KAs@Work is a new series that profiles Korean Americans and their jobs. Want to share what you do, or know of people with interesting jobs? Get in touch.

Oghee (Granny) Choe and Connie Choe-Harikul

It’s no secret that Koreans love kimchi. There’s something about the spicy, tangy crunch of fermented cabbage that Koreans can’t resist. Granny Choe’s Kimchi Company is a California-based, award-winning online kimchi business that has honed in on the booming popularity of kimchi. Curious about this unique and popular business, Korean Beacon reached out to Oghee “Granny” Choe, the authentic halmoni (grandmother) behind the business, and Connie Choe-Harikul, the co-founder and granddaughter of Oghee.

Connie: A few years ago, my mom had the idea of selling her kimchi online… and, as it turns out, it was just wacky enough to work. She was still working full time as an R.N. and caring for my dad who had had a stroke a few years prior. She would make Granny Choe’s business calls during breaks at her real job. I was taking care of my 5-month-old daughter and doing freelance work and dealing with that identity crisis that a lot of new mothers go through… and working on the Granny Choe’s website. It gave us a sense of ownership and an outlet to be creative, which we loved and needed.

Connie: We knew our kimchi was great and wanted to A) have it be an award-winning product so that others would know it was great and B) sell our product in Whole Foods Markets because it is vegan, probiotic and all-natural. We met both of those goals within the first two years. In retrospect, things took of pretty quickly for us. But in the beginning (and heck, sometimes even now), it’s a lot of labor for few results… and a lot of uncertainty. We hope that comes as an encouragement to future entrepreneurs- doubt is a normal part of the process- press onward!

Granny Choe’s Kimchi Trio Set

Oghee: We started out having our kimchi made at a little shop in LA’s Koreatown, and when we outgrew that space, we started renting time at a vegetarian co-op kitchen. Our kimchi is mostly still prepared and packed by hand, but we do rely on a few machines like a blender (for the garlic and ginger) and a digital scale (if our fill weights aren’t right, the jars could overflow during fermentation). We make it in modern homemade style, but on a larger scale.

Oghee: We were surprised, but most of our customers are non-Korean!

Connie: We’re always interested in hearing how they fell in love with kimchi. Some are former servicemen (and women) who developed a kimchi addiction while stationed in Korea. Some enjoyed Korean food at friends’ houses while growing up. Some are just learning about kimchi now that it’s making its way into the mainstream.

Food critic Ruth Reichl predicted that “Kimchi may push Sriracha off its perch” this year. With the recent push to globalize Korean food, how and why do you think kimchi, and Korean food in general, is growing in popularity in American diets?

Each year, KoreAm, the longest-running journal serving Korean America, holds the ”Unforgettable” Gala—a star-studded event where Korean/Korean American talents are recognized for their influence in mainstream media. This year, the gala will be hosted by Randall Park on December 3rd at the Wilshire Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, CA, and will honor football star Hines Ward, director Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda), actor Sung Kang, and chef Roy Choi (of Kogi BBQ truck fame) with KoreAm’s Achievement Award.

To get everyone in the spirit of the event, KoreAm and Hite Beer & Jinro Soju (who has been sponsoring the event for six years straight!) are hosting the “Soju Wanna Make a Video” contest. The mission of the contest is to create a 60-second commercial featuring either Hite Beer or Jinro Soju. The judging will not be based on how professionally the video is made, but rather how creative and clever the commercial is.

The Grand Prize winner gets:

$1000 cash prize
2 tickets to the ‘Unforgettable’ Gala ($500 a piece)
Showing of winning commercial at the Gala Event.

The deadline for the submission of the video is November 26, so get your cameras out and get those creative juices flowing!

For more details and contest instructions, click here.

[Photo: KoreAm]

The Network of Korean American Leaders (NetKAL), in partnership with the University of Southern California Center for Asian Pacific Leadership, will be hosting its annual Gala and Summit in Los Angeles this weekend (Oct. 21-22).

On Friday, the NetKAL Gala will start off the event by celebrating the accomplishments of the Korean American community and by providing an opportunity for attendees to network with other prominent Koreans from all over the world.

