dotted with bowls of naeng myun).


Naeng myun with cucumbers, Asian pear and half an egg. Only $5.99! Yes, there was one slice of beef, but I still found it tasty and straightforward enough for that price.

Located inside Rodeo Galleria, the restaurant is one of the few food spots inside the shopping center, which reminded me of Mercado La Paloma near USC (any SC folks know what I'm talking about?). It's a big building with individual booths or shops (like an enclosed marketplace with AC). After I finished my bowl of deliciously chilled noodles, I stopped at Patisserie Eguchi and picked up a kimchi koroke (crispy fry bread, maybe you've bought some at Famima!! and eaten them in the car like me?).


Kimchi koroke. Better in theory than execution.

I bit into it with anticipation, but was sorely disappointed. The filling was very lackluster and missing that puckering zing that is kimchi's calling card. And the bread tasted faintly sour. I was so let down that I tried to go to Paris Baguette afterwards, but there was some serious construction going on that deterred me. I guess it was not my day for Korean pastries. But, I did make it to Scoops for some Korean-genius-gelato later that night with Charles and Seve in tow.


My scoops of Kahlua white chocolate and mango white wine. Both very good, but I liked the Kahlua more. Because it was nearing closing hours, they were out of many flavors; I really wanted to try salty caramel! I don't have pictures of what the guys had, but Seve stuck with all Kahlua white chocolate and Charles got Kahlua as well as cinnamon/cheddar cheese, which was surprisingly excellent(or maybe not so surprising, considering the source). I raise my gelato cup to the shop's owner, Tai Kim! And that was my Saturday amongst my people.

Naeng Myun Nara
Rodeo Galleria
833 S. Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 365-1699

Patisserie Eguchi (next door to Naeng Myun Nara)

Scoops
712 N Heliotrope Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 906-2649