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#CatTravels: From Little Tokyo to Koreatown

By Catherine Toth Fox • October 15, 2013 • #CatTravels, Food
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img_3754Every big urban city has ethnic neighborhoods, and Los Angeles — with about 3.8 million people from 140 different countries speaking 224 different languages — is no exception.

And that’s just the urban center. The larger metro area boasts 12.8 million people, making it one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world and the second-largest in the United States.

There are little ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Little Ethiopia (most expensive gasoline, we noticed), Little Armenia, Tehrangeles, Thai Town and Historic Filipinotown.

But the two neighborhoods I wanted to take my mom were Little Tokyo (what we used to call Japan Town) and Koreantown.

According to the 2010 Census, non-whites made up just over half of the population of LA, with Asians totaling 11.3 percent. So it’s no wonder these neighborhoods are here — and, at least with Koreatown, growing, too.

We started the day in Little Tokyo, hit a bakery in between, then bought dinner in Koreatown.

Here’s what that adventure looked like:

Breakfast

Breakfast
Image 1 of 29

Points for thinking ahead. I ordered a chocolate croissant from Andersen's Danish Bakery & Restaurant the day before to have for breakfast, and it was perfect.

Follow my adventures — with my Mom! — in LA on Twitter @thedailydish and on Instagram @catherinetoth.

CatTravelsHawaiiJapan TownKorea TownKorean chickenKoreatownKyoChonLittle TokyoLos AngelesMikawayamochi ice creammochilatoTraveling
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#CatTravels: A visit to King's Hawaiian Bakery
#CatTravels: A visit to Crème Caramel LA

About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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11 Comments

  • Reply joy October 15, 2013 at 1:00 pm

    I absolutely love Little Tokyo but sad that it is not the place it used to be. I think having the JANM there has certainly helped the neighborhood. When my husband and I got married in LA, we stayed in Little Tokyo and went to Yamazaki Bakery every morning for breakfast. My husband just loved the pastries. There also used to be some really good smaller eating places with traditional Japanese noodles or food. Also good places to get bentos and shopping in general. We stayed at the New Otani and got married at Yamashiro Restaurant which has a beautiful Japanese garden and overlooks LA.

    • Reply Catherine Toth October 15, 2013 at 2:16 pm

      I agree. The neighborhood has changed and it’s getting smaller and smaller. I’m just glad my mom got to see what’s left!

  • Reply John October 15, 2013 at 1:44 pm

    I had no idea that’s where Mochi Ice Cream was invented.

    • Reply Catherine Toth October 15, 2013 at 2:16 pm

      No, are you serious?

  • Reply Glenn D October 16, 2013 at 4:43 am

    Hi Cat, that Kyochon chicken looked GOOD! Mahalos for posting pics from the Del Cerro Park, I’ve forgotten how Rancho PV had some nice scenic places. I’m gonna have to hit it for a nice walk soon.

  • Reply Dennis October 16, 2013 at 6:35 am

    Fantastic! I need to taste that fried chicken!

  • Reply Kenneth October 16, 2013 at 10:22 am

    Did you miss the Go For Broke Monument just north from the JA Museum?

  • Reply Kenneth October 16, 2013 at 10:24 am

    Unfortunately, Frances Hashimoto passed away recently.

    • Reply Catherine Toth October 16, 2013 at 3:48 pm

      Oh, no! I didn’t know that! Thanks for the head’s up.

  • Reply Val October 18, 2013 at 5:22 am

    Those fonut flavors sound amazing!!

  • Reply Kenneth October 18, 2013 at 9:48 am

    Frances credited her husband, Joel , as the one who came up with the idea for Mochi ice cream.

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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