"But I'll...never be...a regular..." at OB Bear - Lovely Frank Shyong piece in LA Times today

Americas - USA West Los Angeles
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Enjoy. I am enjoying his pieces quite a bit.

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it really does feel like the Times Food section getting better

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I agree, but, FWIW, this is not a food section piece - Metro/City desk, I would guess. But it concerns one of our beloved restaurants and sections of town.

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Yeah, Shyong’s been doing some really nice writing.

I got sat in the upstairs grotto one time. But only once. Oddly, while I’ve been to OB Bear with Koreans plenty of times it was only when I was there with another white boy that we found ourselves in the elusive second floor nook.

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I’ll have to look at that Ugly Delicious episode again to see if I missed it or just forgot.

I can’t go there without ordering the raw sea snail.

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Never heard of him. Is he a food writer?

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He’s been writing for the LAT for a while and now has a column. This is is first:

From that piece:
"For the last seven years, I’ve been reporting on ethnic communities and race for The Times, focusing on the San Gabriel Valley and Asian American communities. What I’ve learned boils down to this: Understanding the cultures of Los Angeles is central to understanding Los Angeles as a place. And, in 2019, ethnic communities are not just colorful backdrop or sinister metaphor, but the main characters of the place we all love.

So in this column, I want to reintroduce you to Los Angeles — not the city of avocado toast and Hollywood and fading noir nostalgia, but a vibrant, ever-changing, international city defined by its diversity and its diasporas.

I’m not the type of columnist who has all the answers and feels comfortable telling you what to think. I can only show you what I see and hope that it makes you think."

ETA: And here are some of his earlier pieces:

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I never realized being seated up there was such a big deal. I’ve gotten seated up there a couple of times coming in early evening on a weekend. Interestingly enough, both times our entire party had no Koreans. Only Filipinos and Chinese.

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Thank you for that link! I remember reading this article and being so touched by it -

Lovely work.

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Yes, good piece @CiaoBob. Thanks for sharing.