(Yonhap Interview) Korean American chef Austin Kang bringing MLB food culture to S. Korean fans

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 pos