LAReview
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Dan Sung Sa
Included In
Not taking anything away from the endless bars in Weho or Downtown’s warehouse parties, but LA’s best nightlife is found in Koreatown. It’s one of the few areas left where you can get dropped off without a plan and go where the night takes you. Maybe that means drinking highballs in a shadowy whiskey bar, eating bulgogi in a secret back alley, or singing karaoke with your friends in the very early morning. A sign of a truly great night in Ktown, however, involves at least a stop—and complete suspension of time—at Dan Sung Sa.
This dimly lit tavern on 6th Street isn’t just the center of Ktown nightlife, it’s our favorite hangout spot in the whole city—and a place where the never-ending soju and raucous atmosphere are matched only by the excellent food coming out of the kitchen.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Dan Sung Sa at 10pm on a Saturday night is an experience unlike any other in LA. The sounds of sizzling meat and swinging knives emanate from the central grill, smoke hangs like mist over the graffitied, wooden booths, and everywhere you look, groups of friends pound Hite like it’s the last batch in the world. It’s sensory overload, and one of the many reasons why late nights here go from one hour to three in a blink of an eye.
Dan Sung Sa’s menu (which comes printed on giant wooden blocks) consists of nearly 100 different anju, or tiny Korean bar bites traditionally meant to be eaten while you drink. And sure, most people here are boozing—we rarely leave without having accumulated a Dubai-level skyline of soju bottles on our table—but this food tastes good regardless of alcohol intake.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
The best kind of meal at Dan Sung Sa is dominated by skewers. There are close to 25 different varieties ranging from frog legs and black sausage to spicy chicken that knocks us into chili-induced oblivion every time we take a bite. In other words, go nuts. They aren’t particularly big, so ordering 10 skewers at a time is encouraged. From there, head for the bigger dishes. We love the spicy tteokbokki filled with plump, cylindrical rice cakes that absorb the sweet gochujang like pillowy little sponges. The beef bulgogi with silky, crystal noodles is a perfect dish to pass around the table, and then immediately order again, because your friends are non-judicious monsters.
You’ll know you did Dan Sung Sa exactly right when someone at your table looks at their phone and bellows, “Wait, it’s what time?”—and no one flinches.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Skewers
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Kimchi Pancake
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Cheese Corn
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Chicken Wings
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Tteokbokki With Ramen
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Bulgogi With Crystal Noodles