Are you one of those employees that wander around the streets of Los Angeles and contemplate on what to eat for lunch? Well, look no further! Escala, the only Colombian restaurant in Koreatown, is now open for lunch!
Koreatown has been blooming with new, ethnic establishments as it continues to grow to be one of the most multicultural communities in Southern California. Although Koreatown is surrounded with Korean restaurants in every corner, there is one restaurant on the corner of 6th street that is unlike any other. Once you enter the doors of Escala, you are immediately absorbed in the Latin American atmosphere and will find yourself turning around in circles to look at every corner of the walls inside the restaurant.
Owner Chino was originally a record store owner, street artist and musician, so he brought a lot of his personality and his own flavor directly to his restaurant. Born in Korea but raised in Colombia, Chino wanted to bring his diversity in both cultures into one and created a unique menu that serves a fusion of both Korean and Colombian flavor with the help of renowned chef Chris Oh from Seoul Sausage Company. This Colombian joint is definitely a place where you can appreciate both the food and its surroundings, as each piece of art has a different story behind it. One piece of furniture at the restaurant is particularly special as the bench was previously seated by Michael Jackson. Even the name of the restaurant, “Escala” – which means layover in Spanish, is a special reminder to Chino of his parents and their brief visits to Los Angeles as a layover between their flights to Korea. “My father introduced Korean culture to Colombia with taekwondo in the 1960s,” said Chino. Although owning a restaurant was something he never thought to do, Chino is following in his father’s footsteps and has become the pioneer of bringing a taste of Colombia to Koreatown.
Their lunch menu is served from 11:30am-3:30pm on Monday through Friday, Happy Hour starts from 4:00pm-7:00pm, and their Late Night Happy Hour is from 11:00pm-1:00AM. Enjoy a brief escape of paradise that you won’t find anywhere else in Koreatown with the delicious taste of empanadas, Colombian fried chicken wings, or the “Koreanada” (a kimchi fried rice with a mix of Colombian taste)!
Yuna Hwang
Kpop Buddy
