A familiar face on “Chopped,” “Food Network Star” and around Los Angeles, chef Debbie Lee’s journey is bringing her back to her Orange County roots. The Korean-American chef, who spent her formative years here and graduated from Canyon High School in Anaheim Hills, is set to launch two distinct concepts, Pado and Mokja, at the OCVibe Market Hall in Anaheim.
Lee is the first big gastronomic name attached to the Anaheim project’s Market Hall, which will feature 21 eateries and six bars.
Her work is dedicated to providing a new, clearer interpretation of Korean American food, specifically tailored to Golden State denizens. “Growing up as a Korean American on the West Coast, we’re influenced by a lot of different flavors and cultures, because Southern California is such a huge melting pot,” explained Lee. Her goal is to “be able to share my culinary story and family on a plate.”
Her two new concepts aim to bust preconceived notions about Korean cuisine. Pado, which will serve as a raw and seafood bar, will be the more formal eatery. Pado draws inspiration from Jeju Island, which Lee affectionately calls “our Hawaii.” She noted that Korea’s coastal settings are often overlooked. “People don’t realize that seafood is a huge part of our diet and culinary realm,” she said, countering the heavy focus placed on formats like Korean barbecue. One featured dish at the new space will be a deconstructed, pan-seared black cod served over daikon and yam puree. (The entire menu will be revealed at a later date.)
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The second concept, Mokja, which translates to “let’s eat,” is a more casual, all-day affair. Designed as a Korean bodega and snack cafe, Mokja will serve street food favorites and breakfast sandwiches. “It’s really the idea of introducing the Korean convenience store concept in a more fast-casual model,” said Lee. For those familiar with her work (most notably Yi Cha in Highland Park), she’s bringing back her famous Korean fried chicken, served with a mochi waffle, and Korean-style fried chicken nuggets.
Lee is also determined to break common myths about Korean dining. “Not everything has gochujang or kimchi, not everything is spicy. You know, not everything comes with half a cow,” she said with a laugh. “Korean barbecue is something you have once in a great while. It’ s not something we eat on a daily basis.”
By introducing a seafood bar and a snack cafe, she hopes to “get people to open their eyes and palate up to a different way to what they think Korean food is all about.”
Her cooking style, forged in the fires at Michelin-stared kitchen La Folie (which shuttered in 2020) in San Francisco, has since evolved to embrace her heritage while maintaining the precision she learned early on in her career. And with a refreshing dose of humility, not always seen in chefs of her high caliber, she credits her sous chefs, as well as the bulk of people she’s worked with over the years, for helping influence her work.
“Believe it or not, some of them were my sous chefs,” she said, adding, “you know, we all learn from each other. We’re a team. It’s a collaborative effort.” She also credits Australian chef and restaurateur Neil Perry for teaching her to “respect the ingredients and integrity of a dish, whether it’s a proper Moroccan tagine or a Vietnamese pho.
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Now living in Sierra Madre (all the better to be closer to Yi Cha), Lee says she’s enthusiastic about the opportunity with OCVibe, noting that the partnership model removes many of the usual barriers chefs face, like exorbitant costs and city red tape. “These guys have invested to invest in us,” she shared, expressing gratitude for the collaborative effort.
With Pado and Mokja, Lee is helping carve a modern niche in the Orange County dining landscape. An official opening date has yet to be announced; OCVibe, the $4 billion mixed-use megaproject featuring housing, entertainment, restaurants and more around the Honda Center, will open in phases beginning mid-2026.