With the pandemic continuing to show face well into 2021, many Koreans have relied heavily on instant foods due to the amount of time they are now spending at home. However, the popularity of Korean instant noodles particularly skyrocketed not just in Korea but in many parts of the world as well. Last year, South Korea exported about $674 million USD of instant noodles according to Korea Customs Service. This was almost a 12% increase from 2020.

China had the biggest demand with an export demand of $149.9 million USD then the United States with an export demand of $81 million USD.

Social media platforms such as Tiktok, Instagram and YouTube contributed greatly to this as many viral videos of ramyun recipes have surfaced. Whether it’s adding milk to spicy ramyun broth or mixing Kewpie mayonnaise and egg with the ramen packet seasoning, people are loving how convenient, innovative, and simple instant noodles are when it comes to everyday meals.

Specifically Korean companies such as Nongshim and Samyang have seen a sharp upwards trend. Besides the well-loved Shin Ramyun, people are now starting to try different flavor palettes. A few years ago, Samyang’s Buldak noodles saw a surge in popularity due to an internet challenge called “the Fire Noodle Challenge” where people would attempt to consume an entire packet of spicy ramyun. Mukbang personalities from all over the world would showcase the many flavors Samyang had to offer within their Buldak collection, some of the popular ones being the original Buldak, carbonara, and the two-times (2x) spicy Buldak.

Also with Korean entertainment gaining international recognition, overseas fans have begun to show interest in Korean food, introducing themselves to the cuisine with instant foods such as ramyun. In Netflix’s “Squid Game,” there is a scene where Lee Jung Jae’s character enjoys ramyun by eating it as a raw snack. While this has been a common practice in South Korea for many years, international fans have only recently learned that this is another way to consume instant noodles. Even in the infamous “Jjapagurri” (or Ram-don, for western audiences) scene in Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” we saw that ramyun can be served with a hint of luxury as Lee Jung Eun’s character prepares a mix of Jjapaghetti and Neoguri ramyun with steak.

As Korean culture continues to be well-received by people overseas, we can expect this trend to continue in an upwards trajectory.

Julie kim

Asia Journal

The Koreatown community is getting more and more diverse as there are now a lot more choices to choose from for dining with the variety of new restaurants that are appearing in town.

Many authentic Italian restaurants in the Los Angeles County are either in Beverly Hills or West Hollywood. However, there is now an authentic Italian restaurant in Koreatown! “Ca’Brea”, which was originally located on La Brea Ave. in Hancock Park, is now over at Wilshire Blvd. at the Ramada Hotel.

It’s been 10 years working at the restaurant for chef and owner George Sarkis. He first started out as the chef until his family later bought the Ca’Brea where he transitioned into both a chef and owner. Sarkis first started cooking at age 4 when he used to cook for his brother. He learned Italian cooking from his father and his father’s friend who owns many Italian restaurants in Los Angeles.

Sarkis proudly spoke about their most popular dishes, one of which is a whole chicken that they debone and cook with 50 pounds of pressure to make the chicken thin. Their seafood pasta is also one of their signature dishes. Ca’Brea’s most popular dish from their lunch menu is the Ossobuco Panino while the Italiano Benedito with blu-rice cake is the recommended dish for breakfast by Sarkis.

Ca’Brea has a lot of seafood dishes on their menu. Since it is northern Venetian cuisine, they concentrate a lot on seafood.  It is also one of the reasons Sarkis wanted to come to Koreatown for his next venue location because he knows that Korean people loves seafood and garlic. Although there are a lot of Italian fusion restaurants in Koreatown, Sarkis wants to stay true to his roots and wants to only serve authentic food.

As it has only been a few weeks since the restaurant has re-opened in its new location, Sarkis explained that there were a lot of things that are not finished yet. He expressed that he cares about every little thing in detail of his restaurant from the food to the décor. He mentioned that even the gelato, flowers and water are from Italy.

Although Sarkis was born in the states, his dad was raised in Italy so he visits there often. He also travels to create new menu ideas as well. Besides the Ca’Brea, Sarkis owns another restaurant called the Kahuna Tiki. This particular restaurant is a Hawaiian and Japanese tiki restaurant located in North Hollywood. He has a goal in mind where he would like to open another restaurant, but informed us that he cannot disclose any specific information.

Ca’Brea is definitely worth a visit as it is the only authentic Italian restaurant in Koreatown. Their ‘Happy Hour’ menu is also very appealing as appetizers, house wine and beer all range under $10. The ‘Happy Hour’ hours are from 5:00PM to 10:00PM.

Ca’ Brea
3900 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90010
323-938-2863
Open 7Days Mon-Thu 7:30AM-10:00PM
                     Fri-Sat     7:30AM-11:00PM
Sun          7:30AM-9:30PM

Nongshim produced “Jjawang” ― a name that was created in combination of jjajangmyeon and wang, meaning “king” in Korean, in April. After making successful sales in Korea, Nongshim launched Jjawang in Korean specialty markets in the United States in September and is continuing to sell extremely well.

Jjawang boasts 3mm-thick noodles, added with kelp powder in order to improve its texture and bring out its savoriness. It also contains a newly enhanced vegetable flake, which includes onions, cabbages, potatoes and green peas, as well as oil made from onion, garlic and green onions to replicate a more authentic taste.

Nongshim has long been at the forefront of successful instant jjajangmyeon products, including the mega-hit “Jjapaghetti,” which was introduced in 1984. A Nongshim spokesperson stated that the company has been successful in making thicker noodles a trend in the industry, and said that the jjajang sauce combined with the noodles was what made the product delicious.

As they made their U.S. debut, Nongshim chose Korean-American actor Ki-hong Lee to feature in Jjawang’s commercial which went viral.

Youn-joo Sang
Narin Kim

Eun Dae Goo Jorim (Steamed Cod Fish).

If you were outside of the country by yourself, what would you miss the most? It would probably be your family, especially your mom’s cooking.There is one hidden gem in Koreatown, Los Angeles where many Koreans can have authentic Korean food that reminds them of home. That restaurant is Jun Won Restaurant, which is on 8th and Berendo St.

Jun Won Restaurant has been one of the best Korean restaurants for 21 years. Even though the restaurant has an old, faded Korean sign and the inside of the restaurant has an “old” vibe, people who want to have substantial and real Korean food go to Jun Won.

When it gets close to lunchtime, you will constantly see people coming and going. When the clock hits 12PM, 10 tables are all packed within 10 minutes. Seeing a line at the restaurant is not rare, but the good thing about Jun Won is that the owner personally takes the order of the customers that are waiting to pre-order their food so that the food will be ready as soon as they are seated. Not only the care that the restaurant puts into the food, but their extra attention to their customers is what brings people back.

Tofu Jjigae (Tofu Stew).

Another special quality about Jun Won is that the recipes of all the dishes in the restaurant are all made by the owner Jeff Yong-won Jun’s mother. She started her first ever restaurant in a men’s sauna, and she opened her own restaurant in 1994 where she named it “Jun Won” restaurant after her son’s name. Her son, Jeff Jun, took over the restaurant 8 years ago and continued the success of the restaurant with using his mother’s recipes.

Jun Won Restaurant Owner Jeff Jun.

Jun Won is famous for their fish dishes and the most popular fish dish is the Eun Dae Goo Jorim (Steamed Cod Fish). Some of the other popular dishes are the Dongtae Jjigae (Pollack Stew), Tofu Jjigae (Tofu Stew), Pureed Soybean Soup and Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew). The Kimchi Stew was even selected by the Los Angeles Times as one of best in town. The main dishes are also served with eight or nine seasonal banchans (side dishes), which stimulates the appetite and complements the food. Although some may be intimidated by the strong flavors, Jun Won has a diverse and loyal customer base where many even bring their friends who have never tried Korean food.

Owner Jeff Jun takes special care of each and every customer that comes to the restaurant. He already got his mother’s recipes, but he runs the restaurant with his positive business mind and excellent customer service. Jun stated, “When I was a kid, I just helped my mom with serving the food for one or two hours and then I would go hang out with my friends. As I got older, I started to truly enjoy working at the restaurant. Then, I started to think of what else I can do for the restaurant. I even went to high class American restaurants and tried to learn from them. I realized great service makes a huge difference. I always emphasize to our servers to make an excuse to approach customers and try to be there for them before they need us.”

