Choeng Wun Buffet, one of LA’s first “all you can eat” KBBQ restaurants
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Carlin Stiehl
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LAist
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Top line
Before "all-you-can-eat” Korean barbecue became a dining concept, there were places like Choeng Wun Buffet, which opened in 1985 in Melrose Hill, offering a home-style buffet cafeteria to Korean families. Today's it's claiming its place in L.A. history as third and fourth generation Korean Americans embrace their roots.
Why it matters: Amid increasing interest in generational Korean businesses, it’s time to honor the restaurant outside of Koreatown that helped the Korean population flourish.
Why now: Owner Kang Chang Hun and his nephew Alex Park are leaning into the restaurant’s “day one” beginnings to bring in L.A. history buffs and newcomers alike.
These days, Korean all-you-can-eat barbecue is often equivalent to a night in Koreatown to wow out-of-towners. However, it wasn’t alway the mainstream gustatory experience at the top of every visitor’s bucket list. In fact, its history suggests that its L.A. origins may not have even started in Koreatown.
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Situated in Melrose Hill, Choeng Wun Buffet is one of the O.G. Korean BBQ restaurants. Humbly tucked away in a corner of the strip mall of the original Dave’s Hot Chicken fame, the restaurant is easy to miss until you get out of your car.
The exterior of Choeng Wun Buffet
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Carlin Stiehl
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But it has a unique place in L.A’s Korean culture. Choeng Wun Buffet is not only one of the oldest Korean restaurants in the city (second to the 1982-founded Kang Nam Restaurant), but also the proto-AYCE (all-you-can-eat) Korean barbecue joint.
As the name suggests, when Choeng Wun Buffet opened in 1985, it was a buffet-style cafeteria. While that would transform later into the AYCE concept, at that point — it was just a convenient way to eat.
Instead of today's theater of a large plate surrounded by dozens of small dishes of crunchy, savory, and garlicky banchan, there were simply steaming trays of Korean-style vegetables, the same as those served at home, which you piled on your plate as many times as you’d like.
Owner Chang Hun Kang
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Carlin Stiehl
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Over the decades, those beginnings had been somewhat forgotten. But now as third and fourth generation Korean Americans look to honor their roots, there’s been a resurgence of interest in generational Korean businesses like Choeng Wun Buffet.
Korean diaspora
It's something owner Kang Chang Hun and his nephew Alex Park are leaning into; they want the restaurant’s “day one” beginnings to be remembered as part of L.A. history, and to bring in diners seeking a nostalgic Korean L.A. experience.
Because it’s in Melrose Hill, rather Koreatown, it can sometimes be left out of the Koreatown story, like that depicted in Emmanuel Hahn’s Koreatown Dreaming.
But Park says it's a myopic disservice to the Korean businesses that surrounded the neighborhood, from the restaurant itself to the stalls that occupied East Hollywood’s Union Swapmeet.
“There are plenty of Korean businesses outside of Koreatown that also reflect the diversity of the socio-economic status and geography of the Korean diaspora throughout L.A. County,” he said.
Abundant offerings
For Korean Americans like myself, walking into Choeng Wun Buffet feels like going into a time warp. At the center of the welcoming, homey restaurant stands a retro, green-tiled salad bar a la Sizzler’s, with seasoned vegetables and greens such as acorn jelly, chive salad, soybean sprouts, and sweet and sour radish.
Against one wall lies a row of three soup stations, consisting of homemade seaweed soup, pumpkin porridge, and red bean porridge, and two industrial rice cookers that hold white rice and chapsal (sticky brown sweet rice).
Across from this wall is an arrangement of seasoned protein, from chicken and squid to various cuts of beef and pork, ready to serve cafeteria-style. Highlights include pumpkin porridge with pillowy bites of glutinous rice balls, the brightly adorned japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), frosty bowls of naengmyeon (cold noodles in chilled broth), and crispy honey sesame wings.
