‘In the Weeds’: Koreatown darling Spoon by H’s roller coaster ride

Spoon by H is the food world’s equivalent of a Cinderella story. Chef Yoonjin Hwang opened a tiny dessert shop in 2012 and served a loyal customer base for six years until Chef David Chang shared a photo of her manduguk to his more than 1 million Instagram followers, catapulting this small restaurant to international fame. The press came, the lines followed, and Hwang was in the kitchen, behind the register, and on social media responding to comments. She remembered everyone's order, launched new specials, and checked in to see how your meals were. The pandemic did not spare Spoon by H. In fact, Good Food was scheduled to have Hwang on this show a few weeks ago when she made the difficult decision to close. Spoon by H is this week's “In the Weeds.”

Yoonjin Hwang started Spoon by H as a small Korean dessert cafe. When Dave Chang visited and posted on social media, their business skyrocketed. Photo courtesy of Yoonjin Hwang.