Lakewood’s Genkiyaki, an Asian-fusion joint that peddled hype food long before hype food plagued every corner of Instagram and TikTok, is officially closing after nearly 15 years of service.
Attracting everyone from The Travel Channel’s “Man V. Food” in 2015—where host Casey Webb downed the restaurant’s mythic, 2.5-pound Zombie Burrito, a nightmarish carb-cylinder filled with chicken, beef, mozzarella sticks, fries, and slathered in Genkiyaki’s ghost pepper hot sauce—to FoodBeast—where Rudy Chaney boasted he could annihilate 10 “Death tacos” but only managed to get through four before prematurely tapping out—the store announced its closure via social media.
“It’s with heavy hearts to announce that Genkiyaki will be closing this Friday after [14] long years in Lakewood,” the post read. “David Joo, the owner, has had an amazing time serving the Lakewood and Long Beach communities. But not all news is bad news. David Joo is passing the restaurant down to a business partner and inspired upcoming chef.”
While Joo will not be giving the brand or the menu away, the incoming restaurant is no stranger to loaded fries and fusion food: NGHBRS Kitchen, the Cambodian-owned food truck that can be found everywhere in Long Beach from the Bluff to North Long Beach, will be taking over the space in their first brick-and-mortar.
“NGHBRS will open Monday [June 19] and will introduce an amazing new menu of items, including garlic noodles and various options of wings,” the post continued. “David Joo will still be around and he wants to say thank you for [14] great years. He sees it as passing the torch down to the next generation.”
NGHBRS Kitchen will open Monday, June 19, at 5526 Del Amo Blvd. in Lakewood.
