Koreatown ramen shop burglarized during restaurant shutdown

Saikai Ramen Bar in Koreatown was broken into on Saturday, its front door smashed and broken glass strewn across the floor and sidewalk.

“During these uncertain times, it’s been challenging to keep our spirits high,” the restaurant said in an Instagram post detailing the incident. “It’s saddening to experience this when we already feel kicked down. Hopefully this post will warn other business owners to keep their guards up.”

The post went on to say there were no injuries and that police caught the suspect.

The noodle-focused restaurant, helmed by chef Jimin Kim, opened in July. It, like hundreds of other restaurants in the city, closed for business after Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered the shutdown of restaurants, bars and other nonessential businesses March 15.

Violent and property crimes are down overall in Los Angeles since the beginning of the year. But with restaurants temporarily closed across the city, many chefs have expressed concerns that abandoning their businesses for a long stretch of time could make them more vulnerable to vandalism and burglary.