Escala in Ktown is where cultures collide on the plate and in the room. Colombian food -- real Colombian food -- in the heart of Koreatown. El Chino's spot, Bogotá soul, LA address. We got the chicharron plate: thick cut fried pork belly, rice, beans, avocado, sweet plantain, arepa, sunny egg. The ceviche. Short rib with guava gravy. Colombian soda. Sixteen dollars for a full plate that hits every time. The vibe inside matches the food -- it's lively, it's warm, it's the kind of spot where everyone belongs. And with the World Cup coming, this is exactly where you want to be watching the games. Big screens, great food, and a crowd that actually cares. Only in LA does a spot like this exist. read more

I come here for a Latino brunch. What does that mean, it's a brunch with amazing cocktails and original brunch dishes. You won't find those played out hollaindaise here. Get some chicharron and ktown rice. Also try the coco loco to get litty! @EseLatinoAngelino Ps- parking here is tough. Don't be cheap and get an uber or waymo read more

I came here for a lunch date and was pleasantly surprised by the food. I wish I found this place sooner. The ambiance felt pretty social, not necessarily romantic, but chill. The service was great, and I think either the owner or lead manager attended to us. Great recommendations, and very patient with me (I had many questions about the menu). I ended up getting a fish plate as well as a full meat plate. I don't remember the names of the dishes, but they were AMAZING! The meat plate was particularly delicious. There was a little bit of everything on it! The location is pretty central and there are plenty of other food spots there, including a boba spot, korean bbq, fried chicken, and more! I definitely see myself coming back! There's also PLENTY of parking in the plaza. It is not free, however. read more

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Ambiance was cool. Definitely more of a spot to celebrate because the music is very loud in there, so don't expect a quiet meal lol. Flavor was alright, best dish were the wings. Crunchy and flavorful. The bandeja k town was just ok, nothing memorable and could use a bit more flavor. Our server was friendly and helpful with recs. Really wish the food was hot and not just warm. $10 parking in the back for 2 hours because that's LA for ya. read more

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Good service, delicious food with a fun fusion of Colombian and Korean items, and amazing late night music. The classic Colombian salsa hits were *chef's kiss* Definitely will return in the future. read more

Escala - Complementary mini buñuelos, beef empanadas, and bandeja K-Town - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The food was delicious, however the service wasn't the best. I came in around 2 PM on a Sunday and the place was bussling. I was seated immediately. After placing my order, I waited about 40 minutes until I received my food. They forgot about the drinks and after reminding them, they immediately gave me a watered down espresso martini. I had to send it back! On another note, the chicken wings and chicharron were delicious. Although I wouldn't come back to dine here again after the atrocious service. read more

Escala - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Yummy! What a great find for a happy hour! Plenty of space, excellent service and tasty food and drinks! The HH menu is so good!

Went here with a friend on a Friday night and parking was chaotic in the lot, but we felt lucky to get a spot! We were seated right away at Escala, but it took a while for the servers to take our order and then it took a really long time to get our food. I had ordered the Bandeja K-Town, a Colombian platter with Korean BBQ Short Ribs. The short ribs themselves were super dry and inedible. I was never given the choice between the kimchi and the salad. I did like the plantains in the dish, though. Also, it can be super loud in here; not a great place if you want to have a conversation with someone. Very underwhelmed and disappointed by the experience. read more

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Such fun vibes, great live DJ music and crazy to the max decor including an indoor fountain, flower tree, and awesome lighting fixtures. The staff was awesome, helpful with describing the food options and super friendly. We were curious about the Colombian-Asian fusion so we ordered a variety of dishes, including oxtail, porkbelly, empanadas, Town Bandeja, Ceviche, guava gyozas, and Colombian drinks. All the food and limited variety of drinks were good, empanadas and gyoza were just ok, but nothing stood out. There's limited but convenient pay parking in the back with access to many other restaurants. Would return for the fun vibes. read more

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I've been to Escala in Koreatown a few times before, but this visit meant so much more because I brought my aunt, kids, and family to celebrate my aunt's birthday. We're all Colombian, and while we absolutely love our food, I really wanted them to experience Korean cuisine -- and Escala did not disappoint. The food was incredible, full of flavor, and honestly felt so homey and comforting. Everyone at the table loved what they ordered. Even my toddler and her cousins had the best time -- the music and atmosphere made it such a fun space where they could enjoy themselves without feeling stuck at the table. My aunt's dish did come out later than the rest of ours, but we truly didn't mind because the place was busy and everything we had tasted so amazing. What really stood out, though, was the level of care and service we received. On my way to the bathroom, I recognized the owner and chef from social media and stopped to share how much I loved the food and the vibe. They were so warm and even asked if we were Colombian, which made the experience feel instantly more personal. The highlight of the night was the chef -- she went out of her way to come to our table, introduce herself, and genuinely connect with us. When she found out about my aunt's delayed plate, she immediately took care of it and didn't charge us, which we didn't expect at all. It was such a kind gesture and showed how much pride and love she puts into what she does -- truly taking care of people like family. As we were leaving, she even came to find us to say goodbye. That level of attention and heart is something you don't see everywhere. Escala isn't just amazing food -- it's an experience filled with warmth, culture, and genuine hospitality. We felt like family, and I will absolutely keep coming back. read more

Escala - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Escala's one of those places where there are an infinite number of things you could stare at, from the unique art on the wall to the chandeliers to the old wooden pews to the open window concept. The kind of place where a flash mob could start anytime musical-style. Is the food a bit pricey? Yeah, but also my soup/stew was delicious and full of colorful spices. read more

Escala - Sancocho (colombian Stew) - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

It feels like you're eating at a backyard in Colombia. This Korean and Colombian fusion restaurant had some good food. Although the drinks had great presentation, I give them a 4/10. If you focus on the food, this place is worth a try. read more

Escala - Pisco - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Only been here for their late night happy hours M-Th. It's chill and casual. Decently priced because of the happy hour menu. Love the whole wings in both flavors and empanadas with kimchi and with beef. read more

Escala - Whole Chicken Wings - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Went to Escala for Sunday brunch to celebrate a friends birthday. The vibe was fun with early 2000s music and a lively atmosphere. Service was a bit slow--our food came out quickly, but we did have to remind staff about our drinks. We ordered multiple drinks and the picada for four, which included street corn, plantains, yuca frita, sausages, and Korean ribs. The food was good, but nothing stood out as extraordinary for me. That said, I'd definitely come back for the party vibes and to try other items on the menu. Oh and they added a nice cake for my friends birthday! read more

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My friends love the food here, so we met them for dinner on Saturday at 6:30. Great thing is they still offer the happy menu on a Saturday until 7pm. Bad thing, no street parking anywhere so $20 for parking. They say the menu is Colombian-Korean fusion but other than some bland kimchi empanadas, there wasn't a lot of Korean influence on the menu. I heard the kimchi fried rice is good (but we didn't get it). We were greeted so warmly, into a VERY loud, lively place. Servers were friendly albeit disorganized, so we had to ask many times for dishes we'd ordered. The sliders were too greasy, more bun than meat, corn was overly doused in cheese, yuca fries lacked flavor, empanadas were ho-hum. My friends loved their fried chicken and pork sandwich. Maybe I was hoping for more fusion. It was busy and a good neighborhood place for happy hour. read more

This is a great place to grab a drink, some food, and watch a game. I think on weekends it's a drink brunch place with a dj. Had a few items but I'll just talk to you about our favorites: Yucca fries and the beef empanadas. I highly recommend just getting those two and going ham on them. The fries are crispy and tasty and the beef empanadas were so flavorful and cooked to perfection. Also it was a solid amount of food for the price so that's fantastic. Also service was fast and friendly. Lots of seating inside. There is parking in the lot it's attached to for 4 dollars (5 if with card) for two hours. Otherwise street. read more

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I went on a Saturday night and it was a lively atmosphere with a live DJ. I love the decorations and art inside. It is a bit loud tho, and I had trouble talking and hearing. Server was friendly but service is slow and you might have to wait a while to get your food, despite the restaurant not being that busy. It's also hard to get your server's attention and get your check. They also gave us chicken empanadas when we ordered beef. We didn't bother telling them though to avoid another long wait. The Mac n Cheese was good. The pico de gallo and their "homemade" frito chips was a yummy addition and I really like the crunchy texture the chips add. However, both times I've ordered this dish, it has come out lukewarm (not sure if it's because the cold pico de gallo cools down the Mac n cheese) but it made the dish taste a bit off. The noodles were also overcooked. The Bandeja K Town platter seems a bit pricey ($29) compared to the amount of meat you actually get. This dish wasn't fully hot either temperature wise. The empanadas were great and came out steaming hot with yummy green salsa and a kimchi aioli sauce. The chicken empanadas that we got on accident tasted a bit too chicken-y (if you know what I mean lol) but the beef and kimchi fried rice empanadas were amazing. Parking here (especially on weekends) is a disaster. The $20 valet is usually filled up during weekend dinner times. And street parking is extremely hard to find. I was able to find a parking garage a block down for $15. read more

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Dropped in for a quick happy hour. The bartender was friendly and the drinks were good! Great prices for the area! Would try the food next time! read more

Escala - Happy hour - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I've been here many times with friends for drinks and once for just food. I like the layout of this bar and the general theme of it. Being situated in Koreatown its something a bit different from what's in the surrounding area. Drinks are good and food is good! Service can be a bit better. We found ourselves waiting a bit when the place was empty. Service at bar Is much better if you are sitting at the bar. Nonetheless, a great spot to hang out. They have music and they have enough to give you a good night out if you decide to stop by. read more

Not good. The service was ok but the food was a waste of money. The ambience was stale, not much personality with the service or guests. I ordered a well gin which was cool but that's it. I ordered the wings with Colombian seasoning which taste like nothing at all. No seasoning on the chicken or the breading. I also ordered the loaded yucca fries which were yuck. People are usually in this spot so im curious as to what they order. I know for sure its normal to go there for a drink, many people were at the bar. read more

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Went here to celebrate my sister's birthday with the family...it was amazing! Jose our waiter was so thoughtful and kind. He stored a birthday cake for us in the refrigerator, stored a large stroller for us and his kindness was truly special! The ambiance was incredible with amazing Colombian music and the food was delicious! Best empanadas I've ever had! Strongly recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes simple Colombian food with Korean fusion! read more

We came here to try their happy hour. I like the vibrant and exciting vibe and decor of the restaurant. I like the indoor/outdoor set up. On a breezy evening, it was a treat. The menu has an expansive choice of happy hour items. I ordered a sangria to start. For appetizers, we tried the street corn, the empanadas, beef sliders, chicken wings and yucca fries. The food came out fast. We enjoyed the food and the restaurant. On a side note, there's parking for $10 and if you are lucky to find street parking, it's free. read more

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Ive dined in a few times. Its a very cute place. Food is mid at best. The sancocho was the best thing I've had from here. I recently got delivery from Escala and half of the order was missing. I called and spoke with the staff who acknowledged that they had messed up the order and said he would call me back in 10 minutes to fix it and never called back. Very poor customer service. Won't be returning again. read more

It's cute it's quiet ! Parking sucks . Music is good ambiance is good !! Street corn good seasoned also messy ! Very flavorful . The decor and vibe is great I'm glad I tried the mushroom it was different . Love the salsa . read more

Escala - Street Corn - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Late night Colombian bar in ktown. The drinks were super sad how is this an old fashion? We received it and started laughing. The drink was sent back. My pamola was ok taste like those sugary bottled juices from the store. Got this free bread which tasted like dense pancake balls. The bandeja platter was fun to get a variety of Colombian culture my favorite was the sausage and fried banana chips. Some of the fried items were a bit on the oily side and the ribs were not worth getting (taste like store bought jarred sauce). The service was okay but an hour before closing they were already cleaning up and stacking chairs while there were many customers still in the bar. Loud squeeze noises from the clean up made us leave because it was getting unbearable. Wouldn't come again but it was nice to check it out. I have always wondered what goes on in this corner read more

