Aged kimchi and melted Monterey Jack cheese inside a crispy buttered tortilla — the Korean-Mexican lunch that stocks every LA late-night menu.
⭐Inspired by Roy Choi · 🇰🇷 South KoreaThis dish channels Roy Choi's Korean-Mexican fusion philosophy made famous at his Kogi truck and his Chego restaurant. The quesadilla format — Mexican tortilla, melted cheese — combined with well-fermented Korean kimchi creates one of the great late-night LA dishes of the 2010s. Choi calls dishes like this 'truly LA cuisine' — neither Korean nor Mexican but specifically Angeleno.
Serves 2
Squeeze excess liquid from the kimchi and chop coarsely. In a small pan, sauté for 90 seconds in 1 teaspoon butter to take the edge off. Set aside.
On 2 tortillas, layer: half the Jack cheese, half the warmed kimchi, half the spring onions, half the mozzarella. Top with another tortilla each.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a wide skillet over medium heat until foaming. Add one quesadilla. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, weighing down lightly with a flat lid, until golden, crispy and the cheese is fully melted.
Cut into 6 wedges. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and gochugaru. Repeat for the second quesadilla.
Plate with a small bowl of crema and a lime wedge. Squeeze lime over the top before eating — the acid cuts through the rich cheese-kimchi combination.
Use kimchi at least 3 weeks old — fresh kimchi is too crisp and mild.
Drain kimchi well or your quesadilla will be soggy.
Toasting kimchi briefly mellows its sharpness and makes it work better with cheese.
Add Bulgogi: include 100g cooked bulgogi short rib for a heartier version.
Spicy Pork: substitute spicy gochujang-marinated pork for the cheese-only version.
Vegetarian: skip cheese variations; mash kimchi with crumbled tofu for a vegan stuffing.
Best eaten immediately. The quesadilla loses crispness on standing.
Roy Choi's Kogi BBQ truck launched the Korean-Mexican fusion movement in Los Angeles in 2008. The kimchi quesadilla became a defining menu item, popularised through Choi's Chego restaurant and his cookbook 'L.A. Son.' It is now found at Korean-American restaurants nationwide.
Briefly sautéing kimchi mellows its raw bite and makes it work better with melted cheese. Choi's restaurants always cook the kimchi briefly before adding to a quesadilla — it transforms the flavour profile from sharp to deeply savoury.
Monterey Jack is the classic Mexican-American melting cheese. Mozzarella adds stretch. Cheddar is too sharp; mozzarella alone is too mild. The combination is what gives the quesadilla its signature creamy-stretchy melt.
Yes — flour tortillas (not corn) are essential here. Look for 'burrito-size' tortillas (25cm). Quality matters: fresh tortillas from a Mexican grocery are noticeably better than supermarket brands.
Korean coarse-ground red chili flakes — fruity, slightly smoky, moderately hot. Different from regular crushed red pepper. Sold at Korean and Asian groceries.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 2 servings total
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