What began 12 years ago as a single Buena Park pho shop has evolved into Kei Concepts, one of Orange County’s most dominant restaurant groups. Co-founded by James Beard-nominated chef Viet Nguyen, the group’s portfolio now spans nine unique brands — ranging from Italian-Japanese fusion to contemporary Chinese — across 14 locations and 1,200 employees.
Next fall, Kei Concepts will make its move into Los Angeles, anchoring Culver Commons — a $24 million Regency Centers development at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue — with outposts of its Peruvian-Chinese staple Vox Kitchen and Japanese handroll counter Rol. (Kei Concepts operated Súp Noodle Bar in Cerritos from 2017 to 2020.)
“Culver City is the perfect location for our introduction of Kei Concepts to LA residents,” says Nguyen. He notes that the city’s demographics and income levels closely mirror those of the group’s most successful Orange County markets like Irvine, though with a smaller Asian population…