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The food was delicious and very flavorful. I thoroughly enjoyed the K-TOWN FUSION RICE CON POLLO and coconut rice. My date took me here and it took quite some time for the food to be served to us. It was pretty loud with music, we sat outside, this was around 8:50pm/9pm on a Wednesday night. Will definitely be back. The staff customer service was average. We parked in a structure across the street on the corner. read more

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The restaurant has a nice atmosphere. The staff were nice. They had a DJ who played good music. The mimosas and food were delicious. We had a group of 10 and we all had a fabulous time. read more

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First of all, love the vibe here. Tables are picnic style bench so gives the vibe of just family style meals. We just ordered a bunch of tapas cocktails and got our grub on and listened to great music. They have a DJ spinning and playing the jams. Everything we ate was super flavorful from the ceviche, empanadas, BISTEC Al Caballo, wings, pork belly. Great service and even better food. Parking is a bit tough in K-town there's street parking if you get lucky and some paid parking lots adjacent to the restaurant although they were full when we drove by. read more

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I have always really liked the empanadas and the big beef rib, which used to have a fair and consistent size for the price. However, the size has now been reduced significantly, and keeping the same price does not seem fair. If the empanada is going to be reduced to about a quarter of its original size, the price should be adjusted accordingly. The flavor is still good, just much smaller now. Other than that, the service is excellent -- a solid 10 in that area. read more

Escala - Really small Empanadas - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Gotten drinks here twice! I really love their Skinny Spicy Margarita they make it exactly how I like. They even threw in some cheeseballs for us to share. The music they play is awesome! Hopefully, they fix up the women's bathroom since it was a little bit dirty and worn out. Customer service was really good! read more

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Loved it. Got the chicken lunch special. Super flavorful chicken, sweet plantains, the beans were also so good. Really chill vibes and good service. Yummmm. read more

Escala - Grilled chicken lunch special - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came for happy hour from 4 to 7 PM with six dollar tap beers and appetizers for seven dollars. Appetizers were pretty small, but someone reasonable. Parking in this area is really tough, I do not recommend valet because it's really expensive. You kinda have to just circle around until you find a spot. But it is very roomy inside and has a lot of bar seating. Nice ambience with affordable drinks and food. The food was satisfactory, I especially like the happy hour Korean fried chicken wings because they had some great flavor and texture! Service was also pretty good. I would come back here for happy hour vibes. read more

Escala - Wings hh - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Enjoyed our happy hour experience at Escala. We tried some sliders, empanadas, fried yuccas and a few adult beverages and had great service from our waiter. The restaurant has a relaxed, and cool vibe. read more

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The food was ok, there are Much better options in the area. The fried food tasted like old oil. read more

What a cute spot in K-town, and a Columbian spot at that. Our server was super nice and offered some good drink suggestions. The food was delicious and had great flavor. The elite was so good and cut into 3 pieces. The happy hour was also a really great deal to catch up with friends. I would definitely come back. read more

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Been here a few times before so I'm sad to have had a disappointing experience. QR code on table so I ordered using the online menu, octopus with potato and the corn. I wanted the salad but it wasn't on the menu anymore and the waitress said it's been removed. No salad? On the menu it says the octopus had two options for the potato side but she didn't ask me and I figured either was fine. Food comes out, no potato with the octopus. I asked about it and I showed her the online menu and she said she would go check. She said she'll see what she can do, and I ate while I had. I was wondering what she was doing, and I ended up finishing all the food I had and then she came by and asked me confirming I expected potato, which was odd, I said yes, she apologized again and that was it. I asked for the check, paid and left. They did not even offer some small substitution or even a token 10% discount or anything at all, and I left hungry since I thought I would be getting a boiled potato, or at least the other potato side. Waitress was nice but was surprised how this was handled. I still left a 20% tip and then felt stupid about it later. I had been recommending this place to friends but no more. There are tons of other options nearby so I don't think I'll be returning here anymore. read more

