WHY Beer and sake happy-hour specials, serviceable sushi and a fun selection of izakaya small plates. Korean bibim bap is surprisingly good here.

WHAT Koreatown hipsters and Miracle Mile office workers populate the heavy wooden tables at this spot that reveals the Japanese fascination with ’50s-era Tokyo memorabilia. A faux alley at the rear of the bar is lined with replicas of old storefronts, signage and posters, while Asian movie one-sheets grace the dining room walls. Multiple menus offer satay-like skewers of grilled kushiyaki, sushi rolls, fruit juice—laced shochu martinis and the kind of quick-bite snack food found everywhere in urban Japan.

WHO Young women with streaked hair in denim microskirts and bobby socks and their Blackberry-toting dates.