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Walking by 7th and Flower today, I noticed the new Wokcano restaurant on the southwest corner is making substantial progress after months of sluggish construction.

Exterior signage has been installed over the entrance in 818 Plaza’s signature brass lettering. Most of the woodwork has been completed, but much interior work remains unfinished.

A construction worker on-site said that he’s not aware of the planned opening date, although the restaurant’s website advertises Summer 2007. Adding to the delay may be the restaurant’s still-pending application for a liquor license to sell beer and wine, an all-too-familiar story for businesses in Los Angeles.

Once the doors finally open, it will be the first location second location (thanks, Jim!) in Downtown LA and the fourth in the Los Angeles area where one can enjoy Wokcano’s Asian-fusion cuisine. Apparently the first location was closed a number of years ago for a new building and was located at 913 South Figueroa Street. The site is currently a parking lot.

Also worth mentioning, Tatou Restaurant at Boylston and Third in City West currently serves up a “Wokcano-inspired” menu for neighborhood lunch-goers since one of the restaurant’s partners also owns the Wokcano chain.

For the dinner crowd, however, let’s hope diners will enjoy the late hours offered at the three other Wokcano branches. If Burbank and Pasadena can support 2am and 4am weekend closing times, the Downtown location should stay open until at least midnight. This will be a major step forward to turning 7th Street into the new “Restaurant Row.”

Check out these related posts:

1. downtown wokcano shoots for holiday opening
2. wokcano sits finished, arrival likely next week
3. wokcano opens march 6 (no, we’re serious)
4. wokcano: firing on all cylinders