Now, here's one of the prime examples of how a strange obsession, and too much money, can be a lethal combination.
Rolling down Western Avenue in LA's K-town neighborhood is always a boisterous and loud experience. But amongst the rows of neon lights, Korean dive bars, and family-owned grocery stores lies something that sticks out like a sore thumb— a giant wooden ship that serves sushi and spaghetti, aptly named Cafe Jack.
It's a bit confusing, a little scary and very strange at first glance, but the out of place nautical theme is only the half of the story. Cafe Jack is actually a full blown tribute to the 1997 flick Titanic. That's right, the "Jack" in Cafe Jack is in reference to good ol Jack Dawson, aka Leonardo DiCaprio from the movie.
Now, "Tribute" is a word I use loosely here, as this place is more like a warped homage to everyone's favorite prepubescent tear jerker. There's the standard posters and publicity stills, which adorn the walls, THEN there's the out of place stuff— christmas lights, plants, handmade drawings, and heart pillows— that fill in the rest.
Strange aesthetics aside, once you start poking around you'll find endless corridors that take you around the ship, which is actually much bigger than it seems from the outside.
There are private rooms, patios, secret tables and random bars located in all kinds of hidden corners all around the structure. It's quite impressive, but everything really seems out of place, and a little bit off, plus the confusing Titanic tie-in doesn't help matters much.
The food is a strange combination of Asian and Korean cuisine smashed together, none of which is really that great. You've got sushi rolls, pasta (?!) and rice plates, noodles, and BBQ, plus a wide variety of shakes, coffee, and smoothies. The eclectic options all seem to mesh with the general tone of the place, but that tone is certainly a confusing one.
The vibe of the place is also a little creepy; dimly lit—though bright and colorful due to the xmas lights— and empty, which only adds to the spooky charm. It's large and actually quite hard to find a waitress sometimes (and not because they're busy). Everyone just seems to be off in another dimension around these parts.
To give this a maritime analogy, I'd compare it to a ghost ship of sorts, which I guess is all part of the appeal.
