At Lapaba, a new Koreatown pasta bar, a pair of Osteria Mozza veterans infuse regional Italian dishes with Korean ingredients. A curved stone bar peers into the semi-open kitchen where husband-and-wife chef team McKenna Lelah and Matthew Kim fill deep-fried supplì with melty mozzarella and cubes of Spam, and jjajang meets guanciale in bucatini all’Amatriciana. Instead of Italian family–size portions, dishes here have been downsized to encourage sampling a few pastas from the menu at once. Lapaba strikes a deft balance between familiar formats and novel combinations, resulting in serendipitous pairings that don’t feel forced.
Lapaba’s wine options span the chefs’ favorites. Find bottles from across Austria; France; California; and, of course, Italy, alongside cocktails like a soju-based sour and the zero-proof Arancia Yakult tinged with orange and vanilla.
Wander to the back corner of the restaurant to peer into the pasta room, where cooks meticulously roll out and shape pasta dough.
Dining and Cooking