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Roy Choi, the Los Angeles-based Korean chef, unveils his barbecue menu replete with favorites from La La Land at the Park MGM tonight.
Best Friend features a liquor store in front, replete with a counter for ordering quick bites and merchandise for sale. Diners then head into the main dining room to find some of his favorite dishes from Los Angeles, found on an LA section of the menu, as well as newcomers such as large-format dishes meant just for Las Vegas.
The self-described Korean barbecue joint merges Mexican influences, with a menu developed with Diego Echavarria, executive chef at Choi’s former dining outlets at the Line Hotel in Los Angeles. Choi calls Best Friend a “barbecue restaurant or a dim sum parlor on a Sunday afternoon,” where “all your manners go to the wind and you’re licking your fingers and reaching across the table and talking with your mouth full.”
The restaurant, open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight, may indeed feature breakfast and lunch down the line. Choi created the kitchen to accommodate 24/7 diners.
Here, a first look at the menu, and although no prices were included, Park MGM describes the price point as low.
Banchan
Daikon, broccoli, cucumbers, flat chives, kimchi, spinach, sprouts
Starters
Cucumbers and Jjang
Persian cucumbers, soy bean chili paste, sesame
Silken tofu with dipping sauce
soy, vinegar
Los Vegas salad
mixed greens, farmer’s market veg, chili soy dressing
Korean Wings
chili, citrus, lychee
Dumplings
pork, beef, ginger, tofu, spicy dipping sauce
The Big E from the O.C.
kimchi fried rice arancini, ikura, ponzu
Braised and charred octopus
spicy braised, onions, squash, sesame
Bowls
Uni Dynamite rice
Santa Barbara uni, Sriracha, yuzu, sesame
Kimchi fried rice
caramelized kimchi, poached egg
Chego pork belly bowl
fried egg, radish, broccoli, cotija, peanuts
Frito Misto Rogers
shrimp, sweet potato, carrot, green beans
Spicy cold noodles
chili sauce, house pickles, egg, sesame
BBQ
Kalbi
Korean BBQ marinated bone-in short rib
Spicy pork
thin sliced belly & shoulder, kochujang, sesame
Garlic chicken
soy marinated jidori thighs
BBQ veg
baby bok, long beans
BBQ shrimp
jumbo prawns, yuzu marinade
LA Sh*t
Elote
kewpie mayo, lime juice, tajín, cotija, cilantro
Slippery shrimp
crispy rock shrimp, chili mayo, walnuts
Kogi short rib tacos
Korean BBQ, salsa roja, cilantro-onion-lime, chili soy slaw
Carnitas tacos
salsa verde, cilantro-onion-lime, radish
Shaking beef saltado
filet strips, fries, onions, peppers, cilantro
A-Fram OG ribs
baby back, hoisin-chili, green onions, sesame seeds
Eggplant schnitzel
dijon, soy, mirin
Commissary carrots
charred, salsa verde, cotija
Pots: For the Table
Soondubu
spicy veggie stew, tofu, sesame,
Tamarind black cod stew
glass noodles, onions, ginger,
Dori Tang
spicy braised chicken stew, potatoes, noodles, carrots, onions.
Kimchi jjiggae
pork belly, tofu, scallions, herbs
Itaewon
corned beef hash, sausage, fish cakes, spam, lil’ smokies, ramen, herbs
Large Format
Lobster kung pao
Maine lobster, peanuts
Caviar tostadas
1-ounce tin / 8-ounc tin
classic accompaniments, crispy tostada shells, salsa
Lamb rack
roasted whole, kimchi chimichurri, garlic veggies
Grilled who fish
garlic ponzu, garlic veggies
Chili cheese spaghetti
beef chili, onions, tabasco
Dry-aged steak
bone-in ribeye, gochujang maître d’hôtel butter
Sides
Fries and sambal mayo
Rice
Chef’s choice vegetables
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• All Coverage of Best Friend [ELV]
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