One after one other, big pork chops roll out of the kitchen at Koreatown's latest donkatsu restaurant, Lasung Home. It's the newest opening from hospitality group On6thAvenue, which additionally runs Korean barbecue hotspots Quarters and Origin in Chapman Market. Served skinny, and crispy with frizzled edges, these cutlets eight or extra centimeters lengthy nearly lengthen past the sides of the plates meant to be served.
Fried pork cutlets had been first launched to Korea whereas it was underneath Japanese occupation within the Thirties. The primary Japanese iteration arose from French affect in the course of the Meiji interval, which spanned from 1868 to 1912. The dish was primarily based on côtelette de veau, a bit of breaded and fried veal, which the Japanese reinterpreted as tonkatsu. When tonkatsu arrived in South Korea, it didn't catch on instantly since pork and bread components had been costly within the post-war period. At first, it was seen as a luxurious meal earlier than rising in demand because the components turned extra inexpensive within the Seventies when the South Korean economic system developed. In the course of the Nineteen Eighties, jumbo cutlets skilled a wave of recognition in Korea that turned an possibility for a pleasant evening out. In distinction to most Korean meat dishes that had been served with chopsticks, they had been served Western-style with a fork and knife.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25396502/LASUNG_Menu_Shoot_6243.jpg)
Though Korean donkatsu originated from Japanese tonkatsu, it has develop into fully its personal dish over time. The Japanese model is commonly served with a thick curry sauce or tonkatsu sauce, whereas the Korean-style cutlet served at Lasung is way thinner, with a barely candy tomato sauce on prime. The Korean model of the dish has been popularized in Los Angeles at eating places together with Wako Donkasu, which has solidified itself as a longtime favourite, even garnering acclaim from the late critic Jonathan Gold. On the facet, the rice, coleslaw and mac salad are all organized in neat piles. Along with the basic pork model, the cutlet can also be obtainable with mozzarella cheese on prime or as a hen or fish cutlet made with pollack.
Whereas a lot of the menu is concentrated on the varied cutlets, Lasung additionally gives a full line of facet dishes to accompany the meal. Attempt the jjolmyeon, that are chewy spicy chilly noodles served in a gochujang sauce with sliced greens, or a Korean coronary heart with spaghetti ragu. For a non-spicy possibility, order chilly naengmyeon, which pairs nicely with sikhye, a candy rice drink usually bought at Korean avenue markets or on the finish of meals.
Up to now, the response to Lasung has been superb, with the restaurant promoting out of its jumbo cutlets after the dinner rush each day. Presently, the restaurant can serve about 200 cutlets every day, however that quantity is ready to extend later this week. Whereas the restaurant has had its doorways open since April 1, it is going to reopen on Tuesday, April 16, after a one-day break on April 15. Transferring ahead, Lasung might be open seven days per week and finally promote frozen cutlets to organize at residence.
Lasung Home is situated at 3134 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90006. It operates from 11 am to 9 pm Monday by means of Saturday, and 12 pm to 9 pm on Sunday.
