Katianna and John Hong worked side by side in fine dining restaurants for years, hoping that one day they could open their own Korean restaurant.

But as they got closer to realizing that dream, the Michelin-starred chef couple landed on a different idea that excited them much more: a Korean American deli called the Yangban Society.

In an interview for “LA Times Today,” the couple spoke about their inspiration and hope for their deli.

“Yangban Society is a neighborhood deli and gathering spot. It’s meant to be really approachable, very casual,” Katianna Hong said.

“When you walk in, you grab a number and what you’ll be greeted with is this large display of prepared foods, pickles, breads, roasted vegetables. You can grab some food if you are going to a picnic, you can eat lunch, take some stuff with you for later. That was kind of that deli culture I grew up with, as well as my wife,” John Hong explained.

Katianna Hong grew up in upstate New York and went to many Jewish delis on the East Coast with her father.

“There’s a lot of deli culture. There are Italian delis, Polish delis. I have very fond memories of visiting delis and them being kind of eclectic little gathering spots with all these different foods that I wasn’t used to seeing at my home,” she said.

Katianna Hong talked about her experience as a cook, and the dreams she and John Hong share and how those dreams have evolved.

“As a cook, you work a really long day and then you go home. You kind of fantasize and chat about what you would do. I would open this type of place, or I would have this menu and it’s fun. It is like banter. I think for a long time, we thought it would be a Korean fine dining. As we started doing that process, I think we realized like it was a little forced. So, we kind of morphed into trying to be comfortable in cooking food that’s authentic to us,” she explained.

When they opened their deli, the Hongs examined what being Korean American means to them.

“Looking deeply into what it means to be Korean helped us understand that that’s not necessarily how we identify. Myself coming from a predominantly white suburb of Chicago, as well as my wife being adopted into a Jewish father and by an Irish Catholic mother. We are Korean American and exploring what that means culturally, what that means personally, as well as kind of been where things have veered throughout the process of opening this restaurant,” John Hong said.

Some dishes they serve are Korean acorn noodles and griddle potato bread. The couple shed light on how they come up with the recipes and dishes they offer.

“Our process for ideation is always different. Sometimes things are inspired by memories. Other times, they are inspired by a cooking technique that we learned throughout our travels and our years cooking. Other times, they’re just inspired by a need to fill a place in the menu or something that’s seasonal with a specific product,” Katianna Hong said. 

Some dishes remind them of their childhoods. One of their kimchi breads brings to mind the pan pizzas that John Hong ate as a child.

“I think inspiration works in a lot of ways. Finding those little connections, it’s like a puzzle and kind of piecing all those things together is what I really enjoy,” he said.

The deli has something for everyone, no matter his or her background.

“I think there are some ingredients where someone who’s Korean might spot that ingredient and really identify with that. Maybe someone coming from a Jewish background might catch a little nod or references as well. But I think things are subtle. It’s not meant to be a certain thing. We are really just cooking food that is authentic to our experiences and us. But we hope people find those little connections,” Katianna Hong said.

Yangban society is open Thursday through Monday. Visit Yangbanla.com to check out the latest menu and place your order.

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