About The Old School

The Old School is a single-location establishment established within the last five years in Tustin, and emphasizes 분식 / bunshik, which are Korean comfort foods that are staples of after-school memories and late-night conversations. 

Reflection + Connection to Project

The Old School felt like the perfect textbook example of an authentic Korean restaurant, with its core menu revolving around bunshik, which are essentially flour-based comfort foods (as seen above). When choosing restaurants for my project, I knew that a bunshik restaurant was a must because they are a staple of after-school conversations and night-life memories, especially since so many students resort to these foods. Although the foods were delicious, they differed from a bunshik restaurant in Korea. Some ways it differed were the order of the foods that came out. In Korea, typically, the odeng-tang comes out last to ensure it does not cool too much beforehand. At The Old School, the odeng-tang came out first, followed by the tteok-bokki and kimbap. I feel like minor details such as this took away from the fully authentic Korean dining experience. In my mind, bunshik restaurants especially need to not be afraid to be a messy and imperfect. The key part of authenticity is to feel lived-in, and I did not feel that at The Old School, despite its 5-star food.