The weather has officially reverted back to the classic sunny Los Angeles rays, and I’m quickly coming down with some spring fever. From the frigid nights fading away and the sunsets slowly pushing to later in the day, I’ve been taking full advantage of our reclaimed sun by extending my time roaming out and about in Koreatown. 

For my day-one dining dollar readers, you may already know that my biases and favoritism for Koreatown run deep, especially with the close proximity and $15 Lyfts from campus. However, my favorite part is that no matter how many times I swing by the neighborhood for lunch or dinner plans, I always manage to stumble upon somewhere new to eat. 

During one of my most recent spring excursions, a friend and I were blessed to come across a restaurant that is fresh to the Koreatown scene. So in the spirit of some spring relaxation and our steadily increasing daylight hours, we decided to walk in and try Seoul Market Eatery.

Yet our small expectations coming into the restaurant were quickly blown out of proportion — quite literally in size. 

Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays to Thursdays and open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Seoul Market Eatery is a restaurant specializing in quick and cheap Korean eats. The eatery is fresh on the L.A. food scene, first established in September 2024 with a menu centered on competitive pricing. 

Seoul Market Eatery has been a monolith in crafting Korean fast food plates such as fried chicken, assorted tempura and various soups, including Budae-Ramen and udon. The restaurant also offers a selection of housemade slushies and “ades,” incorporating flavors such as pear, sikhye and watermelon. 

However, one of the best parts of Seoul Market Eatery is their pricing tiers and family-style portions that set the business apart from competitors. The restaurant offers three different sizes per main dish at three various price points: $5 for small portions, $10 for medium servings and $15 for large dishes. Meal entrees such as soups and rice bowls come in regular and double sizes at $6 and $11 each, respectively.

Upon first entry on a weekend afternoon, the eatery is packed to the brim with customers spilling out onto the sidewalks while waiting for a table. In part due to the restaurant’s social media influence, Seoul Market Eatery remains consistently busy, so prepare an early arrival if you choose to eat during peak lunch and dinner hours. 

Once inside, the restaurant is dressed in Korean movie posters and advertisements underneath layers upon layers of graffiti and doodles, mimicking an urban pocha aesthetic that lends itself to a night market or street food atmosphere. Patrons pay and order first with the cashier before seating, reflecting a fast-casual environment. 

Between the incredibly accessible price points and the fast food style of dishes, I admit my expectations were a bit low coming into the restaurant. However, once the food arrived, any worries and suspicious attitude disappeared instantly. 

I ordered a double-size of udon and medium plate of tempura for myself as well as a medium plate of Korean fried chicken to share with my friend. Despite the unsuspecting names of the general size options, the dishes were absolutely massive and delivered the most efficient bang-for-your-buck deal I’ve seen in Koreatown yet. 

The udon soup is savory and mellow with a nice home-cooked taste and an abundance of thick noodles that will be sure to fill you up. The double portion comes in a massive pot that is perfect to share among a small group of friends — avoid making the beginner’s mistake of ordering a double or medium portion just for yourself, because trust me, you won’t finish. 

Tempura is a staple among a ton of restaurants, but Seoul Market Eatery’s was not too oily and had a nice thin tempura crust. The assorted tempura dish had a crunchy, crispy outside and showcased a nice range of fried goodies such as shrimp, dumplings and rice cakes.

However, the eatery’s Korean fried chicken was undoubtedly the crown jewel of the meal. Covered in their signature house sauce as well as drizzled with mayo and furikake, the chicken felt elevated with the attention to sweet and savory flavors. The chicken is also fried with a thick, crunchy crust for an all-around impeccable ratio of flavor and texture. 

So for those looking to really stretch your dollar between a group of friends, buckle up your seat belts and unbutton your pants, because Seoul Market Eatery will take you on a ride that will leave you in a food coma for days — all for $15 and under. 

Jason Pham is a senior writing about affordable eating and restaurants in his column, “Dining Dollars,” which runs every other Monday.