Game Arena X Takorea
Happy Fri-Yay, 614 Explorers! Hannah here, and I am incredibly excited to share our latest find this week.
Game Arena x Takorea supplies different gaming possibilities alongside Korean-Mexican fusion cuisine. Josh and I are “closet nerds,” so the gaming systems excited us!
But first, let’s talk logistics! The business is located along High Street near the University District, which is always fun to find parking around. Can you feel the sarcasm in that sentence? However, the storefront just so happens to be tucked between the hubbub of High St. and an expansive parking garage. Parking varies by the hour, but luckily, GA x Takorea validates parking for a flat five-dollar rate!
A small patio lines the wall of windows of the Game Arena. Walking inside is like walking into a futuristic movie, with teal lighting over the bar and colorful LED lights installed on the walls. Immediately upon entering, the restaurant appears, with a large bar and open kitchen in the back. Let’s talk about food before we get into the gaming side!
As I mentioned, Takorea is a Mexican/Korean fusion-style restaurant that tops it off with game-themed beverages. With everything from mocktails to soda floats and boozy milkshakes, they have a little bit of everything to drink! I turned the Princess Peachy mocktail into a mixed drink, and I kid you not, it was like drinking a Peach Ring. They were one of my favorite candies, so I was instantly sold. Josh, the bourbon lover, had to try their bourbon cocktail called the Witcher’s Potion. His drink was “interactive” as he poured in a little shot glass to watch the colors change while stirring it all with a cinnamon stick. After both being impressed with the drinks, expectations were high for the food.
Takorea came through with the flavors. Josh had the bulgogi burrito, which was quite large and super filling. As someone dislikes slaw, the Takorea slaw paired with the Avocado crema made the dish. The winner of the meal, however, had to be my Korean Fried Chicken. For roughly ten dollars, I got seven pieces of crispy, boneless chicken wings in the most delicious spicy Korean sauce. Getting anything else from here will be hard because I love this chicken.
Now, to come back to the games! Game Arena supplies a few tabletop games, two racing simulators, various gaming consoles, and, most notably, rows and rows of gaming computers. Located near campus, it’s perfect for those wanting to play PC games without buying an entire system. It took us back to the days of LAN parties in our high school days. They supply several games, such as Call Of Duty, Fortnite, and more. You can log into your Steam account or play as a guest, paying by the hour! If you don’t use all the hours you paid for, they will stay on your Game Arena account for later use! We recommend buying the day pass if you plan to spend the whole day there.
In addition to casual gaming, they also host many gaming tournaments. They have a soundproof, glass room split in two, with six computers on either side for said tournaments. Past contests have featured the newest Call of Duty games, Apex and Valorant. The events, of course, have a cash prize and viewing areas for friends or fans of the games.
I said I would keep this short, and I did not, but I will add their link for more information below! As always, check out our Instagram page @614explorers for more pictures and videos of the space! Happy eating and gaming!
