Disclaimer: I visited Yellow Fever as part of the Media Preview Day for Whole Foods 365 Long Beach. I was not paid or even explicitly asked to write anything in exchange, though I did receive some free product samples. All opinions in this post are my own…and they are fabulous!

 

As I mentioned in my post about attending the Whole Foods 365 Long Beach Media Preview Day, my tour ended with an extended stop at this “in-store” restaurant, Yellow Fever. There was so much to try and see at this fast casual restaurant. I even had the opportunity to speak with the founder/executive chef Kelly Kim. So I decided to write a separate post where I could really get into all the yummy details.

 

History:

The original Yellow Fever location opened about 5 years ago in Torrance, CA. Their second location opened in Venice, CA two years ago. So this Long Beach spot is their third restaurant in 5 years. I had the chance to do an impromptu interview with Chef Kelly during my visit, and she told me that she was inspired to open Yellow Fever while working in corporate America. When she’d go out to lunch, she’d want something Asian. But the options for quick but also healthy, eco-conscious, and delicious were pretty limited. So she decided to quit her job and pursue a career in the kitchen. Pretty amazing to think that less than 10 years ago she was working at a desk. Now here she is a female entrepreneur with three restaurants in her mini-empire and a partnership with a major grocery chain. #ladybossgoals

 

Interior

 

This store-within-a-store is located on the left side of the main entrance to this Whole Foods 365, just beyond the check out counters. As you can see, there are several tables leading up to it. There is a nice outdoor patio on the other side of the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. There is also a separate entrance from the parking lot if, say, you have a grocery store phobia and don’t want to enter Whole Foods at all. Or, rather, you know that if you do enter, you will want to buy everything in the store. That is usually the case with me anyway.

 

 

The concept for Yellow Fever is make-your-own Asian rice bowl. This handy wall art breaks down the process for you while you’re waiting on line to order:

1: Pick your base – rice, noodles, or salad greens

2: Pick your flavor style (by the way, how awesome is it that the symbol they picked for Korean sauce – on the far left –  is Psy of Gangnam Style fame hahaha!)

3: Pick your toppings

This format lends itself easily to kid-friendly cuisine. Picky eater? Stick to noodles or rice, a protein, and a simple sauce or topping. They may also enjoy the items under the “Things To Share” section like egg rolls, popcorn chicken, and sweet potato fries. More on the food in a moment.

 

 

One thing that caught my eco-friendly eye right as I walked into the shop was this thoughtful garbage set up by the door. If you can’t read the fine print on the signs they say:

TRASH: Food scraps (ewwww) and used paper

RECYCLE: Our utensils and cups get reincarnated here

LOL so clever : )

 

Food:

If completely customizing your bowl is an intimidating idea, Yellow Fever also has what they call Signature Bowls. These are pre-customized items that you can order by number or by location. I was able to sample two of these options: the Seoul and the Californian. That seemed about right since I am half Korean and also (now, after over 10 years of residency) a California mama.

I’m sorry to say that I enjoyed both these bowls so much I forgot to take close up pictures! But you can see them in the featured image at the beginning of this post. (Bottom left is Seoul; Top left is Californian). Note that the dishes were served in compostable bowls. The sample spoons were plastic, but at least there was a clearly marked recycling bin to put them in!

Here’s a menu that lists all the options and ingredients:

 

I love Korean food and am always happy to see it listed on a menu. So I was excited to try the Seoul bowl. This version of the traditional bi-bim-bap (rice bowl with beef and veggies) was quite delicious and had an excellent version of gochujang sauce. This dish traditionally uses fatty ground beef of questionable origin. Instead, Chef Kelly included thick juicy slices of perfectly cooked hanger steak along with well-seasoned greens and a slightly-runny fried egg. So. Good.

By the way, all the proteins used at Yellow Fever are antibiotic-free and humanely raised. They also feature zero artificial flavors, preservatives, or colors. That means no MSG. There’s no hydrogenated fats or high fructose corn syrup in any of Yellow Fever’s offerings either. It’s not fully organic, but pretty darn close to what I like to see in a restaurant ingredient list.

The other dish I tried here was the Californian. Full disclosure: I do not like mushrooms and try not to eat them, like, ever. They were included in this vegetarian dish to intensify the flavor profile. I may have accidentally ingested one along with the organic seasoned tofu. And then I may have enjoyed the woodsy mushroomy flavor. Maybe. My daughter especially loved eating the rice noodles that came with the dish. So between the two of us, we polished off two small servings of this well-balanced and perfectly-dressed dish together. I’m not sure what was in the “vegan house dressing” exactly. But it had a definite umami quality and made me want to lick the bowl. Both Signature dishes were super yummy and definitely something I’d order again on my next visit.

 

 

Drinks

Since this was mid-day and I was with my toddler, I didn’t try any of the alcoholic options offered here. But I think it’s notable that they do sell it, which seems a bit radical for a grocery store quick serve spot. Then again, Yellow Fever is no ordinary take out joint. It’s like next level grocery store dining. You’d come here for a meal and then decide to go grocery shopping, rather than the other way around.

The menu features something called Ikezo Sparkling Jello Sake, which is described as “grown-up jello shots.” Um, yes please!

 

I did get to try a drink that Chef Kelly charmingly calls “The Bruce Lee.” You know how an Arnold Palmer is half lemonade half iced tea? The Bruce Lee is half lychee lemonade and half iced matcha green tea! Both are available separately on the menu. But I quite liked the combo and can only imagine ordering it like this, the way of the dragon.

 

 

Name:

Yellow Fever just opened its doors in Long Beach last week. I would be remiss here if I didn’t mention that it’s already become the center of a small online controversy. According to my hometown newspaper, the New York Daily News, some folks online saw the name of this restaurant and immediately criticized it for being a racist term ignorantly applied to an Asian-style restaurant by a big corporation (Whole Foods).

I’ll be honest here and say that, despite being Asian myself, I did not see this as an issue at all. Yes, I know what “yellow fever” is and how it is applied in a derogatory way towards Asians and non-Asians alike. However, this is a restaurant which was founded by a female entrepreneur of Asian descent that has operated without controversy for five years in a city (Torrance) with a large Asian population. In fact, according to yelp it’s one of the top 20 restaurants in that city. Whole Foods played no role in the naming of this shop. As Chef Kelly says in the Daily News article herself,

“But it’s re-appropriating a term — taking ownership of something and defining it in our own way…. To us, ‘Yellow Fever’ means we love all things Asian meaning food, culture, people.”

The irony with this online controversy, to me, is that the very people who were trying to point out the ignorance and latent racism they thought existed within the use of this terminology were also guilty of it themselves by not pausing to discover the authentic voice behind the restaurant and what this store means to the (Asian) population it serves.

For me, I am happy to support a minority-owned small business, especially one that provides high-quality fast food with healthy ingredients. It’s got a great location and a kid-friendly atmosphere. Most importantly of all, the food was seriously tasty!

• asian
• organic
• restaurant