An invitation-only conference, the NetKAL Summit will be held on Saturday (10/22) at the USC Davidson Conference Center. This year’s program focuses on the growing presence of Koreans in the entertainment industry, covering topics such as “Korean Wave – Hallyu” (the influence of K-pop culture throughout Asia and its transition into mainstream America) and “Entertainment and Media (R)evolution.”

Some of the many notable speakers include (pictured above):

Top row:
Wesley Yang – Contributing Editor, New York Magazine (most famous for writing “Ti
Jie-ae Sohn – President, Arirang TV
Sean Park – Head of Global Product Marketing, Youtube
Jeannie Park – former Executive Director, People Magazine
Bottom row:
Jun Oh – Senior Vice President, Warner Bros.
Miky Lee – Vice Chair of CJ Entertainment
Byung-kook Kim – President of the Korea Foundation
G.Na – K-Pop Singer, #1 Korean Billboard Chart

Others who are confirmed to attend include Singer-songwriter David Choi, Kollaboration CEO Roy Choi, Joe Hahn of Linkin Park, Tae Woo Kim (former lead singer of k-pop group g.o.d.) and actor Charlie “C.S.” Lee of Dexter. To see the full guest list, click here.

For more details about the NetKAL’s 2011 Gala & Summit, go to: http://netkalsummit.org/

[Photos: NetKAL Website]

Kollaboration NY6, the highly-anticipated annual talent competition show, kicked off at Irving Plaza with an adrenaline-pumping performance of “Bubba Kush” by rapper and co-host of the event, Dumbfoundead (Jonathan Park).

Dumbfoundead

Co-host Roy Choi, Executive Producer and CEO of Kollaboration, joined onstage to talk about Kollaboration’s mission statement—“Empowerment through Entertainment”—and to provide a platform for Asian American artists where there previously wasn’t one. He introduced the judges: Marja Vongerichten (Kimchi Chronicles), world-known executive music producer, !llmind, and music journalist Mikey Fresh, who commented that his top criteria for judging each group would be originality. Mikey also told us that in all fairness, he would remain non-biased towards any rap performances since he’s exposed to it on a daily basis.

Guest Judge Mikey Fresh, music journalist for VIBE.com and Missinfo.tv

There were six groups competing for the grand prize of $1,000, the opening slot for Clara C at her NYC concert in November, and the Kollaboration trophy, along with bragging rights of being the premiere Asian American musical performer in the tri-state area.

Elijah Park

The first act, singer/songwriter Elijah Park, got off to a nervous start, it being his biggest show yet. But after slight technical difficulties with the keyboard, Elijah’s ballad and smooth vocals had the crowd in a trance.

Next up was Rooftop Pursuit—Kollab veterans—singing a pop/rock/soul medley called “All I Need.” The band had driven 4 hours from D.C. just that morning, and although they had expressed their exhaustion earlier, their upbeat performance showed no traces of it. The band is originally a trio; however, they were accompanied by an old band-mate, Sam Lee, on the bass guitar. Their musical influences have roots in and across the spectrum, from jazz, R&B soul, to rock and alternative metal.

Rooftop Pursuit

After singer/songwriter/pianist Cheryl Chin performed her original song, “Flow it Along,” which was a perfect blend of indie and alternative sounds, Triangle Offense, the “electrohop” rap group, took to the stage.

Triangle Offense

Triangle Offense is originally a three-member group but since one of the members, Pwol, is currently studying in the Philippines, the pressure was on Sci and Bri to put on a great show – which they did, performing their song, “It’s All Good,” and engaging the audience with their wild dance moves.

Roy Choi (right) and Dumbfoundead (left)

In-between sets, hosts Roy Choi and Dumbfoundead entertained and amused the crowd with witty banter and tossed t-shirts across the venue because, “everyone loves free stuff!” They also shouted out Korean Beacon, and talked of how the site has come a long way in an effort to spread the Korean American movement. Thanks guys!!

Mitchell Grey

The quartet, Mitchell Grey, came on next who said that in preparation for the competition, they followed their normal rigorous 3-day practice routine before hitting the stage at KNY 6. Mitchell Grey’s sound is a unique one, incorporating pop, rock, and soul, with musical influences ranging from Bill Withers, Gorillaz, Justin Nozuka, and Coheed & Cambria. Their creative inspiration is pulled from all of their life experiences, interpreted in their own way through music and lyrics. We look forward to their very first full-length album coming out in January!

