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By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 6 (Yonhap) -- Born and raised in Los Angeles, Korean American chef Austin Kang remembers going to Los Angeles Dodgers games with his Mexican friends and eating Mexican food with them afterward in the late 1990s -- in the heyday of Dodgers pitcher Park Chan-ho, the first South Korean to make it to Major League Baseball (MLB).
Although Los Angeles has a sizable Korean population, Kang grew up in an area without many Koreans. Seeds of love for Mexican food, and also for baseball, were planted at an early age for Kang.
Now a chef-owner of Mukjung, a Michelin Guide restaurant in central Seoul, Kang is savoring an opportunity to blend his passion for food and for baseball while also bringing MLB-style food culture to baseball fans in South Korea.
Korean American chef Austin Kang poses at the entrance to his Seoul-based restaurant Mukjung during the "MLB Breakfast Club" campaign on June 5, 2026, in this photo provided by MKMC. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Kang has collaborated with MLB to launch "MLB Breakfast Club," a campaign for South Korean fans who follow MLB action in the morning hours here. Kang is inviting MLB fans to Mukjung for a watch party, as they gather around big screens inside the restaurant to watch live baseball and sample Kang's dishes -- Mexican and American staples fused with Korean elements. They are all named after MLB players, too.
"Honestly, I think what brings people together and cultures together is food," Kang said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday at Mukjung, decked out in his Shohei Ohtani Dodgers jersey. "This is the perfect place to do it. Fans coming here together, they don't know each other, but if they can grab something to eat and drink and watch and talk about their favorite sports together, I think that's a pretty good experience."
Kang, who has now lived in South Korea for over a decade, said combining elements of American and Korean cultures is "very natural" for him because of the time he has spent on both sides of the Pacific. He hopes MLB fans who visit his restaurant for MLB Breakfast Club at least get a taste of the other culture.
"When they step into this, they see a different type of culture, with breakfast and watch parties. I don't know if they have that type of stuff here in Korea," Kang said. "In America, I think if they don't go to the stadiums, they gather around for brunch, they drink cocktails or beers, eating brunch. I hope (MLB Breakfast Club visitors) experience that type of culture, that mix of Korean and a little bit of American.
Korean American chef Austin Kang poses next to a sign promoting the "MLB Breakfast Club" campaign inside his Seoul-based restaurant Mukjung on June 5, 2026, in this photo provided by MKMC. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"It's a very new experience. So to get used to it, I think there has to be more of this type of things in the future," he continued. "To build a culture in general, it takes time and patience, right? Any culture, any sports, fandom, you have to grow that pie. I believe that this is MLB's first run. I feel like this is the testing ground, and then from here, hopefully, they get to develop and show more for the fans."
The four dishes being served during MLB Breakfast Club highlight Kang's affinity for Mexican and Korean cuisines.
"Machado's Mash Nachos," named after San Diego Padres star Manny Machado, is a plate of nachos topped with kimchi carnitas and guacamole, among others. "Trout's Halo Bowl," featuring the name of the Los Angeles Angels' three-time MVP Mike Trout, is a Chipotle-style bowl of chicken and brown rice.
"Hye's K-Town Galbi Eggs Benedict" combines Korean-style galbi (BBQ ribs) and the American brunch staple of eggs benedict. The name comes from the Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean infielder Kim Hye-seong, and Kang said it has been the most popular dish so far.
Korean American chef Austin Kang prepares a dish for the "MLB Breakfast Club" campaign inside his Seoul-based restaurant Mukjung on June 5, 2026, in this photo provided by MKMC. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"It just matches the brunch theme a lot more (than others)," Kang said. "Our food, we want to keep it very street style, very comfort, very easy. But we wanted to give one that's a little bit more elegant.
"Altogether, I wanted to create something that's culturally like street food or comfort food where I grew up, but also match the Korean culture and palette in a way," Kang added. "K-food is blowing up. It's not just Korean barbecue and traditional Korean food anymore. K-food is globalizing. Let's say in Latin America, they're going to do some fusion type of Latin American ingredients with Korean to make that type of K-food. If you go to France, they'll make a Korean dish but (with) French influence, too. I think it's always evolving, and I wanted to give that American street food with a bit of Korean twist, a little bit of my color growing up."
Korean American chef Austin Kang (L) and former South Korean baseball player Kim Byung-hyun attend the launching ceremony for "MLB Breakfast Club" at Kang's Seoul-based restaurant Mukjung on June 1, 2026. (Yonhap)
The featured dessert is "Jung-hoo's Giant Bingsoo," the Korean shaved ice dessert made of organic black sugar. It takes the name from the San Francisco Giants' South Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo.
The Dodgers and the Giants are bitter rivals in baseball, but Kang didn't mind promoting a dessert inspired by a San Francisco player.
"Very solid, very legit, very clean, very disciplined," Kang listed off qualities that he sees in Lee, now in his third MLB season. "He's not flashy, and that's what you need in a player. Consistency and discipline."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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