The Hong Kong Café was a Los Angeles restaurant and music venue that was a part of the Los Angeles punk rock scene during the late 1970s and early 1980s when the club was owned and operated by Barry Seidel, Kim Turner and Suzy Frank, followed by a resurgence from 1992 to 1995. Located at 425 Gin Ling Way in the Chinatown district of Downtown Los Angeles, California and across the way from sometimes rival Esther Wong's Madame Wong's, the former Chinese restaurant was open to audiences of all ages. It can briefly be seen in the 1974 movie, Chinatown.

History

First Run of Shows: 1979-1981

The Plugz and UXA played at the club's opening night on June 7, 1979, and numerous bands, including X, Catholic Discipline, The Mau-Mau's, Bags, The Smart Pills, Nervous Gender, and The Alley Cats, performed there until its closing in January 1981. Concert footage filmed at Hong Kong Café appears in the Penelope Spheeris documentary film The Decline of Western Civilization. The Hong Kong Cafe was typically more open to punk and hardcore acts than Madame Wong's. Black Flag played some of its first few shows at the Hong Kong Cafe.

Resurgence: 1992-1995

The venue reopened for music in 1992, featuring shows from acts such as D.I., Guttermouth The Offspring, and the Voodoo Glow Skulls.

Aftermath

The space is currently occupied by Realm, a housewares and gifts retailer.

Shows at the Hong Kong Café

Shows from the Hong Kong's first months: