‘Let’s Eat’: The dream that started Puyallup’s first Korean barbecue restaurant
Puyallup’s first taste of South Korea started with a craving for change.
John Yi, 55, was just 9 years old when he immigrated from South Korea to California. When he moved to Washington in 1992, he met his wife, 52-year-old Lisa Yi, who grew up in Federal Way. He worked in IT for 30 years and the couple raised their children – a 26-year-old son and a 25-year-old daughter – in Puyallup.
“Ever since they were young, we were pretty much kind of like, ‘It would’ve been really good for a Korean restaurant to be here,’” Lisa Yi said, noting that the family had to go to Tacoma or Federal Way whenever they wanted Korean food.
In January 2023, John Yi decided it was time to change that.
“I thought she had a knack for the good recipes and then I have my business sense,” John Yi said. “And we put it together.”
The result was Mukja Korean BBQ, which opened its doors on Aug. 23, 2024 at 214 39th Ave. SW.
‘Let’s Eat’
Lisa Yi comes from a family of local restaurant owners, ranging from hamburgers to Japanese food – but she never dreamed of following in their footsteps until recently.
“I said I would never go into the restaurant business, I really didn’t want to be a part of [it]. I know it’s hard, it’s a lot of work, a lot of time into it – definitely, when my kids were growing up, I didn’t want to be a part of it,” Lisa Yi said. “But they grew up and they’re out of the house and that gives us a little bit of time and freedom. It opens doors a little bit more.”
It took a year and a half of permitting and construction before their idea turned into a building they could make their own.
For the first few months after opening, they were unable to install flooring, so they encouraged children to draw on the floor with chalk. Customers loved the personal touch so much that, almost a year later, the art is here to stay. Children can still draw on the floor during dinner.
“The vision for me was good food, and what that really means to me is, like, not only good food – you have to have a good atmosphere, you have to have good service,” John Yi said. “So those are kind of, like, key. [They] make this place mukja.”
Mukja is Korean for “Let’s Eat,” a message the couple has embraced with neon signs plastered across the walls.
‘It’s our community that we want to brighten up’
When it comes to the food, John Yi said there is nothing more important to him than quality – whether that involves paying more to use certified angus beef in their recipes or thinking of new ways to bring different parts of Korea to East Pierce County.
“What sets us apart from all-you-can-eat is the quality of the food. It’s not really the quantity,” John Yi said. “It’s just us fitting our hearts and everything that we have to this. It’s like, our community that we want to brighten up.”
Their lunch menu is called the Kisa Lunch, which is modeled after taxi drivers in Korea. John Yi said since the drivers are so busy, they are always looking for cheap, fast food.
“We kind of took that concept because I wanted to bring something where you have choices,” John Yi said. “You can have flavors for a cheaper price and hopefully we deliver it in a fast lunch.”
Customers can choose one appetizer: fried mandu, french fries, mukja roll or house salad. Also on the plate are three sides such as kimchi, potato salad, fish cakes or bean sprouts. At the heart of it all is the customer’s selected entree, such as beef bulgogi, spicy pork, chicken bites, finger ribs or golden curry.
Lisa Yi said the restaurant’s soups are close to her heart.
“I really cherish and enjoy kimchi soup, so that’s very traditional,” Lisa Yi said. “Almost every [Korean] household has it often at their house. If you have kimchi, you always make kimchi soup – so it’s something that I’ve grown to love.”
John Yi said that as summer creeps closer, they are working on opening a refreshment bar. The bar will have smoothies and bingsu, a Korean dessert with shaved ice and sweet beans.
The couple said the past eight months have been a steep learning curve – but it’s worth it because of the connections they get to make.
“I thought it would be all struggles or whatnot but it’s been a blessing, really,” John Yi said. “We have police officers who come in like, ‘Thank you for opening because I love Korean food and there’s nothing here.’”
Mukja Korean BBQ is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Residents can learn more about the restaurant at www.mukjakoreanbbq.com.
“It’s really good to hear when people say they’ve never tried Korean food and this is the first spot, the first time they’ve come to try it, and they really enjoyed the whole process,” Lisa Yi said. “That makes our hearts melt because that’s why we’re here.”
This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
