Takeout Spotlight: Myung Dong Kyoja

Thanks in no small part to May Gray and June Gloom, LA has a famously slow start to summer. But once that heat arrives, you can count on it being here until November. Please prepare accordingly. While it’s up to you to get your AC filters checked, we’ll tell you right now that takeout from Myung Dong Kyoja is one of our favorite ways to beat the LA heat.

Between Yu Chun’s naengmyeon and Hangari Bajirak Kalguksu’s milmyeon, there is no shortage of incredible cold noodle soups to be found in LA, but the ones served at Myung Dong Kyoja continue to be some of our favorite in town. And right now, this Korean soup specialist is running an efficient curbside pick-up system that gets you in and out in a matter of seconds. Plus, they’ve even reserved a special parking spot for those doing pick-up - a true gift if you know how bad parking can get in Ktown.

Delivery is available on most major platforms, but if you’re doing takeout, we recommend ordering directly through their website.

What to Order

Jakob Layman

Mixed Spicy Noodle - We know what you’re thinking - spicy noodles on a hot day? Yes, because even though it is a spicy dish, it’s also a deeply rich one, with a slight sweetness to it that cuts through any lingering heat. Also, the chewy chlorella noodles keep quite well if you don’t finish it all in one sitting.

Chilled Soybean Soup - Kongguksu, or chilled soybean soup, is fairly simple, and that’s exactly why we love it so much. Thin wheat noodles bathing in a nutty soybean broth (that’s been sprinkled with salt), it’s the kind of soup you taste once, and instantly realize you should’ve ordered two. Plan accordingly.

Kimchi Jar - We never order takeout from MDK without ordering a separate jar of their red kimchi. It’s sour, spicy, and the perfect snack to have in the refrigerator for the week.

Knife-Cut Noodles In Chicken Broth - Damn the heatwave, MDK’s version of kalguksu is simply too good to pass up, no matter what the thermometer reads. Thinly sliced flour noodles topped with chicken, Korean vegetables, and three pork dumplings - there are a lot of great versions of kalguksu in LA, but we rank this among the very best.