Jun Won has become so popular within the Koreatown community that even Korean celebrities from Korea would visit to have Korean food that’s similar to their “mom’s cooking” even though they are thousands miles away. Some of the Korean celebrities that have visited are actor Jang Dong-gun, actress Kim Hee-sun, 2NE1′s Minzy and Big Bang. Recently, Big Bang visited Los Angeles for their World Tour where they performed at the Staples Center and the Honda Civic Center. While they were in LA, they also visited Jun Won a few times as they are also big fans of the restaurant.

“As I’ve watched how Koreatown has developed over the years, I’m just really glad that Korean food has become more known to the public outside of its borders. I’m not here to serve just Korean food; I also serve Korean culture and our true colors. It’s good to be doing business and to have a multicultural clientele behind the walls of Korean culture,” said Jun.

Although Jun is currently planning to move to another location, he assures that the quality of the food and service won’t ever change. The only thing that will change is a different “look” of the restaurant and also additional menu items that will provide customers a wider choice. He is also looking to create more dishes for vegetarians. The restaurant hours are Monday-Saturday from 11:00AM to 2:30PM, 5:30PM to 9:00PM.

Yuna Hwang
Narin Kim
K-Herald

If you want to try the best quality of bulgogi, a marinated beef, or want to feast like a King from the Korean dynasty, “Gwangyang Bulgogi” is the best restaurant you can go to in Koreatown, Los Angeles.

Gwangyang bulgogi is a type of bulgogi that originated from Korea. In the Joseon dynasty period, the Kims lived in Gwangyang, worried about their only son who had no manners. They treated the scholars to calves and cows with garlic sauce cooked over black oak charcoal from Mt. Baegunsan with joy. This is how Gwangyang bulgogi was born.

What’s good about Gwangyang bulgogi is that it looks and tastes different than the typical bulgogi you see at other Korean barbecue restaurants. They use rib eye instead of just marinated beef, which makes the bulgogi taste much softer and taste more of the savory meat flavor rather than the sweetness of the marinated sauce. They hardly put sugar or other seasoning on the bulgogi and it still tastes good. They use the best quality of rib eye and grill them on charcoal. That is why people can enjoy the clean and light taste of Gwangyang bulgogi. You won’t find bulgogi like theirs anywhere else in California!

Owner Chul-hong Ahn had been running “Gwangyang Bulgogi” in Korea for 15 years. Koreans, including major public figures, love “Gwangyang Bulgogi” in Korea. Former President Myung-bak Lee, former Prime Minister Hwang-sik Kim and the mayor of Seoul Se-hoon Oh often visit the restaurant and enjoy Gwangyang bulgogi.  That’s when CEO Ahn decided to introduce the true taste of Korean food to foreigners in the U.S. The chef at the restaurant in Korea often visited LA before opening the restaurant in Koreatown, and tried his best to match the same taste of Gwangyang bulgogi in Korea and make it the same in LA. Ahn said, “The first thing I care about is the sincerity of our food. That is why I always check on everything from A to Z. I always check on the quality of meat and how they are cooked on the grill. I regard the customers who come to my restaurant as my family. We bring ingredients from Korea to US, like the gochugaru (Korean chili powder) and sesame oil. I only make food that can be served to my family and myself. This is how I worked for 15 years now.” Ever since “Gwangyang Bulgogi” opened in Fall 2014, word of mouth spread all over town that a new go-to place for KBBQ had opened. Even celebrities such as Roy Kim, Eric Nam and SISTAR had enjoyed the taste of “Gwangyang Bulgogi” during their brief stay in Los Angeles.

