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K-Town Tapas Restaurant Closes Mysteriously After Just Six Months

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Sapor’s final service was last Friday

Sapor, Koreatown
Wonho Frank Lee
Mona Holmes is a reporter for Eater Los Angeles and a regular contributor to KCRW radio. She has covered restaurants, dining, and food culture since 2016. In 2022, the James Beard Foundation nominated her for a Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award.

After opening in September last year, Koreatown’s Sapor has suddenly closed. A tipster wrote this morning that chef Matthew Ignacio gave notice to the entire staff, and that Friday would be their final service. No specifics were given on any future plans for the space, and the restaurant’s Facebook page has gone dark.

Ignacio came to Los Angeles from San Francisco, and setup Sapor’s tapas menu, which was a union between Korean and Spanish cuisine. There were upscale small bites like galbi with bone marrow, and patatas bravas with aioli. The cozy communal tables were appealing, and Copa d’Oro barman Vincenzo Marianella created a unique cocktail menu. The restaurant was well situated on the busy corridor of Wilshire near Harvard, and seemed ready for evening diners, along with an outdoor patio.

When looking at Sapor’s online menu today, the options are a bit more generic, with hardly a hint of Korean influence. The restaurant simply went dark, without a trace. Eater reached out to Ignacio, but has not heard back. For the moment, a prime restaurant location in Koreatown might be on the market.