K-Town
34 W. 32nd St., nr. Broadway 212-643-2603
Koreatown’s neon-lit main drag is crammed with bibimbap joints and karaoke parlors, but there are few spots for downing an inexpensive drink. Which makes this lively underground lounge—no karaoke here, but Korean pop videos play on an endless loop—such a gem. Happy hour runs till 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday (and till 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday), with a young, spiky-haired crowd partaking of chilled soju ($9.95 a bottle) and frosty mugs of Killian’s ($3.95). With the money you’re saving, splurge on a platter of spicy fried chicken ($19.95); it might sober you up enough to return for the matching late-night happy hour (1 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday).