Korean food hasn't quite spread to Vegas from the Left Coast in the same way that Chinese food has, although we do have a Korean food court at the Greenland Market and occasional flashes of brilliance at places such as Honey Pig. However, Soyo, Desert Companion's 2011 Restaurant Awards "Surprise of the Year, " which bills itself as a "barstaurant," stands up to any good eatery in L.A.'s sprawling Koreatown. The décor features muted colors and booths carved cannily into the walls. Cooking is done in the kitchen, not at table. Kim'chi pancake, a thin crêpe with a persistent crunch, and mandu, that's fried dumplings to us, both offer any dedicated barfly an excuse to drink. Other dishes not to miss are soon du bu, soft, silky tofu, a suspension with the texture of crème brûlée, and some of the best fried chicken in the city, laced with hot spices.