Loved Escala! This Korean-Colombian fusion restaurant is delicious. I've been here for Happy Hour but recently tried the Brunch menu and I'll definitely be back! Ambiance: Casual but you can definitely dress up if you want! It was also very lively, they were playing Throwback R&B/Hip Hop/Soul like Usher etc which was amazing. Food: We got Calentado - Rice w. pulled pork, pork belly, blacks beans, egg, green onions, cilantro, and chopped plantains. They also give you a spicy sauce if you want to make it spicy and I LOVED this dish! It was sweet and savory, the pork was tender and flavorful, and the hot sauce took it to the next level! Getting this everytime honestly. BeatsJunkie Loco Moco - this was a different take on the usual Loco Moco so I was interested to try. It's a carne asada burger patty with fried spam and a chorizo sauce, on top of a bed of coconut rice. This also came with plantains. It was good! But I don't think I'd repurchase this one as it was pretty heavy for a brunch meal for me. Red Snapper- this wasn't bad but I found it to be a little too salty for me Passion Fruit Mimosa & Mango Chile Mimosa - we got bottomless; you can get a tajin rim if you want which is nice, but these drinks weren't strong like at all. It took a long time to feel even a little tipsy. That's the only reason I omitted one star read more

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Food (5/5): The Bandeja was BOMB! The plethora of diverse food balanced each other. My favorite out of everything on the bandeja is the galbi. It has a perfect amount of fat and sweetness. The pork belly is crispy on the outside and soft inside. The salsa has a kick to it and the sourness of the kimchi balances out the fatiness. I love the arepa with its cheesy goodness that I think could have used a little more love on the stove to make it more gooey. Service (5/5): I can't promise they'll do this for everyone, but they were so nice enough to give my party a bottle of champagne! Ambiance (5/5): I love the environment here! The loud music, open doors and windows, and the hip decor. The DJ is playing my music right here! Price (5/5): My party was 11 of us and we spent ~$500 with tip. Not bad at all! read more

Escala - Bandeja Fusion (Fusion Platter) - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Ok so I'm Colombian and I have waiting way too long to come here. Loved it and can't wait to go back. We made reservations on line ahead of our visit. We got there and we let them know and were promptly seated. We got a great corner-window table. Music was good; no too loud and a mix of hip-hop and Colombian salsa LOL! I wish I had room to dance! We had a Club Colombia beer and had 3 mini buñuelos on the house. We ordered "La Picada" para 4: it is basically a shared party platter served on a meter long wood board. Comes with Galbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs), Colombian Chicharrón, Colombian Chorizo, Morcilla (Colombian Blood Sausage), Whole Chicken Wings, Sweet Plantain, Street Corn, Papa Criolla (Colombian Native Potatoes), Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Grilled Onions, Fresh Pineapple & Arepas. Boy that was enough for the three of us! We liked everything, specially we had as dipping sauce "ají" and it was great. My fav was the chicharrón and papa criolla. I mean the short ribs were flavorful just like everything else, but I haven't had those potatoes in so long that was awesome. We had the pleasure to meet and chat with Kyu Min Lee (aka OG Chino) and he was tired but more than gracious to give us some time and even treat us desert! We had the bocadillo (guava) con queso gyozas and the obleas... the perfect end of a great meal. I highly recommend this place and I can't wait to come back to have tamal de pollo, sancocho and parto frito con arroz de coco!! read more

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After a lovely evening at the theater in downtown the idea of visiting this LA staple just made sense. The Korean/Columbian fusion is pretty tasty! Just before closing the crowd is tame and service at the bar is responsive. Parking is a little tricky but what do you want, it's LA! Ceviche served with a rice cake like tostada was light and crunchy. Poor a little chimichuri on each bite and you have yourself something to write home about. The kimchi rice empanadas with an aioli sauce are so good! Yucca fries with a spicy ketchup and a beer to wash it down. read more

Escala - Yucca Fries, kimchi rice empanadas, loaded arepas (pork) - Colombian Near Me - Los Angeles, California