GoYaki plate ($18.95) includes a choice of protein, rice, pickled vegetables, japchae, two mandu and two shrimp tempura. (Karen Chaney/Community Impact)
Prosper resident Brian Kim said when he opened GoYaki in his hometown in 2024, he wanted to share his Korean culture by creating a menu and presentation style that was a bit different from other Korean restaurants.
He said many Korean restaurants serve meals with multiple sides while others are more bowl-based meals where everything is mixed in one dish.
“I personally don't like to mix everything up and eat. I want to get the full taste of every ingredient,” Kim said. “We don't have a bunch of sauces like spicy mayo because we've never had that in Korea—it's not traditional.”
On the menu
Kim said he, his wife Jane Kim and his mother-in-law created the GoYaki menu using family recipes.
A wide range of menu items are served in divided, bento-box–style dishes, allowing customers, as Brian Kim puts it, “to experience Korean barbecue on a plate.” Popular menu items are their beef bulgogi plate and LA galbi plate. Bulgogi is a marinated Korean style beef brisket and LA galbi are Korean BBQ beef short ribs.
The LA galbi plate ($22.95) is a top seller at GoYaki. (Karen Chaney/Community Impact)
“People who can't have spicy food always go for beef bulgogi or LA galbi because it's flavorful versus spicy,” Brian Kim said. “It has caught people’s attention.”
Brian Kim said their Korean customers have a go-to menu item.
“Koreans love spicy food and spicy pork bulgogi is [one of our spicy options],” Brian Kim said. “It tastes less like a business recipe and more like a homemade recipe.”
A do-it-yourself ramen making station has been a big hit with children, Brian Kim said.
“You pick which [ramen] packet you would like and then you cook it yourself. You can add toppings such as eggs, cheese and green onions,” Brian Kim said. “It’s very popular in Korea.”
The backstory
Prior to moving to Prosper about a year and a half ago, Brian Kim owned and operated a pizza restaurant for 10 years in Los Angeles. While visiting a friend who owns a local donut shop, the Kims found Prosper lacking in Korean cuisine options and decided to fill the void.
“Mainly we came here for my kid’s education and for my business as well,” Brian Kim said. “Prosper still has a small town feel, but things are developing very fast. We liked the community that we saw and that's where we decided to stay.”