“Gwangyang Bulgogi” made a deal with a distribution enterprise so that he could get the fastest shipment of meat in order to acquire the best quality meat. He is familiar with the US and Japanese distribution enterprise because he also uses Kobe beef, which is beef from the Tajima strain of Wagyu cattle in Japan, for Kkot sal (marbled beef rib eye). They also remove the fat from the rib-eye before they cook it in consideration for the customers’ health and diet. The uniqueness of Korean BBQ is that people can actually see the meat that they are going to eat, and enjoy watching while the meat is cooking. “Gwangyang Bulgogi” takes strong pride on having both the best meat quality and the best customer service in Koreatown.

Ahn wishes that “Gwangyang Bulgogi” can be the perfect example of what true Korean food tastes like to foreigners. That is why Ahn put so much effort on every single dish and how it tastes. “Gwangyang Bulgogi” even uses porcelain dishes to show Korea’s traditional dishes and plates and they hardly use any seasonings for their food in order to bring out the natural ingredients and flavor to introduce Korea’s clean and nicely presented food.

“Wow! This is the best pizza I‘ve ever had!”

Exclaimed a couple of Korean-American children who have only eaten ‘Pizza Hut’ or ‘Domino’s’ and gave Korean style pizza the thumbs up. The kids tried sweet potato, potato and bulgogi pizza for the first time and they were welcomed with a new, bursting taste they have never experienced before. They commented saying that they want to introduce it to their American friends.

CEO Dong-wook Lim stated, “Although we opened in November, we didn’t have a rowdy promotion. We treated guests with the best customer service and expected the restaurant to get well-known through word-of-mouth.”

“Pizza and Chicken’s Love Letter” is a branch of Korean Chugajip chicken. It offers well-known seasoned, spicy chicken and variety of pizzas and pastas. The newly opened La Habra restaurant is the head store after CEO Lim took over as the U.S exclusive distributor.

The most popular menu is the sweet potato pizza with various toppings called the ‘Sweet Potato Gold Pizza.’ Also, the chemistry between the roasted potato and mayonnaise is perfect for anyone to eat and the ‘Bulgogi Pizza’ is Love Letter’s proud recipe and is also popular to children and foreigners.

“Love Letter” has not only pizza, but also has variety of chicken choices. ‘Green onion Chicken’ is a fried chicken with fresh green onion on top, and ‘Hot and Spicy Chicken with Cheese’ is also a highly recommended choice.  “Love Letter” is the best place to be with family, co-workers and friends. It is a very comfortable place to rest and enjoy different kinds of cold beer, makgeolli (Korean rice wine), and soju cocktails. They have special appetizers served with alcoholic beverages like Port Cutlet, Stir-fried Octopus, Tofu Salad, and Mozzarella Cheese Sticks. The restaurant is very spacious so it is also a highly recommended restaurant to have company lunches, dinners and special events as it also has a private room that fits up to 50-60 people.

The restaurant opens until midnight on Monday through Thursdays, 1AM on Fridays and Saturdays, and open from 1PM to 10PM on Sundays.

Pizza and Chicken’s Love Letter
1180 S. Idaho St. #D
La Habra, CA 90631
714-446-9904

Caffebene’s new winter menu has a total of 9 items which includes 4 “pan desserts” and 5 drinks that will captivate customers’ taste buds. What makes this winter menu special is that the desserts are not just any kind of desserts, but they are made by using a small pan – thus, the term “pan desserts” were coined. A dessert dish made by using a pan is not something one can easily find in a coffee shop so Caffebene pursued a special know-how on what a “dessert-type café” is.
The four different types of pan desserts introduced are: ‘Choco more S’more’, a sweet brownie topped with marshmallows and gelato; ‘Real Espresso Lava’, an espresso soufflé cake with whipped cream; ‘Dig it Cheese Cake’, a New York cheesecake topped with strawberries and a cracker; ‘Pantastic Alfredo Fondue’, a cheddar cheese honey bread with alfredo fondue. Caffebene’s “pan desserts” have been bringing a warm and romantic start to this winter season where they’ve grown such huge popularity in Korea already as they sold over 200,000 within a fortnight after they first launched their menu.
In addition to the “pan desserts” becoming a hit, their winter drink menu also brings a holiday cheer with the following drinks: Red Velvet Latte, Salted Pretzel Latte, S’more Hot Chocolate, Amaretto Late, Chrismallow Latte.
“Caffebene is planning to continue on bringing ‘big hit’ menus every season, which these activities will be specialized by our R&D department and the Trend TF team,” stated Jason Lee, Marketing Manager of Caffebene. “Ever since the start of Caffebene’s expansion to the U.S., the R&D department has been constantly developing menu ideas and the Trend TF team also operates to respond faster than any other brand by following the change in the U.S. market trends and the market environment.”
Caffebene’s winter menu is presumed to be a strong competitor in the U.S. market and highly appeal customers with holiday cheer with just a sip of their drinks or a bite of their desserts.

