Where the Chefs Eat is an ongoing series in which we ask a local chef to give us his or her favorite dining options. This week, Roy Choi, chef and owner of Chego, A-Frame, Sunny Spot and the fleet of Kogi BBQ trucks, tells us his favorite spots to eat these days.

Roy Choi lives in Koreatown, and most of the eating he does is in and around his neighborhood in family-owned Korean and Mexican restaurants.

For Korean comfort food: “Seongbukdong is a small place with really amazing food,” Choi says. “They have a few signature items, like spicy braised mackerel, and kimchee rice porridge. It's peasant food, completely delicious.”

For late night eating: “In the same plaza there's a bar called Dan Sung Sa that has really great late night food. After midnight if I'm hungry I'll go there for spicy octopus or savory pancakes.”

For Mexican comfort food: “I spend every day of my life in Pico Union, and I eat a lot at El Parian. They're always nice, the food is delicious and it's never that crowded. I feel like I can breathe a little bit there, be myself. Goat stew is what they're known for.”

For a slice: “Vito's is good. The only thing is it can be inconsistent. But when it's really good, it's really good. You gotta keep going back to get him on that one perfect day.”

See also:

Where The Chefs Eat archives

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