NEWBERG, Ore. — A downtown Newberg restaurant known for its Korean and Japanese cuisine has a new owner.
Joshua Yoon took over ownership of KOJA Ramen and Bulgogi on April 15, bringing with him a background that spans immigration, pastoral upbringing, law enforcement, and more than a decade in the restaurant industry. He said his goal is to preserve what Newberg already loves about the restaurant while deepening its identity as a family-run establishment.
“My goal is to keep it as the ‘portal’ for authentic East Asian flavor in Newberg, while infusing it with the heart of a family-run business,” Yoon said. “I saw KOJA as more than a shop; it’s a way to build a legacy for my family while bringing the love of Korean and Japanese cuisine to the neighborhood.”
Yoon said the name KOJA represents the restaurant’s culinary identity — a blend of Korean and Japanese traditions. The menu centers on dishes such as the Tonkotsu Original ramen and the Bulgogi Beef Bento Box, both of which Yoon said he intends to maintain and refine.
“I didn’t want to change the menu Newberg loved; I wanted to master it,” he said. “My biggest hurdle was ensuring that every bowl of ramen and every plate of bulgogi maintained — and even elevated — the standards the community expects.”
Yoon immigrated from South Korea in 1996 and said his values were shaped by a childhood in a pastor’s family, where service and hospitality were central. Before entering the restaurant business, he worked as a certified nursing assistant and later served as a police officer for the City of Hillsboro.
He has spent more than 10 years in the food service industry, including time at sushi and barbecue restaurants in Southern California and at the Tualatin Outback Steakhouse.
“Trading the badge for an apron was a deeply personal choice to return to my roots,” Yoon said. “I realized our neighborhood didn’t just need another store; it needed a place that felt like home.”
KOJA Ramen and Bulgogi has seen its share of transitions in recent years. The restaurant operated for 18 years under Daniel Yun, who sold the business in spring 2023 before the sale failed and he resumed ownership. Yun had previously told Newsberg he was looking for the right person to eventually take over — someone willing to learn the business and its recipes.
Yun still owns and operates The Vineyard Bar, which operates in the same building in a space behind KOJA’s restaurant, Yoon said. The Vineyard is accessible through a door between KOJA and Clementine.
KOJA Ramen and Bulgogi is located at 605 E 1st Street in downtown Newberg, between Wells Fargo Bank and Clementine. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information and peruse the restaurant’s menu, visit https://kojaramen-bulgogi.com/.
