Korean BBQ Salt Lake City: How Sun Choi Built Utah's Most Welcoming Korean BBQ Experience at Yummy's

The smell of sizzling kalbi hits you before you even walk through the door—that unmistakable char of marinated short ribs meeting hot metal, garlic smoke curling upward. At Yummy's Korean BBQ in West Valley City, Sun Choi isn't just serving Korean barbecue. He's building something Utah didn't know it needed back in 2004: a place where Korean culture, Hawaiian hospitality, and interactive tabletop grilling create the kind of meal that sticks with you long after the last bite.

"This place is AMAZING!" one customer wrote after trying Yummy's for the first time. "Each corn dog is big enough to be meal of its own. We also ordered 3 different plates: Chicken Katsu, BBQ 3 Meat Mix & Kalbi (Beef Short Ribs)...And each dish had SO much meat and rice that we couldn't finish it."

This is Korean BBQ the way it's meant to be experienced—communal, abundant, and entirely unpretentious.

From Hawaii to Provo: Building Utah's Korean Food Scene One Plate at a Time

When Sun Choi arrived in Utah in 2004 to attend BYU, the state's Korean food landscape looked drastically different. Born in Hawaii to Korean parents who ran a small food shack on the North Shore, Sun grew up surrounded by the kind of multicultural food energy that makes Hawaii's dining scene so electric. His parents catered frequently for the Polynesian Cultural Center, blending Korean techniques with island hospitality.

After 25 years in Hawaii, the Choi family relocated back to Utah in 2012 and started with what they knew best: fresh-rolled sushi for local supermarkets. Within months, they expanded to on-site sushi chefs for companies like Vivint and Ancestry throughout Silicon Slopes. But Sun had bigger plans. "When I first came in 2004, there was nothing like that here," he told the Deseret News. "So that's kind of my goal is to bring that here. Especially with the craze with like Korean culture, K-pop and movies and all that stuff—it's just been fun sharing our culture."

In 2018, Yummy's opened Utah's first all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ and sushi restaurant in Orem, complete with state-of-the-art tabletop grills imported directly from South Korea. The West Valley City location followed, bringing Korean corn dogs and Hawaiian-style plate lunches to Salt Lake County. What sets Yummy's apart isn't just the food—it's Sun's commitment to cultural education. He teaches Korean language classes out of both restaurant locations, working with everyone from Korean adoptees reconnecting with their heritage to K-pop fans preparing for trips to Seoul.

The Korean BBQ Experience: Certified Angus Beef, Hand-Cut Daily & Interactive Grilling

Walking into Yummy's Korean BBQ feels different than your standard restaurant experience. You're not just ordering food—you're participating in it. The West Valley location operates as a fast-casual Korean BBQ spot where generous plates arrive loaded with hand-cut meats, Hawaiian-style mac salad, and rice. But the real magic happens at the Orem location, where every table features built-in grills.

Yummy's sources Certified Angus Beef Prime Grade for their Korean BBQ—the only restaurant in Utah making that claim. Their pork belly comes from the same Los Angeles supplier that stocks Korean BBQ restaurants throughout LA's Koreatown. Every cut of meat is hand-trimmed in-house daily, never frozen. The chicken? Fresh, hand-cut thighs.

Salt Lake City Weekly's food critic captured the garlic chicken perfectly: "This is a garlic flavor that you feel in your bones, but it's also balanced enough to let the flavor of the expertly fried chicken come through. The chicken skin has crisped into a delightfully crunchy texture, and the chicken itself has remained tender and juicy."

For the full Korean BBQ experience, start with the kalbi—Korean-style short ribs marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and a touch of sweetness. One reviewer described them with simple enthusiasm: "I love it when got that flavor and charcoal flavor you don't get that Hawaiian spots they make it too soft delish." The meat arrives raw at your table, ready to grill. Watch it caramelize over the built-in grill, fat rendering and edges crisping.

The bulgogi comes next—thin-sliced ribeye soaked in that same savory-sweet marinade. "The bulgogi ended up being a good foil to the fried chicken, as its flavors are a bit more restrained," one Salt Lake City food writer noted. Pair it with the spicy pork for contrast, or go all-in with the BBQ 3 Meat Mix plate.

And then there's the garlic chicken. Customer after customer mentions it specifically: "My go to is the garlic chicken because it's nice and crispy on the outside with just the right amount of sauce/flavor on the outside plus the mac salad which is 🔥🔥🔥."

