In Their Own Words

On May 16, 2023, Alhambra welcomed its newest restaurant with an official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for Burnt Belly at 1129 South Fremont Ave. Burnt Belly is owned by husband and wife, Kyu and Katy. Chef Kyu is the driving culinary force behind this destination BBQ restaurant. We asked Kyu to share their story.

“Burnt Belly first opened in 2021 at a food hall down the street called Blossom Market Hall. We quickly outgrew our 230 square foot stall, and the search began for a new location. To my luck, Tiffany Chew and Andrew Ho from the City of Alhambra reached out to us and invited us to consider Alhambra as the new home for Burnt Belly. I gotta say, I was sold immediately.

Going back to the city where I grew up as a kid brought back great childhood memories. I remember cleaning tables at Pepe’s to earn free fries, riding my bike up and down Valley Blvd., and playing arcade games at the old Pizza Pub in the early 90s.

Now that I’m back in the beautiful City of Alhambra, and I hope to get involved with city events, school fundraisers, and even the Moorpark Carnival (if that’s still around).

I’d love for everyone in the community to visit us or place an order on Uber eats when you’re feeling lazy. Of course, consider Burnt Belly for catering events. We also do private dining events, and I will personally customize a menu that suits your dietary needs.

Most of all, I want to thank everyone for welcoming us back and hope to see you soon at Burnt Belly.”

Burnt Belly founders, Chef Kyu and Katy