Read no farther than the first dish on the menu card at Miari Noodle House in Koreatown — the hand-rolled noodle and clam soup is the restaurant's No. 1 attraction. Other Korean noodle shops have this same soup, but Miari's version tops them all. It's simple, a bowl of handmade noodles in delicate broth, but on top sit a dozen fresh clams in the shell. Clam heaven, in other words, and nothing to distract from the clams other than a slice or two of potato, green onions and thin strands of green squash. Don't think you're tucking into safe, bland comfort food, though, because you'll get a hit of serrano chile, just enough to make the soup interesting. At Miari, the soup is the star. If you order only that, you won't be tempted to fill up on banchan, because there won't be any. The only accompaniment is a plate of kimchi and spicy radish. You'll also get a glass of cool barley water, which is a much better match for Korean food than ordinary water. 3224 W. Olympic Blvd., #102, Koreatown. (323) 735-0647. —Barbara Hansen

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