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Best Friend, Roy Choi in Vegas!!

Walk into the Park MGM and oddly enough there is a Korean Bodega in the lobby adjacent to the gaming floor. We had been wondering where to eat, and stumbled upon the Yelp and Google maps entry for a Korean/Mexican restaurant called Best Friend. Taking a close look at the neon in the image below, you might notice just over StringGirl's shoulder that it reads, "Roy Choi is my Best Friend". That's right, Roy Choi of Kogi and A-Frame FAME. (Geek out food nerds!)
Best Friend marquee and entrance
When people tell you that the restaurant is based on the style of a Korea-town bodega.... believe them. In fact that is the only part of the restaurant that we got to really experience. As the restaurant was fully booked out not only for the night we visited, but also the following day, and half the day after.

360 Panorama
The lobby of the eatery is the bar and bodega. The shelves are lined with all manner of product: Ramen, Pocky, candy, canned soups and foods, condiments, teas, and Roy Choi Swag.
Spicy Korean Chicken Wings
The menu has an array of his signature dishes from the Kogi Food Truck, plus dishes like his take on classic Korean barbecue, Hot Pots as offered in the now closed LA restuarant "POT", rice bowls in the style that many white bread eaters are only now discovering as Poke Bowls but widely distributed in Korean, Chinese, and Vietamese eateries for years.
WHOA!!! Lookit all the sickers!!! the bar is decorated in an eclectic collage of stickers fit for any Trapper Keeper
We've been to Vegas on several occasions and I like to think that I have managed to dine at some pretty good spots (many terrible ones too). However, this is one of the few very memorable and notable to my mind. Not only for the atmosphere of over-the-top Vegas-ness, but also the spot on food. 

TACO-Tuesday: the Carnitas and the Short-rib
Tacos from the Kogi taco truck without having to chase them down on Twitter and to wait outside in a line is pretty much a perfect way to end a day on our feet at CES. The LA Sh*t is spot on perfect amount of food and unbelievably priced for Vegas trendy dining. Perfect!
Great service out here in the lobby/bar area
The waitstaff are walking around in red Adidas track pants and red sport coats. Pretty much snobbing much of what Vegas trend seekers expect from award winning chefs. Zero Pretension.
The ESI Group CES team
Without reservations we got to sit at the counter in the bar/convenience store
Tacos Carnitas and Short Rib

Shaking Beef Saltado

Elotes

More Carnitas and Short Rib Tacos

They have Beer here too

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Location: 7530 Westcliff Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89145, USA

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