Culinary Correctness: The Korean Eatery On Vermont

My friend and I had pub-crawled until the wee hours and still wondered where we might end up for after hours. The City of Angels and its glamour coupled with all that Hollywood wannabes is what keeps this amazing metropolis jamming, and without a doubt, it is happening all around the city 24/7; and you bet, if you get trapped you are then on your own.

As it happened, I had decdided to try something else to fill up my empty stomach which I do every now and then, that is, when the ofe olugbo, bitter leaf soup, egusi soup, okra soup, and all the nkwobi and ngwongwo got to be supplemented. Whenever I am in the need to supplement all the African dishes, I go for something entirely different, and that is how I found myself at Yong Su San Restaurant on the 900 block of South Vermont Avenue in Korean Town, and right inside the hub of the Wilshire Corridor. This normally happens after the all night pub-crawling.

And landing at these restaurants not of my origin has always been an attempt to free myself from the regular isi-ewu, goat meat, nkwobi-ngwongwo ritual.


When we found parking, we walked in and the waitress offered us a table which at all times makes me feel indulge. The've seen my face before so it wasn't a problem for them to think otherwise, I mean, wondering what the heck a black guy and his friend would be doing in Korean Town at 2-something a.m., especially during unholy hours. The waitress was nice, though. She served us well and was all smiles.

When I want a damn good Korean barbacue in Los Angeles, I know the best joints and Yong Su San Restaurant is one of them. The brisket, marinated boneless ribs, tongue and baby octopus plus that burning charcoal that helps you prepare the barbecue your self is just beautiful and nothing is as good as that. In addition, we had some spinach, roasted mushroom and some other vegetables I had no idea where they came from. We topped the entire dish with steamed rice, and of course, some Korean wine imported somewhere from South Asia.

The place sits a lot of people and it's always packed, and as usual, a hangout for University of Southern California students who are known to party hard. So far, I haven't seen the hood rats there. Check it out and tell me about it!

Happy Hour @ Lola's

I have not written about eating out in a while now, and as of last night, I had a good one with a friend. We had talked about where to hang out and eat some good food from one of Hollywood's restaurants and bars. My friend had asked me what was my favorite restaurants which is really the question being asked every now and then for those that frequent the pubs. To be precise, I have no particular or favorite restaurant. It all depends on my mood and where I'm hanging out at a particular time of the day or night.

But in this case, I landed at Lola's located at 945 North Fairfax Avenue in West Hollywood. While driving on Fairfax and heading along the Wilshire Corridor on Miracle Mile, the atmosphere changed and the smell of Hollywood began to surface along Fairfax stretching to the home of the unholy and all that Hollywood is known for -- I mean, the night life, the stars and the wannabes -- you know what I'm talking about.

Anyways, at Lola, as we landed and as usual, we were offered a table with the gesture of the waitress telling us 'the table is yours for the evening,' making us feel indulged. That was a good gesture, isn't it?

My friend had requested a glass of French Martini, a signal Lola's was the original home of French and apple martinis. Now I know why there are too many martini freaks in Hollywood. I ordered some appetizers to make my body and soul one. I had a bowl of sauteed calamari with beans, corn and asparagus in a shell to start the evening of pub-crawling around town. While sipping that strong martini, my friend ordered cornmeal crusted fry oyster with lemon aioli and steamed rice on the side. I ordered my regular drink -- two shots of cognac.

The evening had just begun.

As we sat joyously eating and drinking, we talked about a whole lot of stuff. We mentioned the Jam in Atlanta on Saturday, November 1st, which will make Mt Zion Parkway look like the carnivals on Hollywood Boulevard. We talked about how death had taken away some of our finest musicians and songwriters -- Isaac Hayes, Levi Stubbs and Norman Whitfield.

In fact, we mentioned the days of Motown and how Berry Gordy Jr. built that great empire that produced The Jacksons, Temptations, Undisputed Truth, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and many others.

At Lola's, it was not a night of trick or treat. It was a night of hanging out and the earlier you go the better chances you would have to grab one of the Leopard print couches on the front.

I loved it and it was just fun!