Kristen Kish, Unsplash

 – 
Editor, Secret Los Angeles

 · 
May 9, 2026

Kristen Kish, host of Bravo’s Top Chef and star of season 4 of The Traitors, stopped by the Secret Los Angeles offices to play a game of This Or That – and revealed her favorite L.A. cuisine.

The chef and Season 10 Top Chef winner chose between some Los Angeles staples, including street tacos, French dip, sushi, Korean barbecue, and chicken fingers. Ultimately, “because we’re in L.A.,” Korean barbecue came out on top.

“Even before you gave me the choices, if you said, ‘ What’s your go-to food when you come to L.A.?’, I would’ve 100% said Korean barbecue,” Kish laughed at the game’s conclusion.

L.A.’s Koreatown is home to some incredible food

The Los Angeles area boasts the largest Korean population in the United States, with over 300,000 in the metropolitan area. Naturally, Koreatown has some authentic food on par with the food of Korea itself. And of course, the area’s proximity to so many other cultures and flavors from around Los Angeles cultivates some delicious fusion spots.

Earlier this year, The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Korean Food Promotion Institute recognized three L.A. restaurants as “Outstanding Korean Restaurants,” celebrating their authenticity, quality, and contribution to spreading K-food culture internationally.

Blackpink singer ROSÉ even named Koreatown’s BCD Tofu House as her go-to spot when she’s in town.