The various bars and casual 24/7 dining in Koreatown make for a bustling late-night atmosphere. Korean BBQ restaurants with rooftop grills, including karaoke bars, glamorous parties and trendy speakeasies, as well as the iconic Wiltern Theatre, an art deco music venue. Often offering typical spas, bubble tea cafés and convenience shops, K-town ‘s diverse blend of old structures and modern complexes. There are many interesting things to do in Koreatown.
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Things to Do in Koreatown
Here is the list of top things to do in Koreatown
1. Concert at the Wiltern
2. Olympic Spa
3. Korean Pavilion Garden
4. Korean BBQ Grill
5. Aroma Spa & Sports
6. Guelaguetza’s Three Ms: Mole, Micheladas and Margaritas
7. Cassell’s Hamburgers
1. Concert at the Wiltern
The immaculately renovated Art Deco auditorium started life as a vaudeville theatre and office building in 1931 and lasted a few decades as a cinema until being retrofitted in the 1980s to accommodate live performance bands in all genres, variety plays, burlesque revues on the theme in “Rock Wars,” and so forth. Despite the changes in programming, most of its original features have been preserved, including terrazzo paving, bright marquee, ornate lighting fixtures, murals and a massive sunburst over the stage ceiling.
2. Olympic Spa
If you are travelling to experience onsens or ritual spas, this women-only Korean spa is in the heart of L.A. is one of the perfect things to do in Koreatown. The no-frills facility is far from fancy but offers some of the best scrubs in town. There are plenty of recovery facilities, including hot and cold pools, saunas, and rest spaces, as with other K-spas. There’s also delicious Korean food and fresh juices you can enjoy in their post-treatment café.
3. Korean Pavilion Garden
Contemplate the state of the world or simply map out what you plan to eat next under a traditional green, rust and red gazebo featuring an upswept tile roof and stone guardians. Opened at the intersection of Irolo and Normandy in 2006. Crafted by craftsmen from South Korea, Da Wool Jung (“harmonious meeting place”) and its accompanying garden sit across the street from Seoul International Park’s busy baseball diamond, playground and jogging track.
4. Korean BBQ Grill
Korean culinary culture is wildly diverse, from dumplings and kimchi to fried chicken and al bap (seasoned rice with a variety of fish roe). The barbecue, an immersive dining experience that includes table-top grills, scissors, and tongs, is a fine place to continue your edible education. Start with a soju bottle (Korean rice alcohol) or beer. A buffet with tiny side dishes called banchan will be delivered to the table along with rice after you order your meats. These vary from establishment to establishment but usually include kimchi, spicy sauces, pickled veggies and even potato salad. On the banchan, you can nibble but try to hold off before the main course arrives. Then comes the dream portion of the meal from the carnivore where marbled beef, seasoned pork belly, marinated chicken and various fish are wheeled out and set to sizzle on the grill before you.
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Perhaps there are a hundred delicious-smelling rooms that offer sizzling steaks at every price level. Yet if you never miss the first one, make a reservation at the Barbecue in Park. Since 2003, when it was launched by Seoul transplant/chef Jenee Kim, it has been drawing in devotees of K-Pop superstars, the Hollywood establishment and gal-bi (beef short rib).
5. Aroma Spa & Sports
This is not the driving path for your grandpa. Especially since Fragrance Wellness & Leisure, a state-of-the-art resort that also houses a fitness centre, day wellness, barbershop, sauna and swimming pool, has constructed a 150-yard four-level range on top of a wide parking system. A massive net cage — the bottom is green to imitate a fairway — contains balls that tee-up electronically and allows golfers to practice in real-time weather while watching with awe as their Titleists soar past neighbouring office buildings. Human pros and computer-aided surveillance devices are giving pointers. This is one of the best things to do in Koreatown.
6. Guelaguetza’s Three Ms: Mole, Micheladas and Margaritas
While K-Town has the largest Korean community outside of its motherland, over half of its population is Latino. This has culminated in some incredible fusion cooking, most noticeably from Chef Roy Choi whose Kogi food truck slings tacos from Korean BBQ. It is also why within the neighbourhood, one of the best Mexican restaurants in LA is found. Guelaguetza was opened in 1994 by immigrants from Oaxaca and is now run by their children. Responsible for their latest James Beard Award win is possibly the six types of mole, goat stew, sweet corn and chicken tamales with raisins and tangy micheladas. Weekends bring big crowds and live music. Snap pictures of the outside doors, like three sets of Colette Miller’s iconic angel wings, as you wait to be placed. This is one of the best things to do in Koreatown and must not be missed.
7. Cassell’s Hamburgers
In 1948 Al Cassell opened his hamburger joint and quickly became a lunch counter legend known for grinding meat daily in Los Angeles. In 2014, Cassell’s Hamburgers was resurrected in the Hotel Normandie’s ground floor, a few blocks from its original position on Sixth Lane, utilizing the same wooden signage, menus, recipes from the creator and plenty of his equipment. Every day the antibiotic and hormone-free beef is still soiling. There are also grilled chicken burgers, milkshakes, home-made desserts and stiff drinks in Burger season. The restaurant opens for a traditional ’50s breakfast early and remains open for post-karaoke sustenance late on weekends. This is one of the best things to do in Koreatown for food lovers.
Plan your trip with Pickyourtrail
There are a ton of interesting things to do in Koreatown. Renowned for its up-all-night party scene, mega-spas, and amazing food choice, L.A.’s K-Town could be the nearest thing you can get to Korea, short of getting on a Seoul train. If you are on the quest for hard-to-find beauty items or a mean congee pot, you’ll definitely find it in this part of town. Plan your trip the help of reputed travel agency Pickyourtrail. Check out the preset International tour packages and have a great trip!
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