Sura Korean BBQ & Tofu House Verified listing

Tteok mandu guk. Tofu beullok. Busan mackerel. Yukhoe with crispy rice. These are some of the new additions at Sura Korean BBQ & Tofu House—and owners Claire Kim and Brandon Su aren’t only excited to welcome the Lunar New Year but welcome and introduce its newest head chef, Andy Uk Chang, after the departure of their longtime kitchen leader, Chef JP Kim.

It marks some decided change from their origins while compounding their constant evolution (including the addition of outdoor table-top grills)—but is nonetheless thoroughly Sura Korean BBQ & Tofu House. Just like them raising $5,000 for Mutual Aid LA for relief efforts, they are community-centric while also looking at the broader picture of how they fit in.

“When it comes to our popular traditional dishes, there is very little we will be changing,” said Brandon. “But what Chef Andy brings to Sura are some new dishes. Some slight tweaks on our staples. And a little bit of elevation to showcase that traditional Korean food can be as beautiful to look at as it is delicious.”

Long before Chef Andy, a native of Korea, became a chef, he was a server. But he soon found himself more and more intrigued by the kitchen—so they handed him a mop. Watching the kitchen work inspired him to go to culinary school at the New York campus of the Culinary Institute of America. From there, the vast world of corporate food—from being a line cook at the Ritz-Carlton to being a part of management for Nordstrom’s restaurant division—eventually led him to want something more independent. And that meant sushi restaurants, the Huntington Beach Country Club, and the Michelin-starred L.A. staple, Providence.

Written and photos by Brian Addison.

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