In the age of coronavirus, it takes a lot to get me out of the house.
If the request isn’t for work or someone I care to see, then there’s a good chance that I’ll stay home rather than to venture out. The one remaining exception is and always will be for food. While I’m not dining in restaurants to the same degree that we did a year ago, I am picking up food with the same enthusiasm I had at the start of 2020. Walking to the entryway of a restaurant still brings a smile to my face that sitting in a corner booth once did. A little different? Sure, but still delightful in its own way. A recent pick up that carried such delight and brought a smile to my face was from SMT LA in Los Angeles.
I learned about this restaurant that opened earlier this month thanks to Soy. Often, the best way to discover food is from a trusted source and when Soy makes a recommendation, you may suddenly find yourself in that restaurant’s parking lot. I had a similar experience with SMT LA. It didn’t take much time for me to arrive at their pickup location and later unpack the succinctly placed containers of their chef-prepared Korean cuisine.
Before me was the Omelette Bowl Beef Bulgogi ($14), Salad Bowl Pork Bulgogi ($14), Bulgogi Puff Pie ($5), and an assortment of U-Boo boxes ($12 each). They sat in a perfect and neat arrangement to display the colors of each item drawing in both my eyes and tastebuds. A gentle tug at the omelette with the chopsticks revealed an assortment of beef nestled alongside vegetables with their homemade rich and spicy sauce. Picking up the beef and chicken bulgogi, salmon, Japanese bibimbap, and additional styles of the U-Boo led me to find a new favorite in each bite. Each dish was comprised of delicious ingredients that combined to create filling and incredibly satisfying items. In particular, each part of the U-Boo was done so well that is was hard to watch as they disappeared following each final bite. One after the next, they may have appeared small yet they were absolutely memorable.
If you’ve found yourself to be in a place where it takes a lot to get out of the house, I get it. But if you’re also in a place where memorable food could be the perfect reason to get you to step outdoors, then go to SMT LA. Whatever reason you need to break away from the looming cabin fever, make SMT that. The food will be a welcome change to your everyday.
Follow Them.
Address: 1842 West Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone: N/A
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday – 11:00am to 3:00pm and 5:00pm to 8:00pm, Friday through Sunday – 11:00am to 3:00pm and 5:00pm to 9:00pm, Closed Monday.
Social: Website, Facebook, and Instagram.
I haven’t been venturing outside of my South Bay bubble during the pandemic, but the presentation of this food – and all the new to me flavors to try, might tempt me.