Los Angeles, CA - Western Soondae; This place is the real deal. You'll know because when you walk in, the smell hits you. You get this mixed aroma of meats and soups all combining into one smell that makes you think twice in walking in.

On Bizarre Foods, Andrew Zimmern tries their Soondae Plate or their Blood Sausage. In walking in his footsteps, lets order away and try it out. I just ordered a sample plate of it and it is really surprising it. It's cooked really well with the casing being super delicate and the flavors are very mild. You do not have any metallic or mineral heavy dense flavor. It's rather light and the blood only gives is a small subtle enhanced flavor. The rice inside is well textured and wonderfully soft. This was a good choice.

My adventure continues with their Home Made Style Duen Jang with Assorted Vegetable. This is a special soup. It is an assortment of everything; vegetables and flavors. It's served in a hot pot bowl, so the temperature is unbelievably hot. It's still boiling and it probably continue to boil for the next 30 minutes. I am not sure what those bowls are made of, but they certainly keep soup above the temperature at which you can eat it. Finally after it falls from the temperature of the sun, it is very rich of flavor and spices. It's very unique in that the flavors really meld together into one that really is indescribable. The tofu in the dish is constantly be cooked by the broth and takes on that flavor as well. Tofu either can keep its original bland flavor and help bring on its accented flavor of its dish. It certainly adopts its soup flavor.

It's an adventure to eat here and take in the ambiance. You will for sure have a harder time parking than choosing what to eat. The parking situation is pretty terrible. The parking lot is primarily valet so you are stuck finding a place in the neighborhood in the street. Expect to park several blocks away and walk in.