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Design Daytripper: Koreatown’s Orange Signs
There are a lot of orange signs in Koreatown (on that stretch of Bloor Street between Bathurst and Christie). We’d even argue that there’s more orange per block than anywhere else in the city.
Wondering the importance of orange in Korean culture, we contacted Professor Andre Schmid, Chair of the Department of East Asian Studies, at the University of Toronto. He replied, “Not aware of any special significance to the orange colour.”
Undaunted, we contacted an expert in Korean eating and drinking (our friend Dave), and he proposed the “orange sign method.” Namely, in his opinion, all the best Koreatown joints can be deduced by the presence of an orange sign.
We put it to the test: Starting early with a dinner of table cooking at Joon’s, we moved upstairs to No=i for the spicy chicken and five beer bucket, and finally slouched in a couch sucking back soju at Form Lounge. (And spent the rest of the night feeling very tipsy indeed.)
The “orange sign method” has proven a foolproof way to explore the strip.
(Also in the area, the much-loved El Salvadorian eatery Tacos El Asador proudly sits under an orange sign.)