A PUB SERVING KOREAN SOUL FOOD ARRIVES IN THE UTC AREA
A new spot serving Korean soul food paired with Korean beer and soju is opening in the University City area this Friday, May 10. The fast-casual Honey Jam Chicken & Beer is the latest addition to the Renaissance Towne Center.
Its name, “honey jam”, is a translation of a Korean slang term, “gguljem,” loosely meaning “having a good time.” The restaurant’s menu will feature various flavors of fried chicken, including a rendition with “Honey Jam” seasoning and smoky honey butter sauce and a Saigon-style version with fried onions.
Other comfort food will include spicy or carbonara tteokbokki, kimchi pasta, beef bulgogi, and kimchi fried rice as well as drink-friendly snacks like stir-fried sausages or chicken gizzards and cheese buldak (a spicy chicken dish). The bar will feature Korean beer, an assortment of soju, and soju-based cocktails such as a Soju Sunrise and Yogurt Soju.
Owners Jin Park and John Tran have been working to open Honey Jam since 2020. The two business partners and best friends, who grew up in Orange County, wanted to recreate spots like those they used to frequent. Park previously managed AYCE Korean barbecue restaurants in Orange County for 12 years, including Cham Soot Gol in Buena Park and Garden Grove, and Tran currently owns Arteazen, a bubble tea shop in the same Renaissance complex. The team tells Eater, “We see Honey Jam as a bridge between UTC and Convoy.”
With plenty of seating, the restaurant is decorated with bright yellow honeycomb designs and three large screens to watch e-gaming tournaments, sports, movies, and music videos. Both owners are e-gamers and want to provide a haven for fellow enthusiasts.
While its initial hours are 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., the restaurant will eventually stay open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and until 1 a.m. on weekends. After the launch of this UTC-area location, the partners tell Eater that they’d like to bring Honey Jams to other San Diego neighborhoods.