Short rib served at Choeng Wun Buffet
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Carlin Stiehl
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One might consider the restaurant’s giant rice cookers and cafeteria lines antiquated, but it conjures profound memories for Korean families coming out of church services and gathering in communal spaces over bowls of porridge, kimbap, and banchan. It is difficult now to find similar experiences in Korean restaurants, but Kang lets his yearnings for such spaces guide his business decisions.
Owner Chang Hun Kang stands in front of the meat buffet
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Carlin Stiehl
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“I’m 62 years old now, but I started working here at 30 years old,” he said. “I really don’t have ambitions of turning a big profit. I’m sure having a lot of money is nice, but all I want is to keep this restaurant in its good condition.”
Growth of all-you-can-eat
Choeng Wun Buffet was ahead of its time. By the 2000’s the buffet-style cafeteria had been rebranded as AYCE, and Korean barbecue reached a new level of popularity in California. The hallyu (Korean wave) of South Korean imports — predominantly music, movies, and beauty products — also included Korean cuisine, which ushered in a mainstream version of barbecue that focuses on copious amounts of pork and beef cuts marinated in a drippy assortment of soy sauce and toasted sesame oil.
All you can eat means exactly that
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With that came a wave of American chains like Gen BBQ, which opened in 2011 and popularized the AYCE denomination even further. Over time, hospitality groups and savvy small businesses alike have squeezed more money out of the extravagant nature of the AYCE experience with dining time limits and incremental charges on extra portions.
Meanwhile, Choeng Wun Buffet skirts the Westernized interpretation of Korean barbecue. When Kang says “all you can eat,” he urges diners to grab platefuls of meat as many times as they’d like — no limits enforced.
Younger crowds
Still, the family has to make rent. In 2016, Alex Park jumped on board to help his uncle with the restaurant, which was competing for new diners amidst the bubbling AYCE scene. Through Instagram ads and a new website that memorialized the restaurant’s beginnings and value, Kang began noticing new faces from the Melrose Hill neighborhood in addition to college students.
He felt called to play father to some of the younger crowds who came in to experience KBBQ for the first time. He recalls one instance when he sat at the table with them, showing them how to tightly wrap a cut of meat in a giant leaf of red lettuce with a dollop of gochuchang, chive salad, kimchi, and rice, then eating it in one bite.
Choeng Wun Buffet offers the best value for large parties through its tactile punch cards, where the staff punches a hole for every person in your party. A party of 10 gets one free meal. In addition, Kang has carefully thought through pricing tiers, with late night discounts and all-you-can-eat options ranging between $25 and $45, depending on whether bulgogi suffices or if diners want the luxury of unlimited L.A. galbi and shrimp.
Pickled onion and cilantro banchan
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How it started
Without knowing a single person or having any family member in the United States, Kang followed the love of his life, Yoona, and her family, to Los Angeles when they made the sudden decision to emigrate from Seoul, Korea, in 1986.
As his wife and mother-in-law began to make names for themselves with their volunteer service in the church, they decided to buy Choeng Wun Buffet in 1991. (The original owners were selling it, and while it was outside Koreatown, they decided to go ahead). Aside from a few modifications and homemade kimchi by Kang, the restaurant continues to use the same recipes created by Yoona’s family.
Choeng Wun Buffet’s historic sign outside of the restaurant
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“To this day, when I’m here, I can feel my wife everywhere,” he said. “I can’t leave this restaurant.”
Yoona’s family also played a central role in the Korean community by establishing eateries like the ever-comforting Mapo Kkak Doo Gee and Kangbyun, the latter of which shuttered after the 1992 riots.
In comparison, Choeng Wun Buffet continued to run as a low-key buffet-style cafeteria, a place for Korean families to head to after church.
After Yoona passed away in 2019, the family organized a large service for their familial glue at Han Kook Mortuary. It became an emotionally stirring yet affirming testament to her quiet yet unwavering presence in shaping Korean culture in Los Angeles.
