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24-Hour Koreatown: The city that never sleeps within Los Angeles

When Hollywood snores, it is left to this ethnic quarter to show New York that LA is perfectly able to stay up with the grown-ups

Natalie B. Compton
Thursday 27 April 2017 17:17 BST
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Night fever: with the rest of the city asleep, Koreans are leading the way with their zest for open-till-the-early-hours joints
Night fever: with the rest of the city asleep, Koreans are leading the way with their zest for open-till-the-early-hours joints

Los Angeles isn’t known for being a late-night city. In most parts of the sprawling metropolis, things grow quiet around 9pm and completely die after 2am when the bars close. But there is an exception to this rule – within the sleeping city, a city that never sleeps: Koreatown.

As its name suggests, Koreatown is a pocket of Los Angeles shaped by Korean culture. The neighbourhood can feel a lot like Seoul with its billboards for the popular spirit soju and its abundance of Korean-language signs. But other forces are actively shaping the neighbourhood, too. For starters, there’s a strong Oaxacan community in the area serving some of the best tlayuda outside of Mexico. But tonight I'm here for what Koreatown is fast becoming known for: its 24-hour culture.

It’s 6pm on a Wednesday and I’m brewing a strong cup of coffee. While I usually don’t reach for caffeine this late, tonight is a different story. I’ve heard that you can stay out all night in Koreatown, and I’m going to test that theory personally from dusk to dawn.

Dusk dawns: Koreatown’s office blocks give way to a vibrant night scene (Getty)

8.30pm

Ever-so-trendy bars and restaurants are proliferating here, too, like neighbourhood newcomer Here’s Looking At You. Hopped up on caffeine, I start the overnight adventure with dinner. Chef Jonathan Whitener’s cooking style stems from his experience growing up in Southern California, and the dishes read like delicious cultural mash-ups. Stracciatella cheese gets paired with peptia seeds and yuzu kosho – Japanese hot sauce. Scottish salmon is finished with passion fruit seeds and shiitake vinegar. It’s fusion food at its finest, and a great culinary embodiment of Koreatown’s melting pot essence.

Pretty healthy: lining the stomach at Here’s Looking At You

10pm

The night’s next chapter is where the drinking starts, so I meet a friend for back-up. Koreatown is packed with interesting watering holes so it isn’t easy to pick a spot. We decide on The Prince, a dimly lit bar that dates back to the 1920s. Today it’s a solid spot for affordable drinks and Korean fried chicken. We down gin and tonics and head off to our next destination on foot – LA is notorious as a city where cars are essential, but Koreatown is one of its most walkable neighbourhoods.

11.45pm

It’s almost midnight and there’s a dazzling choice of activities on offer. There’s Shatto Lanes, a bowling alley that stays open until 2am on weekdays. “Bottles of beer and bowling go hand in hand,” reads the website, and maybe that’s the reason for the super-cheap drinks at the bar.

Bright lights, big city: the Hotel Normandie is on the ball in the night stakes

We could go for a spot of karaoke – Koreatown is teeming with bars. The Venue is a shiny new spot that serves craft cocktails with on-theme names like Whiskey Houston and the Mic Drop. Like most of the karaoke places in the neighbourhood, it stays open till 2am.

Instead, we decided on more drinking, and plump for The Normandie Club, a craft cocktail bar a few blocks away. The bartender makes me something with mezcal and we find a comfortable booth in the candlelit lounge. This place is full of secrets – at the back of the bar is The Walker Inn, an internationally acclaimed speakeasy that serves a multi-course drink experience. Order off-menu and there’s even the chance to book a room at the boutique hotel upstairs for $99, depending on availability. Not that I’m interested, of course – the night is still young for me.

Inn-sider tip: The Walker Inn is a speakeasy for cocktail connoisseurs

3am

If I wasn’t still full from dinner, now would be a perfect time for a late-night meal at one of the many 24-hour restaurants in the neighbourhood. Korean BBQ is a great way to go – especially if you’re with a group of people who love grilled meats. BCD Tofu House is a hot pot hotspot. For a 4am waffle, Pipers serves diner food all night long on the weekends.

3.30am

Instead of a full meal, I opt for spicy ramen noodles and a coconut water at Wi Spa, a Korean spa that’s open 24/7. By this point, I’ve had about a thousand cocktails and I’m extremely tired. It takes a Herculean effort to climb the stairs to the restaurant. The ramen is pretty basic but helps take the edge off my discomfort.

Happy feet: chilling out, and heating up, at Wi Spa (Facebook)

4am

Wi Spa was a good idea. With bellies full of ramen, my friend and I head for the spa’s soaking tubs, steam rooms, and saunas. I can’t handle the bubbling baths for long in my current state, so retreat to the jimjilbang, or common area. I’m not the only one, either – its heated jade floor is covered with napping strangers. I grab a mat and join them, falling asleep almost immediately. I wake up an hour later, mouth agape and bone-dry, sweating heavily thanks to the toasty floor.

5.45am

We leave the spa in search of breakfast. The day’s first light is bathing Koreatown in a soft pink glow. Between the weird nap and the heavy drinking, I’m not feeling patient or ambitious enough to wait for up Cassell’s to open at 7am. This posh diner, located in the Hotel Normandie, has a notorious “breakfast burger” served on a bun made of hash browns. But there’s no time for that. I’m on the brink of death and want something fast.

Fill that hole: soaking up the night's booze at California Donuts

6am

We pull up to California Donuts, a 24-hour doughnut stand. The sugar hits the spot even though the doughnut itself is merely good, not great. A sense of accomplishment comes over me while I tear into my maple bar. It might not have been pretty, but I made it through an entire night out in Koreatown. Now, as the rest of LA gears up for the morning, it’s time to sleep.

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