The Real 3rd Street Chicken House for Korean dishes devoted to chicken

Name of restaurant: The Real 3rd Street Chicken House, but who knows? The sign outside reads “3rd Street Restaurant� in English and “3rd Street Dak Gomtang House� in Korean.

What dish represents the restaurant, and why? Dak dolitang -- a hot pot of chicken with giant chunks of potatoes, carrots, onions, scallions and chile pepper tossed in a spicy broth. Its menu is basically variations of chicken dishes -- dak kalgooksu (chicken hand-cut noodles), dak gomtang (mild chicken soup) or dak jook (chicken porridge). The restaurant also has dak baeksuk, a mild soup made from cooking chicken a long time. It’s similar to samgyetang (another mild chicken soup), but baeksuk doesn’t have the ginseng, chestnuts, jujubes and glutinous rice. A banner outside advertises live chicken and duck, indicating fresh poultry.

Concept: Fresh chicken many ways, with one or two duck dishes thrown in for good measure.

Who’s at the next table? Korean ahjussi (middle-aged men) having subdued conversations while sharing a bubbling cauldron of chicken goodness.

Appropriate for: A shared meal with a handful of friends.

Uh-oh: The menu is only in Korean. And if you want baeksuk, the long-cooked chicken soup, you have to call ahead.

Service: Fine, but the owner might be checking in on you only at commercial breaks during the Korean drama on TV.

What are you drinking? Canned soda or water.

Info: 4254 1/2 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (213) 386-1135.

ALSO:

Scratch Bar for inventive, casual dining

For hard-core uni lovers, it’s Maruhide Uni Club

At Cho Mak, it’s the whole fish wiith a sprinkle of salt

The Scouting Form is a quick look at restaurants worth a visit. Scouts were selected by restaurant critic Jonathan Gold, who may or may not agree with a single word.