# Mokja Opens Korean Market-Cafe in Highland Park With Debbie Lee and Be Bright Coffee
*Chef Debbie Lee opened Mokja at 5715 N. Figueroa Street in Highland Park on August 7, combining a Korean market, cafe, self-serve ramen bar, grab-and-go counter, and Be Bright Coffee program from 8 AM to 6 PM daily.*

**Section:** Eats
**Tags:** Eats, Just-opened, Restaurant-opening, Highland-park, Korean-food, Market-cafe, Debbie-lee, Be-bright-coffee
**Reading time:** 1 min

Mokja is now open in Highland Park, bringing chef Debbie Lee's Korean market-cafe concept to 5715 N. Figueroa Street. The name means "let's eat," and the room combines a cafe, retail shop, coffee bar, self-serve ramen station, and grab-and-go counter.

Lee, who also operates neighboring Yi Cha, built the project with Frank and Michelle La of Be Bright Coffee. Mokja is open from 8 AM to 6 PM daily, with current offerings posted on the [official menu](https://www.eatmokja.com/menu) and [@eatmokja on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/eatmokja).

## What to Order

The rotating food menu includes a mayak egg sando on milk bread, a braised oxtail hand pie, Korean Cobb salad with gochu shredded chicken and crispy pork belly, daily kimchi and banchan, KBBQ ssam plates, and a self-serve ramen bar.

Be Bright's coffee program brings Korean flavors into drinks such as a Sweet Corn Latte with condensed milk puree and a Misugaru Latte finished with mixed-grain cold foam. Pastry chef Dara Yu handles desserts, including a yuja cha ice box pie.

## At a Glance

- **OPENED:** August 7, 2026
- **LOCATION:** 5715 N. Figueroa Street, Suite 102, Highland Park
- **HOURS:** 8 AM to 6 PM daily
- **KITCHEN:** Chef Debbie Lee
- **COFFEE:** Frank and Michelle La, Be Bright Coffee
- **MENU:** [See Mokja's current menu](https://www.eatmokja.com/menu)

## Market Shelves and Community

Mokja's shelves carry Korean pantry goods, cookbooks, house merchandise, and products from AAPI-owned brands. The 1,400-square-foot space has a small seated cafe area and standing bar rather than a full restaurant dining room.

The team also plans to use the market for pop-ups, cooking demonstrations, and K-beauty classes, extending the concept beyond breakfast, coffee, and grab-and-go food.

## Curator's Note

Go hungry, but treat the shelves as part of the point. Mokja works best as a choose-your-own stop: coffee and a mayak egg sando now, banchan for later, then a lap through the pantry goods before leaving. The Sweet Corn Latte is the order when plain cold brew feels too responsible.

---

Curated by VIBES News Desk · Published 2026-09-01
Source: https://www.curationsla.com/vibes/2026-09-01-mokja-opens-korean-market-cafe-highland-park

Cite as: CurationsLA, "Mokja Opens Korean Market-Cafe in Highland Park With Debbie Lee and Be Bright Coffee", https://www.curationsla.com/vibes/2026-09-01-mokja-opens-korean-market-cafe-highland-park (published 2026-09-01).
License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
Structured manifest: https://www.curationsla.com/vibes/2026-09-01-mokja-opens-korean-market-cafe-highland-park/manifest.json