Koreatown's flagship establishment, the Dragon, also referred to as Yung Gung amongst Koreans, is closing on January 28, experiences him Korea Each day. Through the years, the multi-story Korean Chinese language restaurant has been the venue for celebrations, engagements, first birthdays, marriage ceremony receptions, and the whole lot in between. The loft accommodated events of all sizes, over 100 folks, with giant banquet tables, karaoke machines, and even a piano for sing-alongs.

By June 2022, The Actual Deal reported that proprietor Ten Jing Wang plans to redevelop the property right into a 90-unit constructing, including housing to a neighborhood that also wants extra. Nonetheless, the Dragon's closing will depart generations of Korean People and different Angelenos with out a place for comforting bowls of jjajiangmyeon, jjampong, and different Korean Chinese language specialties.

Inside a utilitarian Korean Chinese restaurant in LA.

The Dragon's first ground eating space.
Euno Lee

Within the 4 a long time that adopted, the Dragon was floor zero for a lot of levels of life within the Korean American group. Its central location, inexpensive menu and ample house upstairs made it a simple selection for particular events. The utilitarian first ground provided an open eating room for smaller teams and each day lunches, the place folks feasted on plates of tangsuyuk (candy and bitter pork), kkanpungsaeu (kung pao shrimp) and combined jellyfish appetizers. Chinese language-Korean fusion delicacies first developed within the nineteenth century in Incheon, South Korea, the place a lot of the Chinese language inhabitants lived on the Korean peninsula. Since then, their commonplace dishes have turn into favorites for Koreans residing in the US and different nations.

The Korea Each day experiences that in 2015, Wang transferred the day-to-day operations of the Dragon restaurant to a Chinese language restaurant proprietor in La Crescenta who goes by Choi. Wang has retained possession of the land and constructing and can start building in March 2024. “The individuals who got here to our restaurant over time have been extra than simply clients, like buddies. It's very unlucky that the restaurant has to shut, however we lastly determined to develop it into an house constructing,” Wang informed the Korea Each day. The plan is to complete the development of the residences in two years.

The closing of the Dragon marks the top of the heyday for a lot of nice Korean Chinese language eating places in Koreatown. Nice Wall on Olympic Boulevard closed in 2018, leaving solely Younger King (also referred to as Yeon Gyeong within the Korean group) because the final banquet-style venue that opened earlier than 1990. Longtime Dragon followers could have just a few of weeks to take pleasure in comforting noodles. and fried dishes, at all times completed with complimentary plates of candied candy potatoes topped with appetizers.

Asian families gather around tables at a Chinese-Korean restaurant in LA.

A gaggle of Korean People and their youngsters have fun in one of many non-public eating rooms on the Dragon in Koreatown.
Wonho Frank Lee

A Korean party table at a restaurant in LA.

Try the listed events on the Dragon in Koreatown.
John Lee

A plate of fried chicken noodles on a banquet table.

A plate of hen chow mein with kimchi on the desk on the Dragon.
Matthew Kang

Source link