A new restaurant in Koreatown is bringing the tradition of Korean roadside dining to Los Angeles. Kisa Sikdang, which translates to “driver’s restaurant,” pays tribute to the diners found all over Korea meant for taxi drivers to be able to pull over and have a quick and affordable meal by themselves. Kisa Sikdang is the only restaurant that currently serves this style of food in Los Angeles, with DGM Kisa Sikdang having closed in early 2018. New York recently gained its first kisa sikdang-style restaurant with the opening of Kisa in April 2024 by the C as in Charlie team.

The initial local feedback for Kisa Sikdang has been positive, according to its marketing representative Donghwan Kim, but has drawn criticism on social media accusing the restaurant of being a copycat to New York’s Kisa. Kim says that those claims are false and that the owner, Danny Lee, came to him with the idea before closing his sushi restaurant Oyabun in June 2023. Kim adds that during that period, Lee searched for the right location and team before settling on a spot along Olympic Boulevard that offered good foot traffic and relatively easy parking. Kisa Sikdang opened its doors on May 23, 2024.

Staying true to its affordable roots, Kisa Sikdang offers a set price for its lunch and dinner menus. Lunch only costs $18.99, while dinner is $23.99. Each meal is centered around a protein like beef bulgogi, pork bulgogi, ojingeo bokkeum (stir-fried squid), or jeyuk bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork), and comes surrounded by small metal bowls of kimchi, japchae, rice, musaengchae (julienned spicy radish), miyeok guk (seaweed soup), ssam (lettuce wraps), and more. Udon, spicy udon, and yukjeon (pan-fried battered beef) are also available on the side for an additional cost. For drinks, the options are soju, beer, makgeoli, or sodas.

With the rising cost of food in Los Angeles, Lee is intentional in trying to keep Kisa Sikdang accessible to diners, while still offering quality ingredients. Kim sees an opportunity for the restaurant to be an easy spot for anyone driving through the neighborhood to stop for a meal, even if they’re dining alone, but he also hopes that groups will come in and order one of each protein off the menu to share. Though Los Angeles isn’t quite the taxi city Seoul is, it has no shortage of hungry drivers searching for a good meal after spending hours on the road.

Kisa Sikdang is located at 3060 W. Olympic Blvd, 150, Los Angeles, CA, and is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.