The West Valley location leans into Korean street food and Hawaiian comfort—a reflection of the Choi family's roots. Korean corn dogs have taken over Utah's food scene, and Yummy's versions are the real deal. Thick, fluffy pancake-like batter coated in panko breadcrumbs, fried until golden, then dusted with sugar and drizzled with ketchup. You can get them stuffed with cheese, sausage, or half-and-half. Add potato chunks for extra texture, or coat them in Hot Cheetos for spicy crunch.

"Took one bite of the Hot Cheeto Cheese & Potato Dog and briefly ascended to another dimension," one customer wrote. Another called them out more practically: "Whoa, a hidden gem! I love their corndog! I ordered half and half with potatoes and no sugar coated. It's crispy! Yummy! And cheap (compared to the size!) it's only $6."

The plate lunches follow Hawaiian BBQ format: your choice of protein (kalbi, bulgogi, teriyaki chicken, garlic chicken, or chicken katsu) served with two scoops of rice, mac salad, and garden salad. The portions are absurd. Multiple reviews mention not being able to finish their plates—always a good sign.

The mac salad deserves special mention. It's garlicky, creamy, and has that slightly tangy flavor profile that makes Hawaiian mac salad so addictive. Customers consistently call it out as a standout side.

Korean BBQ culture centers around sharing. The table becomes the cooking surface, the meal becomes an event, and everyone participates. At Yummy's Orem location, banchan (Korean side dishes) arrive continuously—kimchi, pickled cucumbers, potato jorim, japchae noodles, and more. As TripAdvisor reviewer noted about the all-you-can-eat experience: "The food is abundant (continual refills on all the sides) and loaded with amazing flavor...My husband and I couldn't get enough of the amazing potatoes and macaroni salad."

The interactive grilling teaches you proper technique. Raw meat arrives beautifully marbled. You place it on the hot grill, watching as proteins tighten and fats bubble. Flip once, maybe twice. The goal is caramelization without burning the marinade. Then wrap it in lettuce with a smear of ssamjang (spicy Korean dipping sauce), maybe some rice, a piece of kimchi. Pop the whole thing in your mouth in one bite.

For the full experience, pair your BBQ with soju or Korean rice wine. The slight sweetness cuts through the richness of grilled meats, while the low alcohol content (around 20%) keeps things social rather than sloppy.

Sun Choi's mission extends past restaurant service. Three years ago, he started teaching Korean language classes out of both Yummy's locations. He currently works with about 50 students between Orem and West Valley—including Korean adoptees hoping to reconnect with their birth families.

"When I first came in 2004, there was nothing like that here," Sun explained. "So that's kind of my goal is to bring that here." The program includes weekly lessons with Korean lunch, monthly one-on-one tutoring with a teacher in Korea, and access to class recordings—all for $150 per month.

One mother whose daughter takes classes described it perfectly: "To see her pick up interest in the language and a have such an incredible resource here with Sun and just his passion to share the Korean culture and language—it's amazing."

Sun also organizes group trips to South Korea, helping Utah residents experience Korean culture firsthand. It's this kind of community-building that makes Yummy's more than just a restaurant—it's a cultural bridge.

Planning Your Visit to Yummy's Korean BBQ

West Valley City Location (Korean Corn Dogs & Plate Lunches)
2946 W 4700 S, West Valley City, UT 84129
(801) 876-7615
Monday-Saturday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM | Closed Sunday

Orem Location (All-You-Can-Eat Korean BBQ & Sushi)
360 S State St, Orem, UT 84058
Check current hours before visiting

What to Order:
First-timers at the West Valley location should try the BBQ 3 Meat Mix plate (kalbi, bulgogi, and garlic chicken) plus a half-and-half Korean corn dog with potato coating. The garlic chicken consistently rates as the crowd favorite, while the corn dogs provide that sweet-savory contrast that defines Korean street food.

For the Orem all-you-can-eat experience, pace yourself. Start with kalbi and pork belly, add spicy pork bulgogi for heat, then finish with beef brisket. Don't sleep on the banchan—the potato jorim and mac salad are customer favorites. Call ahead if you have dietary restrictions; they can prepare gluten-free marinades with advance notice.

Insider Tips:

Order online for pickup to skip the wait
The mac salad is legendary—ask for extra
Korean language classes meet at both locations
Follow @yummysbbqsushi on Instagram for specials

Sun Choi came to Utah two decades ago and found a state with almost no Korean presence. Today, Yummy's Korean BBQ stands as proof that food creates culture, and culture creates community. Whether you're grilling kalbi at the Orem location's tabletop grills or grabbing a Hot Cheeto-covered corn dog from the West Valley drive-through, you're experiencing the Choi family's vision: authentic Korean flavors served with Hawaiian warmth, building Utah's food scene one plate at a time.

In a state known more for fry sauce than gochujang, that matters.

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