The last group of the night was the only non-singing act—the troupe of dancers, Wanted Ashiqz, crammed onto the stage in a tight formation and began their performance tutting to Eminem and Dr. Dre’s, “The Real Slim Shady.” Their dance style consisted of hip-hop elements infused with Bollywood moves perfectly set against a fluid mash-up of Beyonce songs—“Crazy” and “Halo,” with one of the members coming out in a “Beyonce” wig and cap. The group did a tribute to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” and then quickly morphed into full-fledged Bollywood-style dancing. They ended their act holding up signs that read, “THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US THE WAY.”

After a short intermission, the guest performers—IAMMEDIC, Smokey Robotic, and Dumbfoundead took to the stage and each performed a few of their songs, which were instant crowd pleasers, without a doubt.

And finally, they announced the winners – WANTED ASHIQZ! Congrats guys!!

Following the event, the bands all tweeted each other in a good show of sportsmanship and congratulatory remarks.

We also sat down with rapper, Rekstizzy, who shot his music video at Irving Plaza featuring Dumbfoundead just before the event – watch out for Rek’s newest single off his album, Fake it Till You Naked.

Kollaboration NY 6 was definitely a success with an amazing turn-out, and some of the best up-and-coming musical talents! Great work, KNY fam.

[Justin Ahn contributed to this post; Photos: Deborah Yoon]

In a weekly series of posts, we will present the Top 5 Most Korean-American cities, selected not only for their numbers, but also for their visibility in mainstream America. Our research was guided by the following criteria: population, famous and/or influential locals, programs, and hotspots.

#1 Los Angeles, CA

We’ve finally reached the end of our countdown, and Los Angeles is our #1 Most Korean-American city! After immigrating and settling in the city with dreams of a new life, many Koreans found themselves suddenly displaced after the 1992 L.A. Riots (Sa-i-Gu) took its toll on businesses and homes in L.A.’s Koreatown. But since then, K-town has progressively grown into a vibrant neighborhood that combines cultural traditions with new and modern attitudes. While this may be one of those Captain Obvious moments, let us prove it to you by sharing the countless reasons why the City of Angels tops our list.

Numbers

• 324,586 – Los Angeles metro area (population data compiled using the 2010 Census)

Visibility

Dr. Sammy Lee (left) and Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy (right)

• Los Angeles is home to three Korean American pioneers: Dr. Samuel “Sammy” Lee, Susan Ahn Cuddy and K.W. Lee.
  • A doctor and two-time Olympic gold medalist in the past, Dr. Samuel “Sammy” Lee, the first Asian American to represent the US and win an Olympic gold medal in diving, is an inspiration to anyone with an ambitious dream. Last summer, a square in Koreatown was named after the diving hero.
  • Not only is Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy the daughter of the first Korean married couple to immigrate to the U.S. in 1902, but she is also the first female gunnery officer appointed to the U.S. Navy; making her an important figure in Korean American history.
  • K.W. Lee, known as the “godfather of Asian American journalism,” is the founder of The Korea Times English Edition and still continues to serve on the editorial board of Color Lines Magazine. The award-winning journalist-activist also has a center inspired by his lifetime of service called the K.W. Lee Center for Leadership—a non-profit organization teaching youth how to become future leaders.

  
  Phil Yu (left) and Paul “PK” Kim (right)

• Phil Yu, the blogger behind Angry Asian Man, recently celebrated his 10th anniversary of being one of the most influential voices in our community. Through his posts, Phil has centralized Asian America by facilitating ongoing discussions about racism, activism and mainstream media’s (mis)representations of Asian Americans. This weekend, Phil will be judging Kollaboration SF 2 along with singer-songwriter Clara C.
• Paul “PK” Kim is a multi-talented leader who not only created Kollaboration, the largest Asian American talent show in the world, but co-founded LiNK, a non-profit organization raising awareness to the pressing issues of North Korean refugees. PK is now the co-host and producer of MNET’s BPM: Beats Per Mnet, a daily series covering the latest and greatest in Asian pop culture. You can watch clips from the series here.
• Ever since “coming out” as an undocumented immigrant, 21-year-old UCLA student David Cho is one of the handful of Asian American students putting a “human face” on the DREAM Act issue. Having recently won the Freedom From Fear Award, David founded ASPIRE (Asian Students Promoting Immigration Rights through Education) to unify undocumented Asian American students on and off campus. He’s also the 1st Korean American drum major of the UCLA marching band!

