K-Town is one of my favorite areas of DTLA, not necessarily for its crazy aesthetics but for the best. food. ever. Okay, maybe I'm a little biased, but one of the blessings of living in L.A. is being able to find some of the best Korean food outside of Korea itself. This is good news for me, since I can't exactly go back to Korea every weekend just for my mom's kimchi stew, or nostalgic street tteokbokki and $2 gimbap. K-Town is my second best alternative, and every time I visit I end up finding new great food to try.
The California Market is a hidden gem in K-Town that, on the outside, may look like any other Korean grocery store. But go up the escalators inside, and you'll find a rooftop terrace filled with Korean boutiques, cafes, and restaurants.
Cafe Bora is an adorable dessert cafe originated from Seoul. Its concept is "healthy dessert" made of purple yam and other staple vegetables in Korean cuisine. As soon as I heard purple yam was involved, I had to check it out. It tastes similar to taro, and is one of my all-time favorite Asian dessert flavors. Sadly, this location has closed since I last visited, but if you ever happen to be in Korea, you can always check out the original cafe in Seoul. It was good while it lasted; you can never have too much of Korean food anywhere.
Before we even get to the actual food, can we just stop and talk about the gorgeous aesthetic inside this cafe? The flower arrangements are simple and elegant, as is the wall decal text in Korean. I love the minimalistic contrast between the deep, maroon-purple and light grey-sage walls. All the colors are muted and classic, and the light, unfinished wood adds a modern, rustic element to the environment.
For dessert, we ordered the purple yam soft serve and classic and purple yam tiramisu. The soft serve was super pretty and served with a purple flower. It was mild in flavor, though, and not the richest purple yam I've tasted. The tiramisu was surprisingly yummy; it had powdered cocoa and purple yam with creamy, rich mousse underneath. The single-flower vases were also a nice, elegant touch to the table decor.
Also, just around the corner outside on the balcony there's a tiny hidden rose garden that makes for some great photos. We went around for a little photoshoot after we ate.
Outfit Details
Coat: Zara
Sweater: Zara
Cami: Brandy Melville
Skirt: Oak & Fort
Tights: Urban Outfitters
Boots: ASOS