Kae Sung Market is a charming, family-run haven for kimchi lovers in LA, offering multiple fresh, homemade varieties crafted by local icon Sook Jae Cho.
"The tendency to romanticize the food cooked by our grandmothers runs through every culture, and Korean culture is no exception. At Kae Sung Market, an actual grandmother, Sook Jae Cho, spends her days brining and fermenting the vegetables that make up her kimchi, famous among in-the-know neighborhood locals. Cho has been living in LA. for over forty years and started selling her homemade kimchi as a side business in the ’80s. (The mart is named for her North Korean hometown, Kae Sung.) This side hustle has turned into a full-day market, and on any given day there are up to ten kinds of kimchi on offer, including kosher and vegan-friendly varieties. The signage is entirely in Korean, so look out for the yellow storefront on the corner of St. Andrew’s Place and West Olympic, or just ask a bystander—chances are anyone you ask in the area will know how to get there."
Bryan Zink (Bryan Z)
Sefetupe Mose
Jason K.
Hye Pak
Greg Collins
Sean Laukat
Hen Koch
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