The Korean restaurant On Dal 2 specializes in crab hot pot, a tempting option as the days start to grow cooler. Of course, L.A. was in the throes of an Indian summer heat wave, with temps in the 80s, while I was visiting, but in theory this would be great for fall.

Actually, its greatness by any measure remains theoretical. We got the spicy crab stew, ordered medium-spicy, and it came out in a giant shallow pot, the bodies of the crabs scooped out and the cooked meat mixed with rice and seasonings. The L.A. Times review had said it was like the inside of a crab dumpling, but it just wasn’t that flavorful. The crab meat from the legs was just cottony, and I thought the generic jjigae-style broth, heavy with red pepper, overwhelmed any flavor it might have. Maybe the Korean flavor palette is just incompatible with crab, I thought.

Meanwhile, back up north, Wes went to a Korean friend’s house, where she prepared crab in pretty much the same way, blending the meat with kimchi and rice. It was fantastic, he assured me.

Dungeness crab season is coming up — maybe the problem at On Dal 2 was just that they couldn’t get the good crab yet. I know I have read good reviews of the place — Chowhound blogger Abby swears she’s an addict. I think I’ll give this a try in my own kitchen. Now, where to get good kimchi?

On Dal 2
4566 W. Washington Blvd.
South Los Angeles
(323) 933-3228

Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.