Critic Bill Addison reviews Yangban Society, a genre-defying Korean American deli from chefs Katianna and John Hong
Twin deli cases stand center stage, gleaming and summoning. You’ll see them as soon as you tug open the heavy glass door to. Your attention may bolt in many directions — the upstairs kitchen overlooking the 5,000-square-foot space like a spacecraft command center, a market area in the far corner delineated by its striking shade of cobalt-blue paint — but the most important decisions start at the deli counter, where two rounds of ppang have been strategically placed.
For drinks, scan the cooler opposite the counter for water and other basics, or head upstairs to the market area to scour its abundance of options: canned cocktails , bottles of Champagne and natural wine, Korean beer and hard kombucha brewed with blueberries. Grab a bag of churros-flavored Turtle Chips for later, and perhaps some handsomely packaged sandalwood incense.
In returning to Los Angeles, the pair are among some vital local talents grafting innovative ideas with the region’s rich Korean restaurant culture. Kwang Uh sparked a national sensation last decade with the wild flights of fermentation and complex takes on salads and rice dishes he conceived at now-closed Baroo; at Shiku, the Grand Central Market takeaway stall that Uh runs with Mina Park, his wife, his intricate versions of kimchi hint at his still-restless innovation.
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