Koreatown’s Hottest Restaurant Group Just Opened Sot Bap and Soondubu Restaurant Lasung Tofu & Pot Rice

The sot bap wave in LA doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Right on the heels of the arrival of South Korean pot rice chain DamSot, On6thAvenue, the hospitality group behind Origin Barbecue, Lasung House, and Quarters, opened Lasung Tofu & Pot Rice on Olympic Boulevard in Koreatown. Alongside the pot rice, the restaurant also specializes in soondubu — soft tofu stew.

The first part of the menu at Lasung is focused on soondubu made with broth that is simmered for 10 hours. The options are similar to what would be found at soondubu specialists like Surawon or BCD Tofu House with proteins like beef, shrimp, and clam; prime beef short ribs; beef brisket; and ham and sausage. Lasung’s signature soondubu comes with lobster and assorted seafood simmered in the rich orange-red broth. Guests can choose their spice level for the soondubu, ranging from light to extra strong. Soondubu comes with a side of white rice or the option to upgrade to the Rainbow Powerhouse, a mixed rice with chickpeas, black beans, and green peas, for an additional cost. Lasung recommends pouring barley tea into the dredges of the rice to make nurungji (Korean scorched rice). The grains will continue to cook in the individual serving pot, crisping up the rice and absorbing the earthy tea.

On the sot bap side, Lasung offers the pot rice topped with things like seasoned boneless short ribs, grilled bulgogi, grilled eggplant, salted pollack roe, and grilled eel. Each comes in an individual pot to keep the rice warm while eating. The sot bap starts at $19.99 for the grilled eggplant, and ranges to $29.99 for the short ribs. While bibimbap has proliferated throughout Koreatown, with numerous restaurants serving a version of the rice dish topped with fried egg, seasoned vegetables, and gochujang sauce, Lasung joins DamSot as one of the only options in the neighborhood for sot bap.

Lasung rounds out its menu with other Korean classics like a seollongtang that’s simmered for 72 hours, grilled bulgogi, gochujang spicy pork belly, and grilled salted mackerel. Soondubu can be added on to main dishes like stone pot bibimbap, ganjang gejang (spicy marinated raw crab), and marinated LA short ribs to create a meal set. If dining with a group, order the spicy braised beef short ribs; melted cheese can be added on to mirror the cult-loved preparation found at nearby Sun Nong Dan. Make sure to order a kimchi or seafood pancake to round out the meal, or spicy buckwheat noodles if looking for some heat to cut through the richness of other dishes.

Over the last year, On6thAvenue has rapidly grown in Koreatown, opening four new restaurants between February 2024 and now with the arrival of Lasung Tofu & Pot Rice. It seems like if it continues growing at this rate, the hospitality group may soon rival H Mart in its number of dining destinations in the neighborhood.

Lasung Tofu & Pot Rice is located at 3060 W. Olympic Boulevard, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90006 and is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are available through Resy.

Marilyn Cho