Noreabang until the sun comes up
Dan Sung Sa Plaza, a nondescript strip mall in the northwest quadrant of Berendo and 6th Streets, can serve as a wormhole gateway to an all-inclusive Koreatown experience that includes great food, heavy drink, and a night filled with song. Any part of that equation can be removed or moderated by preference, but excess is a signature motif of noraebang, or Korean karaoke.
In the center of the L-shaped, no-nonsense row of shops, a red sign written in Hangul with a hanja sidebar and a Latin alphabet subheader marks Gaam Karaoke. If you don’t read Korean, you won’t see “Gaam” printed anywhere on the sign, but you will see “karaoke.” Gaam Karaoke, not to be confused with Gaam Restaurant two and a half blocks west in Chapman Market Plaza, offers private room rentals, each of which typically features a table in the middle to hold a song book, two wireless mics, a tambourine, upholstered booths, Hite beer bottles, and glasses of Korea’s most popular distilled alcohol, soju, served neat. For the uninhibited, tables can double as a dance floor in a pinch. Kpop, Jpop, Chinese, and English song selections are listed by number. Type the number or a favorite title into the remote. Sounds easy, but for added challenge and authenticity, the remote is only in Korean.
Info
Address 3309 W 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90020, +1 213.909.5581 | Public Transport Red Line to Wilshire/Vermont Station, then a .3-mile walk | Getting there $2 valet; metered and unmetered street parking | Hours Daily 6pm–2am, although known for staying open to 3am. Reservations are highly recommended.| Tip When Roy Choi and Anthony Bourdain crashed Dan Sung Sa, in the same strip mall just two stores away (3317 W 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90020), on Bourdain’s show The Layover, they let out a well-kept secret. The food here is delicious. Cheese corn might be your favorite mistake of the evening.
Gaam updates its song catalogue about every three to four months, slightly slow for diehard karaoke aficionados, but good enough if you’re looking for a way to kick back and have fun with friends. Noraebang is best experienced in packs, and splitting an entire bottle of whiskey in your private room is de rigueur.
Weekends can get busy. Best to book a room in advance and confirm the price. Costs will vary based on the time spent singing and the number in your party. Like a comedy club, a drink minimum is typical. Negotiating in Korean has its advantages, as does a smile and a good attitude.
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