Chef Chris Oh: From Seoul Sausage to Koreatown's EscaLa

If you've spent any time eating your way through Koreatown LA, you've probably run into Chef Chris Oh's name. This week he's all over TV again, so here's a quick look at who he is and why people in K-town know him.

On TV right now

Chris Oh is on Bobby's Triple Threat, Bobby Flay's cooking competition where one chef takes on three of Bobby's "Titans" for a $25,000 prize. His episode, "Titans vs Chris Oh" (Season 5, Episode 6), aired on September 29, 2026, with Priya Krishna as guest judge. The listing describes him as a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient who's "determined to keep his winning streak alive." We're not spoiling anything here, because we don't know how it ended, so watch it and tell us.

The Seoul Sausage story

Chris Oh co-founded Seoul Sausage with Ted Kim and Yong Kim. It started as a food truck in 2010, and in 2012 the team won Season 3 of The Great Food Truck Race (it aired August to September 2012). The prize was $50,000 and keeping the truck. Seoul Sausage later opened a shop in West LA on Mississippi Ave, but that location has since closed.

Why Koreatown knows him: EscaLa

EscaLa is a Colombian-Korean restobar in Chapman Plaza (3451 W 6th St), open since 2014. Its owner is Chino, and Chris Oh developed the opening menu with Colombian chefs Alex "DJ Skull" Torres and Juan Camilo Sanchez. Fusion food, late nights, a very K-town kind of place. Check escalaktown.com for current hours and reservations.

That's Munchies' 2015 "Chef's Night Out" with Chris Oh, a Koreatown food crawl that ends at EscaLa. A 2020 AA Now video series even billed him the "King of KTown."

And here's AA Now's 2020 "Eat the Streets" Koreatown episode with Chris.

Awards and TV highlights

• The Great Food Truck Race, Season 3 winner (2012), with Seoul Sausage.
• Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient, per the Bobby's Triple Threat episode listing.
• His own bio also lists wins on Cutthroat Kitchen and Esquire's Knife Fight, plus appearances on Tournament of Champions and Kitchen Inferno.

On his Instagram

Chris posts his eating adventures to @chefchrisoh, from Hong Kong noodle shops to San Francisco bakeries.

Follow him

Instagram: @chefchrisoh · Website: chefchrisoh.com

Restaurant details can change, so check each restaurant directly before you go.