On this second episode of CNN’s “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”, chef/host Anthony Bourdain takes viewers to a locale we all know too well here at Audrey Magazine: Los Angeles’ Koreatown. I was really intrigued to see what Bourdain would cover in his visit to the famed ethnic enclave in just under an hour – and to my surprise, I found it delightful (as it always is to watch Bourdain).
Bourdain begins his interview with Roy Choi (of Kogi, Chego and A-Frame fame) with a brief overview of the 1992 LA Riots (for contextualization and history) and how Korean Americans were a part of that in his perspective. For the Korean spots, Choi took Bourdain to Dong Il Jang (for good ole’ KBBQ), a visit to the Kogi trucks, Chego, and A-Frame (a former Ihop), and Beverly Soon Tofu. Choi also took Bourdain to non-Korean spots like fast-food Filipino chain Jollibee and Swadesh in Little Bangladesh (which is only about two years old).
Bourdain also paid a visit to artist David Choe in his studio, where he received his first painted portrait – and also listened to Choe make some interesting remarks about Korean women. Choe, being the character that he is – took him to a place you wouldn’t expect to be in this episode: Sizzler. However, Choe says that Sizzler plays an important part in the memories of many second generation Korean Americans. In addition, Bourdain also visited Monte Carlo Bar, Myung In Dumplings (to which Choe mentioned the buns looked like “buttholes”), and a special homecooked meal at Choe’s parents home.
For information on this episode and reruns, please visit here.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA, is not only providing local LAists and visitors with visual art, but they’re now providing the art of music as well. Their new hip-hop concert series, “Through the Mic,” is on the third Thursday of every month through October 2012 at 8 PM. On Thursday, June 21st, for their second event, the Korean-American rapper, Dumbfoundead, along with other hip-hop artists like Gizzle and Medusa, performed live in front of LACMA’s renowned Urban Light sculpture. Before the three hip-hop artists performed live under the night sky, Audrey Magazine was able to catch Dumbfoundead (DFD) and have a little chat with him. When we asked him if he wanted to take picture with a “gangster” pose he turned down the offer and said, “No, I hung up my gangster title a long time ago,” we knew that he was ready to show more of himself than just his rapper image.
Although the interview lasted about 10 minutes we quickly discovered that DFD wasn’t just this tough and swagger-like Asian-American kid who could spit sick rhymes. Instead, within those 10 minutes he revealed that he was quite the hopeless romantic and the “politician.” From talking about his inspiration for his latest EP “Love Everyday” to the politics of South Korea, we thought we were talking to somebody else instead of the usual Asian American rapper we see on YouTube. However, we saw his rapper and entertainer reputation on stage shortly after as he performed songs like “Bubba Kush,” “Cell Phone,” and “Are We There Yet?” Dumbfoundead, along with his band and Breezy Lovejoy, turned up the energy at the usually quiet museum. The crowd of all ages and ethnicities went wild when Dumbfoundead showed his true talent: freestyling.
Continue reading for the interview and for more pictures!
Los Angeles brightest, young Asian Pacific leaders were recognized for their outstanding philanthropy last night in rainy Downtown LA. APCF, the Asian Pacific Community Fund, hosted the Awards reception for the third year in a row where 200 community supporters, philanthropists and young civic leaders came out to support the young awards recipients.
