Baroo

About Baroo

Baroo started nearly a decade ago in a Hollywood strip mall, selling grain bowls and fermented pastas for under $20. Those early plates built a devoted following before the restaurant closed. The current incarnation at 905 E 2nd St in the Arts District is a different proposition: a tasting menu format with the same fermentation obsession but with genuine restaurant infrastructure behind it. Mina Park, who co-runs the restaurant with Kwang Uh, is directly responsible for that transformation from beloved short-lived project into a functioning, scalable business. The Arts District room is comfortable and flatteringly lit, which matters for a tasting menu experience that asks you to settle in.

The cooking centers on fermentation at a depth that changes what ingredients mean. Kwang Uh works with kimchi, soybean-based jangs, pickles, even buttermilk (paired with lemongrass in at least one sauce) in ways that create flavor dimensions the source ingredients alone do not suggest. The LA Times description of his approach is worth quoting for what it signals: "kimchi, pickles, soybean-based jangs and even buttermilk open doors to unseen worlds of flavor." One course features short rib or pork collar alongside a bowl of rice seasoned with dried shepherd's purse and XO sauce made from chorizo. These are not decorative Korean references dropped into French technique; they are full commitments to fermented Korean flavor logic applied to contemporary tasting menu structure. For a broader sense of how Korean Contemporary tasting menus are developing globally, Nae:um in Singapore and ANJU in Saint-Gilles represent different regional expressions of the same movement.

The vegetable and seafood emphasis defines most of the menu, with the meat component appearing as a single focused course rather than the centerpiece. That balance makes Baroo a better fit for diners who want protein used as punctuation rather than as the main argument. Beverage director Jason Lee has built a drinks program weighted toward Korean spirits, which pairs more coherently with Uh's flavor profiles than a standard wine list would. The service is described as gracious, the pacing has been specifically calibrated to avoid the elongated timelines that frustrate LA diners accustomed to faster meals.

Vegetarian tasting menu, available with 24 hours' advance notice, channels Korean temple cuisine and is described by the LA Times as immediately one of the most brilliantly realized plant-based menus in the city. If you or anyone in your party does not eat meat, the advance notice requirement is the key practical detail: you must request it when booking, not when you arrive.

Private Dining and Groups at Baroo

Seat count is not published, which makes group planning at Baroo require direct contact. The tasting menu format naturally constrains group flexibility: everyone at the table moves through the same menu together, which works well for a cohesive group experience but limits the spontaneity of larger parties with divergent preferences. For a genuinely private dining occasion, the fact that the Arts District room is described as comfortable and flatteringly lit suggests a setting that works for milestone dinners without being formal or intimidating. The $115-per-person price point makes per-head costs predictable, which helps groups manage expectations in advance.

If private room access is your primary requirement, verify availability directly, as no private dining room is confirmed in available records. For groups prioritizing a guaranteed private space, Providence or Osteria Mozza may offer more structured private dining infrastructure. Baroo's strength for group occasions is the shared tasting menu experience itself: the progression of courses generates conversation and provides a focus that à la carte group dinners rarely achieve.

For broader context on what $$$$ tasting menu experiences look like in comparable cities, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Alinea in Chicago, and The French Laundry in Napa each represent the format at different price tiers and formality levels. Baroo sits closer to the relaxed, chef-driven end of that spectrum than to the ceremony-heavy end.

Within LA's tasting menu category, Somni and Restaurant Ki represent the higher-formality, higher-price tier. Kato is the closest peer in terms of Asian Contemporary tasting menu ambition, deciding between them comes down to whether you want Taiwanese or Korean as your flavor foundation. For a night that prioritizes fermentation-forward cooking and a warm room over white-tablecloth ceremony, Baroo wins that comparison. The combination of a small Arts District room, significant critical recognition (LA Times Restaurant of the Year), and a loyal existing audience means seats move fast. Plan to book at minimum 3 to 4 weeks in advance for a standard reservation. If you need the vegetarian tasting menu, you must give 24 hours' advance notice at time of booking; not on arrival. Booking method is not published in current records, so check the venue directly or via standard LA reservation platforms. For more on what else to plan around your visit, see our Los Angeles hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide.