A First Look Inside the Menu at Roy Choi’s New Restaurant

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]

• Everything To Know About the Park MGM and NoMad [ELV]