Roy Choi’s Food Truck Made Him a Culinary Icon
By Kelli Luu | 29 Jun, 2026

Not only did he create one of the country’s most famous food trucks, Roy Choi helped make Korean food a staple of mainstream American dining.

Before Korean cuisine became a mainstream staple of modern dining, Roy Choi was serving Korean short rib tacos to the people of Los Angeles out of his food truck. 

His journey to becoming one of the founding fathers of the modern food truck movement began in Seoul. He was born in 1970 and immigrated to the United States when he was two years old, settling in Southern California where he spent most of his life in between Los Angeles and Orange County. Choi’s parents actually owned a Korean restaurant, which is how he was exposed to the industry at an early age. 

He attended California State University, Fullerton and graduated with a degree in philosophy, then later enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, one of the country’s most prestigious culinary schools. Upon completion, Choi worked in hotel kitchens and fine dining restaurants such as the Beverly Hilton, and began building his culinary resume. 

But in 2008, Choi made the decision to partner with Filipino entrepreneur, Mark Manguera and his wife Caroline Shin, to open Kogi BBQ. Kogi is a Korean-Mexican food truck that serves Korean barbecue in tacos, quesadillas, and burritos, a fusion food that was brand new to foodies. Kogi would also make real-time updates on their Twitter page so customers knew exactly where the truck was in Los Angeles. With lines wrapped around the city’s blocks, the concept exploded and Kogi BBQ quickly became “America’s first viral eatery” according to Newsweek. 

It didn’t take long for Choi’s influence to extend beyond food truck tacos. He has since then opened several famous Korean-fusion restaurants including Alibi Room in Los Angeles and Best Friend in Las Vegas. Choi’s 2013 memoir became a New York Times bestseller and in 2019 he was the co-host of The Chef Show, a series that celebrated cooking from cultures around the world. 

Over the years, Roy Choi has become an advocate for food accessibility. His television series Broken Bread explores food inequality and those working to improve local food systems. This has earned him an Emmy Award as well as the 2020 James Beard Award for Outstanding Personality/Host. Other impressive accolades he has received over the years include being recognized as one of TIME 100’s Most Influential People in 2016 and being inducted into the California Hall of Fame for his contributions to California's culinary culture. 

Roy Choi helped introduce Korean flavors to Americans way before Korean cuisine became a mainstream food choice, proving to the world that great food doesn’t always have to be served in a fine dining setting.