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Alexander Yang says that when Kogiri Thai Fusion Korean BBQ opens in the former Golden Harvest Cafe spot in Arcata (hopefully by April), it’ll be a whole vibe. Think K-pop music (and occasional Thai pop thrown in), with family and friends gathered around table-top grills, searing various meats as they snack on banchan and throw back soju bombs (assuming they’re 21 or older). 

“So, very fun and very high energy,” Yang said. 

The communal experience is key to this type of cuisine. Yang, who is the child of Hmong immigrants, was born and raised in Fresno, where he earned a culinary arts degree and worked in several Korean restaurants, learning about the cuisine’s basic ingredients and most popular dishes. And Korean barbecue, in particular, is meant to be eaten with friends, family and co-workers.

“It’s believed in Korean culture [that] food tastes better and is more filling with more people to share it with,” he explained.

The table-top grills and a sauce bar — with ingredients to create custom levels of spice, sweetness and umami — will allow patrons to participate in the cooking experience. More experienced diners may want to handle the whole process, but employees will be more than happy to assist novices, Yang said.

The company logo.

The origin of this endeavor dates back to the pandemic. Yang’s mom lives here in Humboldt County, but they had grown estranged. When COVID-19 hit, he said, “I wanted to make sure I had a relationship with her if something were to happen. The pandemic was extremely terrifying.”

It was his mom’s idea to open a restaurant locally. Family members visited frequently, and they’d often dine together. Two years ago, a friend of the family opened Lily’s Thai Kitchen in Willow Creek and Yang helped out. The place was an instant hit, though it proved too much of a physical burden for the owner, who sold it to another friend the following May.

Yang stepped back at that point, but before long he launched Kogiri as a kitchen pop-up restaurant. In December of 2022, for example, he took over the kitchen at Plaza Grill for two days, offering a menu that included beef ghalbi (Korean-style marinated beef short rib, sliced thin), egg rolls, Thai-style fried pork belly and a Bulgogi beef bowl.

Yang convinced one of the former head chefs he worked for in Fresno to join him in the full restaurant endeavor, and Arcata-based Alchemy Construction is now busy renovating the space at 1062 G Street, which has sat vacant since Golden Harvest closed its doors in 2017. 

The name Kogiri, Yang explained, is a simplified translation of kokkili (코끼리), the Korean word for elephant. And elephants carry a lot of cultural significance for the people of Thailand.

Yang said he wants to bring “a little more energy” to the Humboldt County dining scene, which can tend toward the more subtle and staid. Those who want a preview of Kogiri can head to Alchemy Distillery, at 330 South G Street in Arcata, for his next pop-up event on January 20-21. 

“It won’t have table-top grills,” Yang said, “but all the flavor and vibes will be there.”