But don't worry—it's just for a month.
Last night, Baroo shared an Instagram post that alluded to an upcoming closure:
Say it ain't so! Since opening last September, Baroo has swifty gained national acclaim—an incredible feat, considering the tiny East Hollywood eatery is owned and operated by just two people: Kwang Uh and Matthew Kim. Their menu is a well-curated selection of dishes that focus on clean ingredients, many of them fermented and all of them beautifully presented at reasonable prices. So at the first mention of a closure, I thought "Ah, crap. There goes another one."
Thankfully, Uh and Kim are just taking some time to regroup. Baroo will be closed from April 28 to May 31, though the re-opening date may be pushed back depending on what their prep situation looks like. As Uh explained to me in an email, "[The closure] was originally planned before opening, as something like: if we cannot make it within one year, let's go somewhere to celebrate the birth of Baroo anyway. Right now, we decided it's time for us to take time and step back for a bit." He went on to say that all the attention had started to make him feel snobbish and overwhelmed, and that before both he and Kim face a real burnout, they needed to take action and be happy with themselves in order to make others happy. "This will be time to empty, recharge, refresh, have insight, meditate and become inspired again for a better us and Baroo," he says. We can get behind that.
In the meantime, diners can still find the full menu available at Baroo until everything runs out. The hours will stay the same until April 28, at which time you'll have to find another place for excellent kombucha, kimchi fried rice, bibim salad and passion fruit tart. Oh, Baroo, we'll miss you so.
Will you be visiting Baroo before it closes? Let us know in the comments below!