Hop Sing Laundromat taking a break
Proprietor Lê said he wanted to get away "so I can think about future projects."
Chinatown cocktail bar Hop Sing Laundromat is closed for a week, coinciding with its fourth anniversary.
It will be the first break for Lê, the single-named proprietor, who started building the business on Race Street nearly six years ago.
Then he texted that he was "heading home to Pyongyang to give Glorious Dear Leader a full report on the inferior culture and lifestyle of Imperialist American dogs" and suggesting that he wanted to "celebrate quietly and take some time to reflect."
Lê, who happens to be Vietnamese and a dog lover, relishes playing the role of a North Korean acolyte - all the better to support his notoriously cranky persona.
Lê takes extreme glee in barring potential customers who wear sneakers and tote cell phones.
The bar sits behind a locked gate, has no phone number or outdoor sign, and takes no credit cards.
It's also racked up a slew of honors from publications such as Conde Nast Traveler and Bon Appetit.