Writing this in summer of 2025 seems even more relevant and important. As followers of the news have undoubtedly seen, Los Angeles – my home – has been invaded by ICE, immigration enforcers seeking, it would seem, to inflict terror and economic harm on arguably the most liberal and diverse of US cities through arrest and deportation of as many immigrants as possible. The effects cannot be overstated. People are scared; people are angry. And here in Koreatown, one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods of a city full of such places, the trauma is ongoing.

For while Koreatown was officially established in 1982 to honor the Korean community that had been centered here since the 1960s, this has always been a community where everyone is welcome, where countless immigrant groups have come, and where diversity of look, thought, religion, and especially food has been celebrated.

While the first Korean immigrants came to Los Angeles in the first half of the 20th century, it wasn’t until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was passed that large-scale immigration from Asia began. The Korean community centered here, in an area west of downtown Los Angeles that had gone through some rough economic times in the prior decades. Hence some of the buildings in Koreatown (called K-Town by locals) well pre-date the current makeup of the area, with art deco facades that have been painstakingly kept up by a community that wasn’t even here for their construction.

Koreatown gained unfortunate notoriety as the front line of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Tensions between the Korean and Black communities here had been high, and so while the riots stemmed from a high-profile police beating of a Black man (some things never seem to change, sadly), K-Town became one of the center points for looting and violence. It would be a long time before both communities – and the geographic neighborhood – recovered.

Today, Koreatown is still the cultural hub of the Los Angeles Korean community. But that community has spread from here to fully integrate into the fabric of LA, with businesses well outside that geographic region. And as it has, other groups have found homes in K-Town. A walk down any major street will pass Asian restaurants of all variety, taco stands, and more. Heck, the separate ethnic neighborhood of Little Bangladesh exists entirely inside of Koreatown! (Click here to read about Little Bangladesh.)

Being so central makes Koreatown incredibly accessible for both native Angelenos and visitors interested in the best Korean food outside of Korea. (You could do a lot worse as a tourist in Los Angeles than eating your way around the ethnic enclaves here.) So while some restaurants are more Korean than others as far as patronage goes, it will basically always end up a diverse crowd. Options abound, but if you are looking for a central point to begin your exploration, start at the intersection of 6th Street and Alexandria Avenue. Here, the historic Chapman Park Market, built in 1928 as one of the first auto-accessible marketplaces in the city, now hosts my two favorite Korean BBQ restaurants in all of K-Town: Quarters and Origin.

Korean BBQ is an experiential meal. It begins, as basically all Korean meals do, with a dizzying spread of side dishes. Kimchis will be the focus, with cabbage being ever-present, but other varieties as well: green onion, daikon radish, and more. Other small bowls might have sauces to dip meat into, pickled vegetables, or lettuce to make wraps from.

Then comes the meat. At both of these restaurants, your server will do the actual grilling on a small grill on your table, but at some places you’ll be responsible for the cooking yourself. Choices are vast, from beef short ribs called kalbi to pork belly, marinated meat called bulgogi, steak, and more. At Quarters you will order the meat in quarter-pound increments (hence the name), while Origin has a more inclusive progressive menu. (Note: Quarters does not take reservations and waits can be long, but an outdoor bar caters to those queuing for their names to be called.)

For a different take on meat, cross 6th Street to Sun Nong Dan. Like most places in Koreatown, this is a small establishment inside of a strip mall, but don’t judge it based on that. This gem serves up some of the best meat soups in all of Los Angeles.

Their most popular soup is one with short ribs and mushrooms, but when I am there, I see a bunch of people ordering a huge bowl of stew with meat, rice cakes, and vegetables that gets topped with cheese and set afire by the staff. I resolve to come back to try one, but I’ll need to bring several friends to share even the “medium” sized portion. Every dish is served with the ever-present array of sides.

For dessert, hop next door to Melo Melo for a delightful parfait of coconut jelly and toppings. These range from sweet to savory, and even durian is a possibility. I opt for matcha and Oreo, finding it delightful!

If you decide you enjoy kimchi, or Korean flavors as a whole, there is an H-Mart inside of the shopping center across Alexandria from Sun Nong Dan. H-Mart is a chain of Korean grocery stores, although locations are large enough to carry other Asian goods and even Western offerings. There is a large refrigerated section with freshly made kimchis (I go nuts for green onion kimchi), but don’t pass by the tea selection or the fascinating array of Korean snack foods and drinks without getting something to take home to continue your Koreatown experience later!

A trip to Koreatown wouldn’t be complete without taking some time at a Korean spa. The most famous (and largest) is Wi Spa, but I prefer Spa Palace, just a bit to the east of K-Town. (There is also a women only spa, Olympic Spa, again a bit outside the neighborhood.)

The spa experience can be accessed either by a day pass (or night, as most are open 24 hours) or by purchasing a massage or body scrub that includes one. Korean massages are fairly deep, and the body scrubs are incredibly intense. (Look up a video of Conan O’Brien at Wi Spa for a hilarious but reasonably accurate glimpse into the process.)

You will begin on a gendered side, with tubs ranging from warm to scalding to ice cold, and saunas or steam rooms. Visitors shower first, then use these in any order. (I go warm to hot, then to the sauna, then back again, skipping the cold plunge.) Bathing suits can be worn, but are rare. But you’ll be provided either a robe or a uniform of shorts and a t-shirt to go into a central coed area if you choose a spa that caters to both men and women.

The central area will include a large pool (bathing suit required here), a big room for relaxation, and a cafe with shockingly good food. But the highlight is the saunas, and these are what sets the Korean spa experience apart from others. They will be set to different temperatures (from warm to what I find unbearably hot, as well as an ice room), and have different properties. One might be set with salt, one with gold, and one with stone. Each of these is supposedly good for different things (like gold for anti-aging). Try them all if you can bear the heat (the salt room tends to be hottest) and see what you personally find most relaxing or refreshing. I do a loop again from the gold room to the Elvan stone room and then the ice room, taking a break between circuits for some spicy chicken bulgogi in the cafe.

Koreatown is, in my opinion, one of Los Angeles’ true gems. From incredible food – seriously, Korean food is diverse and spectacular, and I just barely scratched the surface of it here – to luxurious spas, a day spent here is a worthwhile glimpse into one of the cultures that makes this city shine. You’ll find yourself eagerly planning a return after a single meal or sauna, and even the kimchi you take home won’t scratch that itch fully!

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