2 in 1 is always good when it comes to food!

Here at Stone Grill, you can catch two birds with one stone. AYCE (All You Can Eat) BBQ + Shabu Shabu = a happy tummy. Lunch specials, dinner specials, ‘Prime’ specials, and ‘Choice’ specials, this Korean barbecue restaurant will give you so many varieties on meat!

Their one of a kind grill pan made with stone has been brought over from South Korea, and Stone Grill restaurant is the first ever to have it in Los Angeles! Can you hear the gogi (meat) sizzling on the stone? Come try it out and see how the meat is different when cooking it on stone.

Sihwa
Kpop Buddy

Ever wished you woke up in the middle of the night and had somewhere to go grub?

Shinjung is right there! This place is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Serving from Korean breakfast menus to Shabu Shabu and AYCE (All You Can Eat) BBQ all night long, this restaurant is a stop by place if you’re randomly hungry at 4 a.m. after a night out with your friends and need of a hangover cure. May need to R.S.V.P after 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on weekends! Alcohol only served till 2 a.m.

Inside deco isn’t fancy, but the food is decently priced and has awesome quality. Shinjung has been open in Koreatown for almost 30 years now, and is famous for their popular ganjang gejang (soy sauce marinated raw crabs) that will make you eat a whole bowl of rice. Using prime meat for everything on the menu, you can’t go wrong with this place’s AYCE BBQ and Shabu Shabu. On top of that, they are famous for bulgogi as well. It’s not your average bulgogi. Called yooksoo bulgogi (yooksoo meaning broth), it will stir up your taste buds wanting for more! After finish eating the bulgogi, mix up the rice with the broth and try it with some kimchi. Perfect combo.

Come by Shinjung to get your grub on!

[Voucher Info]
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*There will be no credit given for the difference amount.         Click on the image below!
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[Voucher Use]
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Hey KpopBuddies!!!

In honor of Labor Day this coming weekend, we’re doing a special giveaway to our fans for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to a Korean BBQ (K-BBQ) restaurant called Hong Dae Ip Gu in Koreatown, Los Angeles!!

Hong Dae Ip Gu is located on Wilshire Blvd. and St. Andrews Pl. and is open from 5PM-2AM all week. One of the best things about this particular K-BBQ restaurant is that they have both an All-You-Can-Eat (AYCE) option and regular combination options.

Since the gift certificate can only be redeemed at one location, this giveaway is limited to SoCal locals or whoever that will be in the LA area in September. Please keep in mind that the gift certificate expires on 9/30/2014.
We’re giving away a total of THREE gift certificates to THREE winners – one from Facebook, one from Instagram, and one from Twitter!

The giveaway will be closed on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 5PM. We will be announcing the winners on Friday, Aug. 29 at 11AM.

Want to know how to win? Here’s how:

Facebook:
1. Like our page: Facebook.com/KPOPBUDDY
2. Comment on our giveaway post and use hashtags #KBBQME #GOKPOPBUDDY
3. Share our giveaway post on your Facebook  page. (Please make the post PUBLIC so that we can see it!)

Instagram:
1. Follow us on Instagram: @kpop_buddy
2. Share (Regram) our giveaway post
3. Tag us and use hashtags #KBBQME #GOKPOPBUDDY

Twitter:
1. Follow us on Twitter: @kpop_buddy
2. Retweet our giveaway tweet
3. Tweet us and use hashtags #KBBQME #GOKPOPBUDDY

Good Luck!

KpopBuddy