Toe Bang Cafe

If you're young, hip and Korean, the place to be is ToeBang in Chapman Plaza (aka Chapman Market) at 6th and Kenmore. It was one of LA's first drive-in shopping centers, a glorious 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival building, and although the neighborhood has changed (it's now the middle of Koreatown), the building remains an architectural gem. On one side of the courtyard/parking lot, Toe Bang is a trendy, hardwood-and-matchstick-blind kind of place, with dim lighting, handsome wallpaper of Korean calligraphy, and poppy Korean dance and American music on the audio. Solid Korean pub food---nice barbecues (cooked in the kitchen), sautés and stews, bibimbap (rice with meat, vegetables and hot sauce in a large bowl) and, of course, drinks. The outdoor patio is a nice place to snack and chat, and it provides a view of the rest of the Market including karaoke parlors and other restaurants and cafés.