“People were crowded outside the mortuary thinking it was a famous politician’s funeral,” Park said. “She just knew a lot of people in the Korean community because our family has been here for a while. We had family, friends, and regular customers show up, and that speaks to the person she was.”
The exterior of Choeng Wun Buffet
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To help his uncle with retirement, Park said he would consider taking over Choeng Wun Buffet, especially if it would mean he can collect stories about Korean Angelenos on the periphery of Koreatown.
“I know the family stance is that we would want to keep it in the family for my aunt,” Park said. “This is the only thing we have left of her at this point.”
Meanwhile, the family has local legends and archivists to lean on to show their appreciation online, as if to say, “If you know, you know.”
“I remember this article on LAist about Pijja Palace,and it mentioned there were L.A. staples very unique to their culture, and Choeng Wun was mentioned on the same list,” Park said. “So there are [OGs] who recognize that if you want really grounded homemade Korean food, this is the spot.”
Stefanie Ritoper
was formerly LAist's early childhood engagement producer.
Published May 6, 2026 8:00 AM
LAist reporter Julia Barajas interviews Maria Monares, a longtime resident of East Los Angeles, about odor issues in the area.
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Samanta Helou Hernandez
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LAist
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Topline:
Whether you’re looking to connect with a reporter or have an interview coming up, here’s a cheat sheet to help you talk with journalists, including our staff from LAist.
Why it matters: Reporters come to you for a reason. They may be intimidating because they have a mic or a camera, but you have a perspective they need. Media outlets also want to expand their audiences, and that includes you.
Read on... for our cheat sheet on how to talk with journalists.
LAist reports on local issues for — and with — communities across Southern California, but chances are most readers have never spoken with a journalist before. Your stories and experiences power our reporting, so it’s important that people know what to expect when they speak with a reporter.
That’s what this guide is for.
Below are some tips from our newsroom on what to keep in mind when talking to a journalist.
Remember: You are the expert on your own life
Tell the story you want to tell about yourself.
Be honest. Truthfulness and facts are central to journalistic ethics.
Also know your worth. Reporters come to you for a reason. They may be intimidating because they have a mic or a camera, but you have a perspective they need. Media outlets also want to expand their audiences, and that includes you.
Common questions
How can I get a journalist’s attention?
Contact reporters by social media or send them a personal email — at LAist, contact information is available on our staff page. If you meet a reporter, get their business card. It will usually have a direct phone number to talk with them.
Will all my words be published?
Probably not. Journalists are often working with a limited word count or air time. They will likely use one short sound bite or quote from you. It’s also possible they will not use your interview at all. Reporters and their editors decide what will get published.
Can I see a copy of the story before it's published?
Probably not. It is against journalistic ethics to have sources review a story before it’s published. Imagine if a journalist were to do a piece about government corruption. You wouldn’t want the government agency to review the story and edit it. Editors review stories for accuracy.
When will the story be published?
It depends on the type of story. Some stories are short and may air on the radio or be published online the same day you talk to the reporter. Other times a reporter might work on a story for several weeks or months. It’s OK to follow up with the reporter who talked to you and ask when the story might be done and ask them to let you know where you can read or hear it.
Can I speak with a fact-checker?
You are welcome to ask reporters about their fact-checking process or how they make sure a story is accurate. Not all outlets have fact-checkers. If the story is an investigative story or a long-form or magazine format, designated fact-checkers are more common. At LAist, reporters and editors are responsible for verifying information.
What if I am asked about something that makes me feel uncomfortable?
Your story is your own and during an interview you have full control over what you say to a reporter. Answer questions in any way that makes you feel most comfortable, and you can always decline to answer a question.
What do I do if a reporter asks me about my immigration status?
You don't have to disclose your immigration status to a reporter. If it's directly relevant to the story, a trustworthy reporter will explain that and also tell you how they'd handle the information. You can decline to answer.