Programs

Kimchi Chronicles’ Marja Vongerichten visited KYCC this past July.

• Established in 1975, the Koreatown Youth & Community Center (KYCC) offers programs and services specifically aimed towards immigrated and economically disadvantaged children, youths, and their families. Some of KYCC’s programs include clinical services, tree planting, and business education.
• Through education, leadership development, and community organizing, the Korean American Coalition Los Angeles (KACLA) seeks to promote the civic and civil rights interests of the Korean American community in L.A. Last month, we covered KACLA’s 3^rd annual KBBQ Cook-Off, which brought out all of the top KBBQ restaurants in K-town for all of the foodies’ delight.

• Founded in the wake of California’s Proposition 8, Koreans United for Equality (KUE) unites straight and LGBTIQ Koreans in order facilitate a larger acceptance within the Korean community.
• The Southern California Korean College Student Association (scKcSA) is the oldest and largest non-partisan, non-profit Korean American student organization in the US, connecting college students from eleven campuses in Southern California. scKcSA promotes a sense of Korean American heritage among students by serving the community and building a strong social network.
• The KHEIR Center was initially founded in 1985 to provide quality healthcare for low-income, non-English speaking Korean immigrants. KHEIR now operates the only full-time community clinic in the country with Korean, Spanish, and English language capabilities and services 30,000 patient visits per year.

Hotspots

• Roy Choi’s Kogi Truck was the food truck that started it all, and while many try to compete with it, nothing beats the original. Initially parking alongside curbs all over L.A., Kogi Truck now has expanded, making trips to cities in the Valley and in Orange County.
• Cafe Mak is a great café to study for exams, finish up some work from the office, or catch up with your friends. The venue is spacious yet intimate with a peaceful ambience and offers free parking (gasp!) after 8pm.
• Always the spot for running into people you know, Chapman Plaza boasts several sooljibs (Korean bars) and restaurants, a hookah lounge, and NRB. In the plaza, Gaam is one of the more popular sooljibs in K-town with its contemporary décor and vaulted ceilings.

• Belasco is the new “it” club among today’s young Korean Americans in L.A. on Saturday nights. Hosted by Korean promo companies, Belasco’s events are notorious for keeping the party alive and well into the night. Make sure to get there early because lines have gone around the corner before. Other notable club spots are Le Circle and VR.
• As a 21+ NRB, Bobos Karaoke is always a fun place to sing and drink the night away. Bobos offers rooms of many different sizes to accommodate groups of any size. With flat screens in the front and back of each room, you’ll feel a rock star performing for your friends while they sing along as your groupies.
• With all of the KBBQ choices in L.A., we couldn’t narrow it down! Check out our list of L.A.’s Top 5 All-You-Can-Eat KBBQ spots to get your meat fix.

Locals

• L.A. is home to Hollywood so we have to acknowledge the many Korean American actors and actresses who are eliminating stereotypes within the entertainment industry. Comedian Amy Anderson’s daughter Aubrey Anderson-Emmons will soon play the adopted Lily on ABC’s Modern Family while Jenna Ushkowitz sings her heart out on Glee. John Cho is coming out with the new Harold and Kumar movie this winter, and Sung Kang will star in Sylvester Stallone’s new action flick Bullet to the Head. Also be on the lookout for the Ktown Cowboys who are set to start filming their movie version of the wildly popular webisode series.
• On the flip side, KAs are also making a name for themselves behind the camera. UCLA grad Grace Lee wrote and directed The Grace Lee Project, a documentary that tries to breaks down the “Grace Lee” stereotype (i.e. “reserved, dutiful, piano-playing overachiever”). Her new film on Detroit activist Grace Lee Boggs, American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, is currently in post-production. Previously based in L.A., Michael Kang has directed the Korean American feature West 32nd, which starred John Cho, Grace Park and Jeong Jun Ho. His new film, Knots, is scheduled to release sometime this year. Other filmmakers include Chil Kong and Dennis Lee.

Dumbfoundead and Priscilla Ahn

• As for musicians: Priscilla Ahn‘s musical career blossomed after she touched base in L.A. to follow her music career dream. Her latest album, When You Grow Up, encompasses her growth and journey as an artist in every song. K-town’s new pride, Dumbfoundead (Jonathan Park), recently caught the attention of the L.A. Times with his track “Are We There Yet.” Singer-songwriter and YouTube extraordinaire David Choi, Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn, and Korea’s “National Fairy,” Lena Park, also call L.A home.
• Known for his “dirty style,” David Choe is a K-town originated artist whose work can be distinguished by its raw, graphic and abd layered qualities. Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe, an art documentary based on David’s work, was recently released on DVD.
• Other locals include: Quest Crew‘s Victor Kim and Lydia Paek, Angry Little Girls‘ Lela Lee, AMN Radio‘s Sung Lee, Christina Lee and Eddie Kim, and Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)’s amazing Chief Deputy, Emile Mack.

This concludes our countdown of the Top 5 Most Korean-American Cities!

Melissah Yang and Eunice Roh contributed to this post.

The much anticipated Kollaboration NY6 promo music video has been released!

The video features the 6 competitors of this year’s event—Mitchell Grey, Wanted Ashiqz, Rooftop Pursuit, Triangle Offense, Christina Love Lee, and Elijah Park—doing an upbeat cover of Maroon 5′s hit “Moves Like Jagger.”

This year, the winner will not only get a cash prize, but a chance to open up for Clara C‘s upcoming NYC show at the Highline Ballroom on Saturday, November 12th, 2011.

Kollaboration New York tops itself each year, and this year is no exception: KNY recently announced that Koreantown L.A.’s Dumbfoundead will be performing and co-hosting alongside Kollaboration’s Global President Roy Choi at the event.

Pre-sale ticketing has been extended to this Friday, Sept 2nd, so get your tickets before they sell out: http://kollaborationnewyork.org/tickets

Kollaboration NY6
17 Irving Place
New York, NY 10003
September 29, 2011 @ 7pm

Check out the music video below:

This is going to be an exciting event you don’t want to miss!

KAs@Work is a new series that profiles Korean Americans and their jobs. Want to share what you do, or know of people with interesting jobs? Get in touch

Susan Park wears many hats: she’s a food historian, a columnist for LA Weekly’s food blog, a program director at Ecole de Cuisine, a culinary school in LA, a partner at FOH/BOH³, a restaurant management company that she co-founded with my her husband/chef Farid Zadi and sommelier David Haskell, a VIPretty ambassador for Pretty in the City, and she’s opening a new restaurant this fall.

We talked with Susan about how she got into the food business and culture, her thoughts on Korea’s push to globalize Korean food, and, most importantly, how she gets her drive.

When did you become interested in studying food as a profession?

When I was about 14 years old. My mother is a great cook, but she only made Korean food when I was growing up. So, I started teaching myself how to cook from books. My parents indulged me and let me buy whatever books and ingredients I wanted. I collected all the American classics, beginning with Julia Child‘s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Who knew that years later I would marry a French chef?

Why did you and your husband, Chef Farid Zadi, decide to open Ecole de Cuisine? And how does ECLA differ from other culinary schools?

We planned on opening our own culinary school for 10 years. The whole purpose of him teaching at various schools, including Le Cordon Bleu Pasadena for six years, was to open our own cooking school.  He also taught at Sur La Table, Whole Foods, Epicurean, as a chef in the classroom for Los Angeles Unified School District. We waited to open our own school in 2010, because our youngest child, Elias-Deen, turned seven that year. Seven is a critical year, it’s the age when many children reach autonomy in a lot of ways. It was very important to us to spend as much time with our children during their formative years.

ECLA offers a more comprehensive and detailed culinary arts education than other culinary schools. We’re also small and mobile, so we’re better able to adapt to industry demands and trends than bigger schools. Our fabrication/butchery and International courses are especially demanding. We cover lots of skills, techniques, and ingredients that other schools don’t.

Susan Park with husband Farid Zadi (right) and David Haskell (left)

We hear that you are collaborating with your husband on a new restaurant. Can you give us some details?

We want to wait a week before announcing the details of our new restaurant with David Haskell. In the meantime, FOH/BOH³ has teamed with Jenee Kim, owner of Park’s BBQ and Don Dae Gam, for a weekend food and wine bar at her latest venture, LaOn. We’re debuting the weekend of August 26th-28th with our interpretation of Korean dishes within the context of gloriously diverse Los Angeles and the bounty of international ingredients that are available to us in California.

For more details about the event, click here.

Last fall you co-founded a culinary school, and this year you’re opening a restaurant — all with zero investors! Where do you get your drive from — especially in the current economic slump? Also, any advice for people thinking of starting a new venture?

I have unwavering confidence in my abilities and work ethic. I’m just not a doubter or worrier. I visualize a goal and start mapping it in my head right away.  Most importantly, I know lots of friends that I can count on for help. I have a big personal and professional support network built on trust. That’s how we were able to start with no investors. We found kitchens that were already built out and rented them. We were able to negotiate low rents and deposits or no deposit agreements.

My advice to people who want to start new ventures is to gain as much relevant experience as possible. People who don’t have relevant experience tend to see the glamorous side of it. In other words, they don’t see the all the behind the scenes work that goes into making a successful business. You have to be able to multitask and endure a lot of stress when things aren’t going smoothly. Not everyone has the stomach and stamina for this. And oh, don’t forget to do the math. You have to overestimate your input and underestimate the financial outcomes. Don’t lie to yourself with the business math.

We enjoyed reading your recent article on LAWeekly.com, ‘L.A.’s Idea of Korean Food vs. What Koreans Really Eat,’ and your look at the different (mis)conceptions of the Korean bapsang. What are some of your favorite Korean dishes to cook at home?

I tend to prepare simple dishes at home, regardless of type of cuisine. My husband and I teach or cook enough complicated dishes at work, so we like to stick to basics at home.  I make Korean dishes that my kids like, such as bulgogi, kalbi, roasted laver, fried anchovies, clear soups (tangs), Korean curry and bap (rice).  

What do you think of the recent popularity of Korean cuisine and the Korean government’s effort to globalize Korean food?

It’s really a handful of 1.5 or 2nd generation Korean chefs or chefs of Korean descent who’ve gained a lot of notoriety in the past years. If you look at Momofuku’s David Chang and Kogi’s Roy Choi, they’re not even making Korean dishes per se. They recontextualize Korean ingredients into contemporary or popular American dishes, e.g. Korean tacos. Or they riff on a traditional dish or presentation by incorporating better quality ingredients or substitutes, e.g. Chang’s Bo-Ssam uses a big hunk of pork butt, which is much more American than even remotely Korean.

First generation Korean restaurateurs have to keep up with demographic shifts. Korean immigration to the States has been steadily declining for years and there’s a growing 1.5 and 2nd generation of Korean-Americans. Korean business can no longer rely on first generation Koreans to maintain growth or even sustain themselves. They have to retain assimilated Koreans and attract non-Koreans to their businesses.

Both 1st generation Korean business owners and the Korean government need to tap into 1.5 and 2nd generation Korean-Americans to act as adapters and translators, if they want to tap into a mainstream American customer base. So yeah, while it seemed like every major newspaper, magazine and website in the U.S. has been buzzing about Korean cuisine for the past few years, that’s really not the case. They were buzzing about what 1.5 and 2nd generation Korean-Americans were accomplishing with food.

Overall, I think it’s terrific that the Korean government spends so much effort on promoting Korean cuisine abroad. But at the end of the day, for it to make economic sense, somebody needs to teach mainstream or multicultural America how to cook with Korean ingredients. Otherwise, that’s a whole of money and effort being spent on singing to the choir.

Finally, how is it having your husband as a business partner?

It works out well because we both have the ability to completely ignore each other at work and at home. In all seriousness, our job functions don’t overlap too often. So most days we’re not actually side by side at work. When we do work together, it’s usually in the kitchen either co-teaching, training staff, a catering job, one-off event, pop-up, running a restaurant etc. But we’re at home together in the kitchen, we know each others habits, skill sets, etc. We can rely on each other in the kitchen.

Ecole de Cuisine Los Angeles
http://ecolecuisine.com/
To read Susan’s articles on LAWeekly.com, click here.
Follow Susan on Twitter

[Photos: Courtesy of Susan Park; Pasadena Independent (first photo); David Chang: Gabriel Stabile; Roy Choi: Axel Koester/NYT]

Known for revolutionizing fast food with his Kogi trucks, Chef Roy Choi wins again with his latest enterprise, A-Frame. Angelino Magazine will give the title of “Best New Restaurant” to A-Frame at its 9^th Annual Restaurant Awards. Roy Choi will receive his award at this Sunday’s Live & Dine LA Event, where he will also be serving up samples from A-Frame’s menu.

Subtitled a “Modern Picnic,” A-Frame uses communal seating, and customers are expected to share with each other their Korean-styled barbecue lamb chops, Japanese-flavored furikake kettle corn, and Peruvian-inspired crispy beer can chicken.

Though the kitchen closes at midnight, customers can still enjoy A-Frame’s full bar and cocktail menu until one-thirty in the morning. With the exception of the Alibi Room (of which Roy Choi acts as a consultant), A-Frame is reportedly the only restaurant that serves Hite beer outside of L.A.’s Koreatown.

A-Frame can be considered Roy Choi’s first actual restaurant that doesn’t operate on wheels, and with this award, the restaurant looks like it’s here to stay.

A-Frame
12565 W. Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 398-7700
http://aframela.com/

[Photo of interior: Knibb Design; Crackling Beer Can Chicken: Tatiana Arbogast]

Chef Roy Choi, of Kogi Truck fame, has quite the jam-packed schedule. From 8 in the morning to roughly midnight, he’s out on the road, checking his various food trucks, dropping in on his restaurants Chego!, Alibi Room, and A-frame, and well… running his business. In an interview with L.A. Confidential, Choi described his day as “a kind of chaotic clockwork” filled with “traffic, dusk, and the Kogi smell of meat and tortillas.”

Life’s about to get even busier for Choi as he tackles yet another culinary project as new chef of Venice-based restaurant Beechwood. He plans to take Beechwood in a new and exciting direction by complementing casual American fare with creative cocktails and incorporating traditional carnival food favorites. Think coated ice cream bars, candied apples, and frozen bananas, all for grown-ups. If there’s one thing Choi knows, it’s delicious casual fare with a playful bent, so we’re excited to see what’s in store.

[Photo: Mathieu Bitton/L.A. Confidential]

On Thursday, Eater declared “the end of the food truck trend” in Los Angeles with rise of “copycat trucks” and “corporate trucks” saturating the market. Furthermore, Josh Hiller of RoadStoves, the food truck outfitting extraordinaire who helped launch Roy Choi‘s revolutionary Kogi truck, told the LA Times how money-hungry commissaries and truck operators are exploiting the market and “basically just prostitut[ing] the whole culture.”

So, what does Kogi’s Roy Choi think of the recent criticism, politics and possible plight concerning the L.A. Food Truck scene?

According to the LA Times, Choi is “is amazed by the circus food trucks have generated and tries to distance himself from the politics.” He feels that people get the wrong idea about food trucks and that they should ” ‘get past the hype’ and embrace the trucks culturally”:

“The thing about taco trucks that people don’t really understand is that it’s not about cheap eating,” he says. “Why do you think families bring their kids to eat on folding chairs? Not because it’s cheap but because it’s part of the culture. It’s only in America where it’s not considered a beautiful thing to be sitting outside with your family enjoying the weather. It’s only here where we have to sanitize everything.”

Choi also advocated that truck businesses branch out to other L.A. neighborhoods instead of crowding in the same lots.

Head over to LATimes.com to read the rest of the article.

[Photo: Axel Koester/New York Times]