Take a Shot For Me

It's all coming to an end. I regret to inform you that this will be our last moments together. But let's not make it any more devastating than it already is. My twelfth and final blog post will be about the unparalleled night life in Koreatown, Los Angeles. As you guys may know by now, I studied abroad in Seoul, South Korea last year for an exchange program. And sure, there were the communication barriers and the differences in fashion, but the biggest cultural shock for me was the night life. The university I attended was located in the heart of a college village teeming with bars, restaurants, and coffee shops. And they were all open 24 hours! I quickly discovered that Seoul was definitely a city that never sleeps. Students would go out to grab a drink on a Monday night. Let me repeat: MONDAY NIGHT. That would be insane back in America, where college students primarily started going out from Thursday all the way to the weekend. The drinking culture was definitely no joke in Korea.

Now back to Koreatown, Los Angeles. Although not everything here is open 24 hours, there are still a considerable amount of bars, cafes, and restaurants that do open until late. For those of you over 21, I strongly suggest that you take a trip to a sool jip (literal translation: alcohol house), which is the korean word for what we all know as "Bar." The bars in Koreatown offer a very unique experience in that you get to sit down with your group of friends and order food while drinking! Soju and beer are the way to go when drinking at these bars. And although soju is weaker in alcohol content than vodka, it will definitely start to creep up on you as the night progresses. With loud music and great Korean food, I assure you that you and your friends will have an unforgettable night. Well, maybe ;-) 

Well, that's it for my blog posts. I hope you guys enjoyed them, and if I don't bump into any of you in Koreatown soon, I will have failed as a blogger. So come on down! ^_^

Your Seoul Survivor,

Albert Ko

Koreatown Night Market, Success!

KTOWN NIGHT MARKET INSTAGRAM

Wow, what a night! Koreatown finally received some well-deserved attention through their epic event, "Koreatown Night Market." Modeling other events such as the "626 Night Market" and the "Obon Festival," the K-Town Night Market was definitely an unforgettable event as thousands of people from all over California traveled into my neighborhood. This was the first year that Koreatown held such an event, and it was long overdue. There's actually another annual Korean festival called "Jangtuh," but I feel like that event is more catered towards the Korean community exclusively. This new Night Market was created to generate more awareness for Koreatown and to show just how diverse our culture really is to people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Although I did notice that it was more targeted towards the younger crowd, which ranged from high school students to people in their mid-30's. There were over 100 food vendors which included, but was not limited to, Seoul Sausage, Takoyaki, Mister Potato, and many more! I also got to see one of my favorite artists, Dumbfoundead. If you don't know who he is, do check out his YouTube channel. He is a Korean-American rapper who specializes in witty freestyles and lyrics. And did I mention that this event was free?! The only downside that I would mention about this event was that the venue was a bit on the small side. Hopefully next year's KTOWN Night Market will be held at a bigger venue. It was difficult to maneuver my way through the crowd without bumping into someone else's shoulders or stepping on their shoes. I guess the great people who put this event together weren't expecting the huge amount of people. I'm happy to say that this event will be happening on an yearly basis, seeing how successful the first ever KTOWN Night Market was. So if you didn't have a chance to go this time around, there's always next year!

Your Seoul Survivor,
Albert Ko

Starbucks, Where Art Thou?

In this day and age, you can find a Starbucks anywhere, especially in a major city. But not in Koreatown; you will be lucky if you find more than two in this region that totals approximately 125,000 people over 2.7 square miles. Why hasn't Starbucks been able to penetrate this extremely dense market? Simply because of the Korean Cafés. If you haven't been to one of these cafés, I highly recommend that you Yelp "Cafes" in "Koreatown." These coffee shops are not your average Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's, but they provide a full-service social experience. Many youngsters and students use these cafés as their local hangout or study spots because of their hip atmospheres and tasty drinks and desserts. Every corner you turn in Koreatown, you will see either a Tom & Tom's, Caffé Bene, and many others. Although they all pretty much similar in their products and services, I tend to favor "Mr. Coffee" over the others. This coffee shop is located on Western Ave & 6th St. I come here at least once a week with my friends just to chill and catch up on each others' busy and fun-filled lives. All of these café's provide free wi-fi and some even have playing cards and board games for you and your group to compete with. The main reason my friends and I always come to Mr. Coffee is because their Pat Bing Soo is to die for. Pat Bing Soo is basically a Korean-style shaved ice dessert, which is served with ice cream, sweet red beans, mochi, fruits, and fruity pebbles all mixed together for a heavenly dessert dish. If that picture doesn't make you drool, I highly recommend that you visit your local doctor. These desserts come in generous portions, so you can order just one for your whole group! Next time you're in Koreatown with a bunch of friends and need a place to hang out, visit a Korean Café! You won't regret it!

Your Seoul Survivor,

Albert Ko

Korean BBQ gets the W!

One cannot turn the corner in Koreatown without bumping into a Korean BBQ joint. It's inevitable. One cannot escape it. So naturally, he or she would be tempted in some way, shape, or form to venture into one of these meat heavens, right? This is what happened to a boy named Albert Ko. The flood gates had opened. If any of you have not been to a Korean BBQ restaurant, please do us both a favor and keep reading. If you have been already, I encourage you to also keep reading because it's more than likely that you didn't receive the full-service experience that I have been exposed to. Let's begin class:

1. For the purpose of this blog, I will be using the specific restaurant called "Kogi-King." This restaurant is my all-time favorite.
   
2. If I were to pick out a common denominator for all Korean restaurants, I would have to pick the side dishes. Every Korean restaurant you visit will provide you with a variety of side dishes comprised of everything from Kimchi to headless bean sprouts. Don't be scared, keep an open mind, and try each one. Kogi-King's special side dish is their signature spicy rice cakes.
   
3. Make sure to ask for the steamed egg casserole and the soybean paste stew. Nothing more need be said. 
   
   
   
   
   
4. Here comes the meat. You get to "do-it-yourself" and sharpen your cooking skills! You get to choose from over 20 choices of meat laid out in a simple menu. Order your meat and use their terrific tongs to cook the meat on your own personal grill. After it's cooked to perfection, cut the meat to your own liking and wrap it up in rice paper. Add a couple veggies and you might as well sing, "Hold on, We're Going Home."
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. "Where's the rice," you might ask. No need to fear, DoShiRak is here! Ask for this and your waiter will bring you a tin box filled with rice, kimchi, eggs, and spam. He or she will personally shake that box like they would shake maracas, and bon appetit!
   
                                           
   
6. By now, you should either be going on your fourth hour or second stomach there. To settle down your digestive system, Koreans use a bowl of hot water and rice, which aids in digestion.
   
   
      
                                               

I hope your next Korean BBQ experience will be as memorable as mine. Follow my directions and, "You're welcome."

Your Seoul Survivor,

Albert Ko