How do I determine if the newsroom I'm speaking with has a specific point of view?
It's a great question and relates directly to media literacy — meaning how well you can spot misinformation, disinformation and bias. The reality is that we all have points of view. Here are some tools to check on where a publication falls across the political spectrum:
FAIR's (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting), which describes itself as a "progressive media watchdog group" has this media literacy guide.
You should be able to find information on who funds the work on the site (corporations, individual owners, subscribers, members and so on).
You can also check out this interactive chart tracking media outlets across the political spectrum (note that you may need a paid version to search smaller outlets). Ad Fontes Media, which describes itself as a "public benefit corporation" which they said means they are "a for-profit business with a stated public mission," has been publishing its analysis since 2018.
Is everything I say usable in a story?
You can come to an agreement with reporters ahead of the conversation about how your words can be used:
“On the record”: This means that everything you say in your conversation with the journalist can be quoted, published and attributed back to you. By default, you should assume any exchange you have with a journalist is on the record unless you mutually agree otherwise.
“On background”: This means that you are sharing information with a journalist that can be referenced in a story, but is not directly attributed to you.
“Off the record”: This means that you are sharing information that is not for publication. People may share experiences or tips off the record if they want the journalist to be aware of the information but don’t want it mentioned in a story. Remember that “off the record” only counts if both you and the journalist agree to it.
It's worth noting that different newsrooms may use these terms slightly differently. You should confirm with the reporter that you have as shared understanding of the meaning.
Do I need to pay to be in a news story? Can I get paid?
No and no. You will not pay or get paid to be in a news story because this is against journalistic ethics. Anyone who receives payment for a story could be swayed to bend the truth.
What if the reporter gets my story wrong?
If you feel that the reporter misrepresented your story, you can ask for a correction or an update to clarify a point. Reporters want to get the story right and they don't want to incorrect or misleading information to go unchecked. That said, corrections deal with information that is factually incorrect, so you should be ready to explain what was wrong and why. Under California law, you have 20 days to demand a correction and the publisher has to respond within a set period of time.
Think about the main points you want to get across in your interview. What are the most critical things for the reporter to know? Some people like to organize their thoughts into three major points. If you are not used to telling your story, you may want to have a friend ask you some questions to practice. Depending on the story, a reporter may also ask if you have any pictures to share that they can use to help tell the story.
Get involved with LAist
Ask LAist reporters questions
You can reach out to LAist reporters through the contact information listed on their bios. All our editorial staff, including the teams reporting, editing and producing news, are listed here.
How else you can be a part of LAist's reporting
Aside from contacting journalists directly, you can share your story with LAist through short surveys and meeting us in person. Learn more here.
This guide was originally written by former LAist early childhood producer Stefanie Ritoper, with contributions from Mariana Dale. Cato Hernández and David Rodriguez also contributed to this guide.
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published May 6, 2026 5:00 AM
The Birria XLB, a limited-edition collab between Paradise Dynasty and Burritos La Palma, available starting May 11.
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Katrina Frederick
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Courtesy Paradise Dynasty
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Topline:
Paradise Dynasty and Burritos La Palma have teamed up on a limited-edition Birria XLB — birria de res folded into a soup dumpling skin.
Why it matters: Two of the defining food obsessions of the past decade in Southern California — birria and XLB — are meeting in one bite, and the collab feels less like a gimmick and more like a natural expression of how L.A.'s Asian and Latino food cultures have always cross-pollinated.
Why now: The Birria XLB drops publicly May 11 at Paradise Dynasty's South Coast Plaza and Americana at Brand locations.
File this under things that could only happen in L.A.
Paradise Dynasty, the Singapore-based chain known for its signature eight-flavor xiao long bao, has teamed up with Burritos La Palma — the SoCal burrito institution whose birria de res recipe traces back over 45 years — to create a limited-edition birria soup dumpling. The Birria XLB will be available starting Monday (May 11) for a limited time at Paradise Dynasty locations.
