Chef Debbie Lee Opens Yi Cha in Highland Park

Chef Debbie Lee — who first garnered attention with Ahn-Joo, her modern Korean food truck, in 2010 — has opened a new restaurant in Highland Park. 

Yi Cha, meaning “second round” in Korean, also serves modern Korean fare, but in a 2,800-square-foot brick-and-mortar setting. Accented by a mural by artist Zi Be Zi (who worked on Academy Award-winning film Parasite), the restaurant can welcome up to 72 guests, 16 of which are bar seats.  

The menu satisfies fans of Lee’s cooking with signature dishes from her previous concepts, including Korean fried chicken, bulgogi burgers and Korean nachos made with ginger-braised pork and kimchee salsa.  

“When I first started in a kitchen almost 30 years ago, I never thought that I would be able to share my literal story on a plate,” says Lee, who has also appeared on shows like Chopped, Food Network Star and Morimoto’s Sushi Master. “Now, I’m telling my story as a Korean American chef, creating dishes that share a part of my roots while getting people excited to try my take on Korean classics. And for me, being Korean American in a diverse city like L.A. is not just straight Korean food — it’s about getting inspired by the communities around us.” 

Credit: Stan Lee

Credit: Stan Lee

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Meant to be shared with the whole table, other menu highlights include a Seoul-style sashimi chopped salad; Mandu Lumpia served ssam style with halmuni pork and shrimp filling and yuja cha Fresno chile sauce and Korean Caviar Dip (seaweed rice chips, garlic chive creme fraiche, dashi-marinated ikura, Seoul-style gravlax and soy pickled fresno). 

Credit: Stan Lee

Beverage director Senga Park’s curation of beer, wine and spirits is based on the idea that food and drink are inseparable companions. Cocktails feature housemade cheong — traditional Korean fruit and herb syrups — that adds flavor complexity and natural sweetness to drinks like the Jeju Sunrise (lychee-infused vodka, Jeju Hallabong juice pomegranate) and the Pick Me Up (coffee-infused soju, honey almond makgeolli, chocolate bitters, cacao dust).  

Credit: Stan Lee

Yi Cha is located at 5715 N. Figueroa St. In Highland Park. It is open Wednesday through Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. with plans to expand to lunch service, weekend brunch and delivery. Reservations are on OpenTable, and walk-ins are welcome.