ob beer at ob bear

fried chicken use to mean pioneer chicken with it's greasy hard casing, or the original fried chicken at kfc with it's crispy crust. then you find some money in your pockets so you go to roscoe's for some fried chicken and waffles. but boys and girls, when you talk about well executed fried chicken that elevates this poor dead bird into a delicacy, then we have ob bear fried chicken. word.

not too long ago, i found myself hankering for some fried chicken and beer, which i am apt to hanker for once in a while since i do house a rather fat, hairy, balls scratching mini me inside this roaming belly of mine. when that happens, i try to cross off the craving and a "must try" eatery at the same time. booyah!

enter ob bear, a pub eating, beer slinging kind of joint. the establishment was a bit intimidating at first because i was reminded once again that i'm not korean. say whut?! but i like kimchi so much.....

but the server noticed the perplexed look on my face and brought out the english version of the menu which was highly decorated with pooh bears. i appreciated the attempt to bring signs of familiarity back into my eating experience cuz pooh is soooooo american. or perhaps it's THE bear of ob bear. i dunno.

first up was their crispy fried chicken. my first bite generated an image of savory phyllo dough masquerading as chicken skin. i kid you not when i say that this is the lightest, airiest, crispiest chicken skin i've ever had. the chicken itself was moist and flavorful and easily pulled away from the bone. if you come here thinking you'll be getting the same old fried chicken, you may be pleasantly suprised. sweetened cubed radishes were given as a side as well as shredded cabbage with thousand island-esque dressing. this is like the best beer food ever!

we were also given a complimentary leeks pancake with soy sauce for dipping. the crust was formed just right and the sweetness of the leeks contrasted nicely with the salty dipping sauce.

we also ordered the spicy squid. the noodles came as a separate order but everything gets mixed in to create a fantastically spicy dish.

in this hot red mess are chunks of squid, zucchini slices, rice cake, onions, and green onions. it's rather spicy but well worth it. my beer drinking, fried chicken eating meal felt complete with this red noodly burn.

i dug this place A LOT. i can imagine endless nibblings throughout the night as you throw down a few bottles of ob beers. great chicken and spicy squid dish and although pricier than the typical korean restaurant, it is pretty fab. i will be back again.

O B Bear

3002 W 7th St

Los Angeles, CA 90005

(213) 480-4910

price: $$

verdict: omg, i love it!