The owner of Umaya, an authentic Japanese restaurant in the heart of Los Angeles Koreatown, has an unusual background. Jihwan Hwang graduated from pharmaceutical school and worked as a pharmacist, which he still does by day. But at night, he transforms into a Japanese restaurant owner.
Hwang has always been interested in the restaurant business since the 2000s and now owns Umaya Ramen in Cerritos and Umaya, a Japanese restaurant in Koreatown with plans to open another store next year.
His entrepreneurial beginnings didn’t start with Japanese cuisine, however. Hwang began his business in the mid-2000s with a coffee shop. Sales weren’t high, but he loved working with his employees. Hwang still keeps in touch with the people who worked there 20 years later, and the memories were what led him to decide to continue the business.
His idea to start a Japanese restaurant came from a friend. In 2012, an old friend of his who had worked as a chef at a popular ramen restaurant in New York City asked him to invest in the restaurant. Hwang initially planned to invest and leave the management to his friend. However, he changed his mind when his friend passed away in a tragic car accident while the restaurant was in full swing of preparation.
Hwang vowed to succeed his friend’s commitment and make the restaurant a success. As soon as he finished his job as a pharmacist, he headed to the restaurant’s construction site to prepare for its opening. After many twists and turns, he opened Umaya Ramen in Cerritos in 2013.
After getting into the business, Hwang wanted to become the best of the best. The concept for Umaya, which opened in Los Angeles Koreatown in 2022, was Kaiseki (multi-course Japanese dinner). This was a clear differentiator, as it was hard to find a restaurant in any neighborhood in Los Angeles that served a Japanese traditional course meal, which is considered the pinnacle of Japanese culinary culture.
To create a kaiseki experience that was not only generous in portions and outstanding in flavor while also showcasing the chef’s skills and creativity, Hwang recruited Chef Nao Sugiyama, who has over 50 years of experience, after several attempts. Sugiyama’s flavors quickly became a favorite among customers.
When a customer all the way from Alaska came to visit and raved about the food, it felt like all the hard work was worth it, Hwang said.
“It’s not easy to be a pharmacist during the day and run a restaurant at night,” he said, ”but it’s something I feel like I am healing to see people who are sick and struggling at a pharmacy, and then come to the restaurant and see guests enjoying the food and being happy.”
When asked about the most important aspect of his passion for running a restaurant, he said it’s the people. Hwang’s philosophy is that if the people he works with are happy, customers will also be happy. His priority is to take care of his employees, many of whom have been working with him for more than 10 years.
His ambition is to grow Umaya into a Michelin-starred restaurant. Umaya has been operating for just over two years, and it may not be so simple. But he believes it will come true with Chef Sugiyama who was formerly chef at Nobu, a high-end Japanese restaurant. Sugiyama is working to create a restaurant where people of different ethnic backgrounds come to enjoy authentic Japanese food. A heartfelt meal that brings joy to customers will naturally lead to a Michelin-starred restaurant, he laughed.
While believing that the support from Koreatown should be the foundation of the process, Sugiyama also expressed his hope to conclude his career with the love of Korean Americans. “If you are looking for authentic Japanese food, Umaya is where you should come,” said Hwang.
BY WONHEE CHO, HOONSIK WOO [cho.wonhee@koreadaily.com]