I've eaten my weight in both soup dumplings and burritos, so naturally, I'm a fan of both.
Paradise Dynasty has been on a steady ascent as a major player in L.A.'s dumpling scene, with locations at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa and The Americana at Brand in Glendale.
Meanwhile, Burritos La Palma — known for its simple, savory burritos and finely crafted flour tortillas — has been capturing hearts and stomachs since Alberto Bañuelos opened the first eatery in L.A. in 2012. It’s since grown to several spots across L.A. and Orange County, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2024 for its high-quality, Zacatecan-style handmade flour tortilla burritos at an affordable price.
How the collab came together
So what exactly is a birria soup dumpling? A delicate wrapper, lightly packed with tender birria de res — slow-braised beef stewed in chilies and spices — juicy, savory and gone in one bite.
It all began with a call from Paradise Dynasty, when Jason Kuo, district manager for Paradise Dynasty USA, reached out to Bañuelos, calling it, simply, a perfect match between the two dishes.
Kuo said the idea came straight from the community.
"When we started asking guests and people around us what flavor they would want to see in a soup dumpling, birria kept coming up again and again — it was very clear. If we're going to do birria, it has to be done right. Burritos La Palma was the first name that came to mind."
Bañuelos was "beyond thrilled" to have been approached.
"We come from a small town in Mexico, and to be able to elevate to the level of Paradise Dynasty and that culinary perfection, I can't even really put it into words," he said.
It took months of R&D to get the right consistency. Bañuelos said the process required dialing down the moisture and upping the spice potency and landed on serving a fresh red salsa with thin slivers of serrano peppers alongside — a riff on the black vinegar and pickled ginger traditionally served with soup dumplings.
The Birria XLB's juicy interior is part of what makes it work — the dish is served with a fresh, tomato-based salsa and slivers of serrano pepper in place of the traditional black vinegar and pickled ginger.
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Courtesy Paradise Dynasty
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How it tastes
I got a chance to try the dumplings ahead of the public launch and was struck by how well the combination worked. The juicy nature of birria is almost turbocharged in dumpling form, its savory, herbaceous flavors fully encapsulated in the thin skin, creating an exceptional texture in every bite. The dish hits even harder when dipped in the light tomato-based salsa — a rush of freshness that cuts through the richness, with a spike of heat from fresh serrano. (Feel free to skip the peppers if spice isn't your thing.)
But what's most impressive is how organic it all feels. This isn't fusion for fusion's sake — it's a natural meeting of two dishes that are deeply embedded in the Southern California diet, each playing to the other's strengths.
It feels like a logical meeting of the minds — birria and soup dumplings have both been part of L.A.'s culinary zeitgeist for the better part of a decade, and it makes sense that these worlds should collide.
When asked whether a collaboration like this could happen anywhere else, Bañuelos was quick: "It has to start in L.A. You just can't compete."
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
A gated building at Urban Strategies, a facility that holds unaccompanied minor immigrants under contract with the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement, in San Benito, Texas.
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Patricia Lim
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Topline:
Nine Democratic House members from California are demanding information about how the Trump administration is treating unaccompanied migrant children who are pregnant and in federal custody.
Why now: They signed a letter last week, along with 39 other House Democrats, to Trump officials expressing their concern that the girls are not receiving adequate medical care or access to abortion.
How we got here: The letter comes in the wake of an investigation by the California and Texas Newsrooms, public media collaboratives in those states. LAist is part of The California Newsroom. The joint investigation found that the federal government is detaining pregnant migrant girls in a single group home in South Texas. Doctors and reproductive-health researchers interviewed for the investigation said prenatal care is severely limited in that region.
Nine Democratic House members from California are demanding information about how the Trump administration is treating unaccompanied migrant children who are pregnant and in federal custody. They’ve signed a letter, along with 39 other House Democrats, to Trump officials expressing their concern that the girls are not receiving adequate medical care or access to abortion.
