OC's Urban Seoul Expands Into Little Tokyo With Casual Korean Pub Fare

Irvine original Urban Seoul has made a rather conspicuous entrance into the Los Angeles market, opening up an airy new outpost right next to Shin-Sen-Gumi in Little Tokyo, in what was (briefly) a sports bar called Avery Sing. Urban Seoul and Shin-Sen-Gumi even share a patio, though (for now at least) the longer lines still belong to the Japanese restaurant.

The Downtown L.A. location marks the second expansion for the Orange County-based company, which opened its first location at the Diamond Jamboree on Alton Parkway in Irvine before growing into the Spectrum to boot. Both offer options for, well, urbanized Korean food, from bulgogi cheesesteak sandwiches to kimchi pancake quesadillas. Beer and wine is also available.

The space itself is pretty funky and warehouse-y, with a tall run of corrugated steel over the main bar and an open floorplan that leads to a second level, complete with TVs. It’s a casual, sleek turn for the area, and already seems to busy with young locals looking to grab a cheap beer (happy hour, anyone?) and bite to eat.

With the ongoing construction for the subway line Downtown and the rise of the Metro in that area overall, Urban Seoul could be perfectly positioned to stick around on the Little Tokyo scene for a while. Feel like helping out in the back of house? They're also hiring.

Weekday lunch hours run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by dinner from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. On weekends expect all-day hours, from 11 a.m. until midnight or so.

Urban Seoul Little Tokyo
136 S. Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA