Debbie Lee’s Long-Awaited Korean Gastropub Yi Cha Opens in Highland Park | Eater LA

"A long-awaited modern Korean gastropub from chef Debbie Lee debuts October 30 in Highland Park’s former Otoño space, presenting Korean American pub dishes and an inventive cocktail list through a pojangmacha-inspired lens shaped by Lee’s North Korean heritage. Returning favorites from her Ahn Joo days include K-town nachos smothered in queso and ginger-braised pork and crispy KFC wings with gochujang Buffalo sauce, joined by bar bites like a Korean barbecue nut medley, king oyster mushroom chips, fish jerky grilled over binchotan, soy-braised “wet” beef jerky (jangjorim), lumpia-wrapped pork-and-shrimp “mandu,” crispy pork belly with tangy kimchi gastrique, and wagyu bone marrow corn cheese nodding to Mexican esquites. Larger plates run to bulgogi burgers with pepper jack, kimchi aioli, and perilla; Joseon-style bossam with pork belly or tofu steak and all the fixings; and a bubbling gamjatang loaded with ramyun and tteokbokki in a spicy pork-and-potato base capped with torched cheese, with desserts like Fuji apple egg rolls with ginger mascarpone and goguma pie topped with Asian pear crème fraîche; produce is sourced from local farms like Weiser and Beylik. The beverage program, led by Senga Park, spans wine, liquor, and beer, with cocktails like the Pick Me Up (soju infused with Be Bright beans, butter almond makgeolli, espresso liqueur, chocolate), Jeju Sunrise (lychee-infused vodka with Jeju mandarin, lemon, pomegranate), and Melona Dreamsicle (a white rum riff on the popsicle), plus Rice to Meet You yogurt makgeolli, Jinro soju, sparkling tea, and oolong sikhye; beers include Benny Boy’s rice lager, Taihu’s Meyer lemon sour, and Terra. Inside, a ZiBEZI mural greets guests at the bar, neon washes the brick-lined dining room in green and blue, and the slim back half evokes an alley with a single row of small tables lit by string lights and overhead signs. Reservations are available on OpenTable with walk-ins welcome, and lunch, weekend brunch, and delivery will be added later." - Rebecca Roland