The joint investigation found that the federal government is detaining pregnant migrant girls in a single group home in South Texas. Doctors and reproductive-health experts interviewed for the investigation said prenatal care is severely limited in that region.
The letter says the detention violates federal regulations because the children are “entitled to the full range of medical care, including reproductive health care.”
Rep. Gil Cisneros, who represents the central San Gabriel Valley, says he worries that pregnant migrants who are apprehended in California will be put at risk if they’re sent to a part of Texas that is short on obstetric care. Of particularly concern: High-risk pregnancies are common among minors.
“If they were in California," he said, "they would be able to have more choices of the type of health care that they would get when it comes to reproductive health care.”
Rep. Judy Chu, who represents the West San Gabriel Valley, wrote in a statement that “this administration is so intent on restricting abortion that it is using immigration detention as a tool to control these girls’ bodies.”
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published May 5, 2026 3:40 PM
The Trump administration has announced a Title IX investigation into LAUSD.
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Genaro Molina
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating how the Los Angeles Unified School District responds to educators accused of sexual misconduct with students.
Why now: The department accuses the district of maintaining a policy that “automatically” reassigns teachers to other schools when they are accused of sexual misconduct with students and cites a 2024 agreement with the teacher’s union.
The district’s policy: A Los Angeles Unified spokesperson wrote in a statement that it’s “not true” that staff being investigated for sexual misconduct are reassigned to other school sites. “‘Reassignment’ typically means an employee is directed to remain at home and away from students and schools during an investigation,” the spokesperson wrote.
LAUSD protocol related to employee misconduct says administrators must remove accused employees from their classroom or worksite whenever there is a risk to the safety of students or staff. The 110-page document also lists several other requirements for allegations related to sexual misconduct, including contacting law enforcement and the agencies that license teachers.
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating how the Los Angeles Unified School District responds to educators accused of sexual misconduct with students.
The department accuses the district of maintaining a policy that “automatically” reassigns teachers to other schools when they are accused of sexual misconduct with students and cites a 2024 agreement with the teachers union.
A Los Angeles Unified spokesperson wrote in a statement that it’s “not true” that staff being investigated for sexual misconduct are reassigned to other school sites.
“‘Reassignment’ typically means an employee is directed to remain at home and away from students and schools during an investigation,” the spokesperson wrote.
United Teachers Los Angeles called the DOE's accusations a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the district’s reassignment policy.
“[Employees] are not reassigned to another classroom or to any other setting where they would interact with students,” read a statement provided by the union. “This policy protects both students and staff and creates conditions for a thorough and appropriate investigation of allegations.”
Kimberly Richey, the assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote in a statement that Title IX requires schools to address claims of sexual misconduct in a “timely manner.”
“It is unconscionable that the district would simply ignore Title IX’s procedural requirements to protect teachers who cause life-changing harm to their kids,” Richey wrote. “The Trump administration will always fight to uphold the law, protect the safety of all students and restore common sense to our schools.”
LAUSD protocol related to employee misconduct says administrators must remove accused employees from their classroom or worksite whenever there is a risk to the safety of students or staff.
The 110-page protocol document also lists several other requirements for allegations related to sexual misconduct, including contacting law enforcement and the agencies that license teachers.
“Los Angeles Unified takes all allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment with the utmost seriousness,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement. “Our primary responsibility is to ensure the safety, dignity and well-being of every student and staff member in our care.” The statement also said the district follows Title IX procedures and continuously reviews its policies, training and reporting systems.
The UTLA settlement outlines several circumstances where an employee can be reassigned, including a law enforcement investigation of misconduct, sexual harassment of a student, behavior toward a student perceived to be motivated by a sexual interest and communicating with a student for non-school-related purposes.
A new California law requires schools to train students and staff to recognize and report misconduct and write new policies on “appropriate behavior.” It also will create a new database of educators credibly accused of abuse.
