-Banchan is the little side dishes that can be eaten with rice or on its own.

It could be more ferment, saltier stuff.

There's also some stuff that has more crunchier, so you control your own texture.

Basically, you're making your own meal.

I don't see banchan shop in LA, and I was like, "I can do that probably here in my way."

[background noise] -Fermentation, it started because we didn't have refrigerator at the time.

It's like a way for us to figure out how to preserve food.

Traditionally, if you talk about the first kimchi, they don't have actually gochugaru, the chili flakes.

We didn't have that first.

Now, this has been salted over two days.

You see, actually, it's like it doesn't get snapped.

It's ready.

Just going to put the paste, each layer.

I think traditionally, or stuff that I grew up learning, we basically adapt with our nature, like what we have.

Paste has gochugaru, which is Korean chili flakes, salted shrimp, fermented fish, pear, apple, garlic, and ginger.

What else?

Fermented maesil-cheong, which is a fermented green plum.

I let it ferment maybe one or two days at room temperature, like this.

It's definitely a lot of waiting.

It teaches me to be patient.

Maybe I'm a little bit more patient than 20 years ago, but I think the only way I learn how to be patient is through food.

Perilla LA, we serve Banchan.

We use seasonal local produce that I get at the farmers' market.

We'll find this in Korea, no problem.

I think nowadays, there's some markets that has white cauliflower.

I haven't seen fava beans, but yes, I like.

Not too similar.

Collard green kimchi?

That's an American thing.

I gave it to my son's preschool teacher, and then they were like, "What is this?

It tastes very familiar.

Then this green, we never had it.

What is it?"

"It's collard green."

We have similar tastes, but completely different vegetables, like mustard green.

A lot of people say, "Oh, it doesn't taste like mustard," like Gahk kimchi.

Mustard green kimchi, but it's just collard green.

American people braze it, right, because collard is pretty tough.

We blanch really quick, maybe 10, 20 second.

We blanch it, shock it, and squeeze the water all the way.

Then we rock, we basically season with the paste, kimchi paste, and let it sit.

I was born is Seoul, but I grew up most of my life in Busan, which is all the way south near the ocean.

My grandma started our family restaurant.

We call it Jeong Won Shikdnag.

My mom and dad took over their specialized Banchan [chuckles] and a fermented soybean stew.

They make their own soybean paste we call doenjang.

That's what they're known for.

I came to the States when I was 20 years old.

I never imagined I'm going to work in the kitchen, but I know that I'm going to do something with the food.

I always tell my dad, "Oh, I'm going to other countries, maybe go to culinary school."

I have to say something school, so it makes my move away..

I think I would come back, but I never come [laughs] back after I left.

In LA, I got a job almost right away at Rustic Canyon.

That's another-- Yes, I got lucky.

By the time that I work at Rusty Canyon, I was already in the industry, I think almost 10 years.

Also, I feel like it's, where is this going?

Where is my career going?

I feel like it's time for me to step up, do my own thing.

I start fermenting vegetables.

My friend mentioned something, why don't you sell it?

I was like, "Actually, nothing's going to hurt."

I just started it and post up on Instagram, and it got bigger and bigger.

I got out of my own kitchen, my apartment, and I got reconnected with my landlord, and I see the space.

I was like, "Just give me the smallest place, cheapest rent," and I'll move in.

That's how it happened.

[laughs] We have collard green kimchi, Napa cabbage kimchi.

We also have Jangajji, which is soy-pickled vegetable.

We also have Sugar Snappy.

We have potato salad.

Oh, we have smoked egg.

We also have rolled egg.

It's layer, rolled egg, and it has seaweed in the middle.

We're making rolled egg.

I have the egg mix right there, and we're doing two ounces each layer, five times.

The first layer, we're going to add the seaweed and roll it.

It's like a lunch box.

Banchan item, usually.

The first layer goes in with the seaweed.

Then just roll it.

That's the first layer.

[music] My whole journey here at Perilla or myself, me in the States, it's all about adapting, I think.

Adapting to new countries, me adapting to new ingredients, but still trying to do something familiar flavor.

I got lucky.

People embraced me, just who I am here.

I guess I'm lucky to be in California.

Yes.