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Nightlife guide: Koreatown

Karaoke studios, 24-hour tofu houses and the occasional pirate-themed bar

By Amir Kenan

Special to Metromix
October 7, 2007

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The bartender heats things up at a R Bar (Credit: Mike Vin Lee)

Steaming hot cauldrons of bi bim bap. Korean businessmen getting drunk to Cyndi Lauper’s greatest hits. And, of course, a smattering of late-night taco trucks—this is L.A., after all.

Koreatown, to be exact: four square miles of karaoke studios, 24-hour tofu houses and the occasional pirate-themed bar. From bars with more retro coin-ops than the "Silver Spoons" mansion, to a host of clubs where the Crown Royal is nearly as potent as the kimchi, K-Town is a refreshing change from the Urban Outfitted clubs of Hollywood—a place that can make you feel like an outsider in your own city. In the best way. We heart this little L.A. pocket very much.

Miss T's Barcade

371 N. Western Ave. - Koreatown

323-465-5045

Old school video games + beer = a K-town classic. In its first incarnation, Barcade was a hugely popular weekly event run out of a Koreatown apartment. It's since gone legit and is now in a real bar space that houses old-school arcade games like Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong and only costs 25 cents to play—how retro! There's no hard liquor at the bar, but the beer selection makes up for it.

R Bar

3331 W. 8th St. - Los Angeles

213-387-7227

Landlubbers beware: word on the street is that the password to get into this lively Koreatown nightspot is no longer "Yo Ho Ho." Inside, the dark saloon is decked out with turn-of-the-century décor, a well-stocked jukebox and a largely Korean crowd so hipster-free you'll forget you're in L.A. So what's the new password? It's "Triple Lindy." You're welcome.

Rosen Music Studio

3488 W. 8th St. - Los Angeles

213-387-0469

The Korean businessmen who let loose at this karaoke joint don't need Simon Cowell's approval to belt out renditions of Cyndi Lauper hits. In fact, they don't need anyone's approval because all the rooms are private and come equipped with a big screen TV, a wireless keypad, tambourines and a song book. Hungry? Rosen serves up everything from Korean barbecue to dried blowfish.

Royale on Wilshire

2619 Wilshire Blvd. - Los Angeles

213-985-0676

As L.A.'s downtown scene continues to flourish, Royale on Wilshire is a luxurious gem that's still happily under-the-radar enough to make it one of our favorite after-work spots for drinks and making new friends. The bartenders are fast and friendly, they've got Stella Artois on tap—always a bonus—and an enormous 30-person booth in the back of the sprawling main room that's perfect for a full-on party-within-a-party. The back patio rocks, and—hey, is that a pool and hot tub lurking behind that wooden wall? Cool!

Frank N Hank's

518 S. Western Ave. - Los Angeles

213-383-2087

Regulars (and a smattering of in-the-know, fedora-sportin' hip kids) descend upon this K-town dive bar for cheap drinks, friendly bartenders and zero pretension. We come for the jukebox, which plays everything from country to '80s faves that get the whole bar singing along.

The Prince

3190 W. 7th St. - Los Angeles

213-389-1586

Is it British? Is it Korean? Who cares! Formerly the lobby of the Windsor Hotel, the Prince decided to ride the British-theme décor horse in the direction it was going, and as a result has ended up one of the most unique atmospheres of any bar in L.A. The color scheme is gold and red, the soju cocktails are ready for the taking and the full menu runs the gamut from fried chicken to eel.

Brass Monkey

659 S. Mariposa Ave. - Los Angeles

213-381-7047

Be prepared for dive bar karaoke at its finest in this K-Town classic, which features more than 60,000 songs in three languages. Inexplicably built with ambiance and design flourishes reminiscent of a mountain lodge, Brass Monkey is always a rollicking fun scene of aspiring singers and an audience happy to cheer on everyone's efforts, however pitch-averse.

Blink

3rd Floor - Los Angeles

213-385-1440

Located in a strip mall, the stucco exterior of Blink is at odds with the vibe inside. Appealing to a largely Korean 20-something crowd, this trendy lounge is dressed up somewhere between W Hotel style and a Nagel painting come to life—didn't you take art history?—a palette of dark gray and gray, with touches of silver for contrast. Dinner reservations or bottle service are obligatory to secure a table, but if a bar stool is more your thing, the attractive female bartenders are happy to chat you up.

The Velvet Room

3470 Wilshire Blvd. - Los Angeles

213-381-6006

Crown Royal is truly king at this perpetually crowded K-town nightclub, where a mostly Korean clientele comes to get their drink, grub and groove on. If you're with a group of girls, expect to be ushered to a table full o' dudes—a Korean custom known as "booking" that may take a little getting used to for unschooled Angelenos—though at the very least you can munch on some guy's yummy chicken strips while he tries in vain to woo you). Sure, booking a table here ain't cheap, but if you don't mind getting lost and sweaty in a sea of bumpin' bods on the dance floor, you may not ever need a seat.

Crazy Hook

3250 Wilshire Blvd. - Los Angeles

213-389-3424

Crazy Hook is as kitschy as pirate-themed restauarant/bars get—or at least as pirate-themed as Koreatown needs to be. If you're looking to get incredibly wasted—and why wouldn't you be?—you've got three choices: beer, soju, or a bottle of hard liquor. Or most commonly all three. Their popular 5000cc—that 's almost 170 ounces—Michelob-filled cylindrical beast is a hybrid of your Home Depot supplied college beer bong and an upside down mini-keg. Crazy Hook also serves a variety of Korean/American fare, so you're definitely in for a full night of good ol' baaaaarrrrr fun. Because it's pirate-themed.

Q Sports Bar

661 S. Harvard Blvd. - Los Angeles

213-383-4789

This divey sports bar doesn’t provide much in the way of atmosphere, but there’s beer, TVs to watch the game and pool tables (that's enough, for us). Q also serves appetizers and light fare—think: tacos, nachos and burgers—for cheap. A perfectly imperfect place to catch the game, shoot some pool and fill up on dirt-cheap snacks.

Club Monte Cristo

3102 Wilshire Blvd. - Los Angeles

213-252-9343

This multilevel spot inside a downtown skyscraper is hard to find and—seeing as the club caters to alternative lifestyles—that's probably a good thing for the people who come here. There are raunchy lesbian nights, Goth events where whips and chains come out, and urban dance parties. Club Monte Cristo has even hosted bashes for wannabe vampires. We suggest calling before heading out—unless you want to "accidentally" show up on a night when someone will try to suck your blood.

Palm Tree

3240 Wilshire Blvd. - Los Angeles

213-381-3388

Catering to karaoke lovers, Palm Tree serves appetizers and drinks from its full bar (including soju) 'til the wee hours. If you're not looking for a date, keep a head's up: the wait staff practices the art of "booking"—setting up groups of guys and girls to meet.

La Defence

625 S. Serrano Ave. - Los Angeles

213-384-9500

A former executive chef at Koi is at the helm of this fusion, Euro-Asian eatery in Koreatown. The restaurant is fairly expensive and the menu is full of fancy-sounding items, and there’s a surprising twist: it’s also a karaoke bar.

Amir Kenan is contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.