Although a melting pot of culinary variety, Long Beach offers little when it comes to Korean cuisine. It is a good thing the city has Sura Tofu and Korean BBQ, which serves $1 Korean tacos on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Located on Seventh Street and Atlantic Avenue, this restaurant looks like a hole in the wall and can easily be overlooked. If not for the $1 Korean Taco sign on the windows, Sura can easily be missed. Ample parking is available just behind the restaurant.
This mom and pop store has definitely made it easier for Long Beach residents to fulfill their Korean food cravings. Thanks to Sura — roughly translated in English as “the king’s meal” — they no longer need to travel to Garden Grove or Cerritos to satisfy their palates.
Aside from the popular Korean tacos, Sura also offers other traditional Korean dishes such as bulgogi (marinated shredded beef) and galbi (short-ribs), both served on sizzling platters. First-time diners of Korean food need not worry because the menu offers helpful descriptions in English.
Inside the restaurant, Korean pop music on the radio can shun the unfamiliar visitor. However, the music should not affect one’s decision about the food.
Although I did not have the pleasure of trying Sura’s $1 tacos, I did enjoy their delicious bulgogi. Before the entrée was served, side dishes such as spicy tofu, potatoes, kimchi and pickled sprouts were served. Even though my amateur metal chopsticks skills made it difficult to pick up pieces of tofu, the effort was all worth it once my bulgogi was served on a sizzling plate with a bowl of white rice.
The tiny restaurant offers a cozy atmosphere that can also be felt through the accommodating service of its youthful staff. While some may find the constant “Is there anything else I can get for you?” question irritating while munching on food, the marinated flavor of the meat will simply make your head nod in reply.
The friendly staff has a nicely laminated group picture displayed on the wall next to the cash register.alongside a cart-full of to-go Korean junk food such as chips and chocolate-covered breadsticks.
Sura is vegan-friendly. An even more friendly gesture is that this is the only restaurant I have heard that allows you to bring your own beer or wine without charging a corkage fee.
Sura’s Korean tacos can also be found at taco stands at local clubs, such as the Basement Lounge and V2O. Their Facebook fan page is frequently updated to advertise the events they cater.
Although the food quality is not quite authentic Korean, Sura provides great flavor for those who simply want to suffice their Korean barbecue appetite. The service and hospitality is definitely the restaurant’s forte and I’m not at all surprised if many more came to visit simply because of it.
Sura is located at 621 Atlantic Ave. and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays.
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