Viral Verdict: This LA Korean BBQ Breakfast Burrito Sells Out In Minutes — But Is It Worth The Hype?

We're bombarded with new viral food trends every day — but how many of them are actually something special? In our ongoing "Viral Verdict" series, we send intrepid food journalists to seek out and try the latest edible online sensations, and determine if it's worth braving long lines to get your hands on them.

There's a hot new breakfast burrito in Los Angeles, and it's a Korean-inspired one by Kang's Kuisine. Kang's Kuisine is a pop-up that serves only one dish: a galbi-jjim breakfast burrito. Joshua Kang started selling his breakfast burritos out of his apartment in Koreatown, and they've grown to be so popular that he's now popping up out of Idyllic, a coffee bus inside an Arts District creative campus called 8th & Santa Fe.

Currently, Kang's Kuisine is popping up twice a month, with a plan to increase the frequency soon. You can check its Instagram page to find out when the next pop-up date will be and head to the website to place an order. The breakfast burrito costs $20, and it's sold only by pre-orders. Since the burrito has gone viral on social media, it sells out quickly once those pre-orders are opened up online. So, given all the great breakfast burritos in Los Angeles, does Kang's Kuisine's offering live up to the hype? 

What I first noticed about Kang's Kuisine's breakfast burrito is how structured it was. The ingredients are neatly stacked: eggs at the bottom, then a layer of meat, followed by tater tots on top. On my first bite, I was impressed by how crunchy the tater tots were. 

Burritos tend to have their ingredients mixed together when they're folded and can lack textural contrast, but in this case, all the ingredients are nicely separated, and the tots stayed crunchy. The eggs are not scrambled but a thick block of fluffy and soft egg patty (similar to the one found in this bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit recipe), topped with scallions.  

The meat is shredded galbi-jjim, or Korean braised short ribs. The meat has that signature sweet and savory flavor of galbi-jjim. The burrito comes with a side of pickled onions, a cilantro lime crema that's not spicy, and a gochugaru habanero salsa that has a kick. I like it best with the gochugaru habanero. 

Kang's Kuisine's galbi-jjim breakfast burrito is a unique one that I really enjoyed. I loved the egg patty and the crunchy tater tots. The burrito is best enjoyed immediately, instead of being reheated later at home, as the tots would lose the crispiness.

During the pop-up's beginning, Kang's Kuisine had long waits for its burritos. Now, Joshua Kang has streamlined his process. Ordering online was easy. The burritos still sell out pretty quickly, but as long as you get on the site when the ordering opens, you wouldn't have an issue, as they don't sell out within seconds like some restaurant reservations. 

The 8th & Santa Fe pickup location is also nice, with plenty of seating for you to enjoy your burrito. My pickup experience was easy and quick. Given these changes, I say Kang's Kuisine's burrito is worth trying at least once, although I do think $20 is a bit pricey, and the burrito could probably use a little more beef given the price.