Best Friend Las Vegas: Roy Choi's $20 Kimchi Fried Rice Reviewed

Roy Choi's Best Friend at Park MGM reviewed: Korean wings, kimchi fried rice, pork belly, and gelato at Eataly. Is the 'Koreatown remix' worth the Vegas price?

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We almost canceled this reservation. We were staying at Conrad Las Vegas, which is further down the Strip from Park MGM, and after a long day we were not sure we wanted to make the trek. Then I checked Reddit and kept seeing the same thing: go. We went. Here is our honest take.

Roy Choi is the chef behind the Kogi BBQ trucks that basically started the gourmet food truck movement in Los Angeles. Best Friend is his love letter to Koreatown: the food, the energy, and the attitude of LA's Korean dining scene filtered through a Vegas setting.

The Vibe

The entrance is designed like a classic LA bodega, complete with snacks and merch. We even spotted a Bruno Mars pop-up nearby, which felt perfectly on-brand for where we were. Once you walk through the "secret" entrance into the main dining room, the energy completely shifts: 3D art covering the walls, resident DJs spinning vinyl, dim lighting, and a crowd that is clearly having a good time.

It is loud. It is not a place for a quiet conversation. But it is also genuinely fun in a way that a lot of Vegas restaurants try and fail to pull off. The vibe is distinctly LA rather than Las Vegas: more relaxed and self-assured, less about spectacle for its own sake. You feel like you stumbled into a party that has been going on for a while and is nowhere near winding down.

It is not a traditional Korean restaurant at all. Think Koreatown remix, elevated and unapologetically itself.

What We Ordered (A La Carte)

They offer a $75 per person Chef's Menu, but we went a la carte to keep room for snacking after. First thing they bring you: complimentary Hawaiian rolls with salt and butter. Surprisingly addictive.

Korean Wings ($20)

These were the clear winner for me. The batter is incredibly flaky and crunchy, tossed in a savory citrus glaze. At $4 per wing, yes, it is pricey. But the texture is phenomenal and I would order them again without hesitation.

Kimchi Fried Rice ($20)

This one is different from what you might expect. Strong black pepper flavor, a crunchy almost al dente rice texture. It took a few bites to get used to. Once I mixed in the egg, the flavors balanced out nicely. Unique, not traditional, but good once you lean into it.

Chego Pork Belly ($22)

Served in a bowl over rice with a fusion sauce that pulls in Mexican flavors. Serious spicy kick. The pork itself is incredibly fatty and basically melts. This is the dish that will make you glad you loosened your belt before sitting down.

Dessert: Eataly Las Vegas

After dinner we walked through Eataly, which is right there at Park MGM on the way out, and grabbed gelato. They make it fresh daily in small batches. We tried Pistachio and Ferrero Rocher. The Ferrero Rocher tasted exactly like the real thing: chocolate, hazelnut, the whole thing. A perfect, light reset after the spice and richness of Best Friend.

If you have never been to an Eataly, it is worth a slow walk even if you are not hungry. The cheese, pasta, and prepared food sections alone are worth the detour. But the gelato is the move at the end of a big dinner.

Is It Worth It?

Yes, even at Vegas pricing. The portions are generous, the flavor profiles are genuinely original, and the atmosphere is unlike anything else on the Strip. Best Friend does not try to be a fine dining experience and it does not pretend to be an "authentic" Korean restaurant either. It knows exactly what it is, and it executes that vision very well.

The $75 Chef's Menu is on our list for a return visit. Going a la carte this time let us control the spend, but there were enough dishes on the menu that we did not get to try that we want to come back and work through it more methodically.

If you are in Las Vegas and like Korean food, bold flavors, or just a room with real energy, make the walk to Park MGM. It is worth it.