Korean Food For 3rd Street Market Hall
Owners of Ikigai Izakaya plan to launch their second concept, In-Yun, in April.
Ivan (left) and Oscar Rubio Gutierrez, owners of Ikigai Izakaya and In-Yun. Photo taken March 19, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.
Ivan and Oscar Rubio Gutierrez, owners of Ikigai Izakaya food truck at Zocalo, are set to debut a new Korean-focused concept, In-Yun, at 3rd Street Market Hall this spring.
The expansion will bring dishes like kalbi, bibimbap, bulgogi and japchae to a hawker stall at the market, replacing WOK Downtown MKE, which is set to close in the coming weeks.
The Rubio brothers opened Ikigai in May 2024, leveraging years of culinary and entrepreneurial experience for the venture. And while their current menu emphasizes pan-Asian dishes, their culinary roots trace back to Mexico, where their mother has operated a restaurant since 1989.
“She was our teacher,” Ivan said, noting that he and Oscar began working in the family restaurant as kids. “[Oscar] learned the chef side from her, and I focused on administration.”
The brothers took different paths early in their careers; Ivan pursued business, while Oscar attended culinary school in Mexico City, later honing his skills alongside renowned chefs including Masaharu Morimoto.
Today, they’re happy to be reunited. “We’re together now … this is about family,” Ivan said.
That camaraderie — a pillar of the operation — also inspired the new location. While Zocalo is open year-round, the winter months see slower business, and Ivan said he was heartbroken to downsize staff in recent months.
“I take care of them,” he said of the truck’s employees. “That’s the most important thing, because the business is for them and for the community.”
After hearing from current 3rd Street vendors that the market, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave., sees significant traffic during the cold season, the brothers jumped at the opportunity for a soon-to-be-vacant stall.
In-Yun competed against several other concepts, including Thai and Vietnamese-inspired restaurants, making it through three rounds to secure the spot.
The restaurant is now on track to open in April, following licensing and inspections. A proposed menu includes beef bibimbap and beef bulgogi — currently offered at the pan-Asian food truck — along with kalbi (grilled short ribs), sesame chicken, japchae (stir-fried sweet potato noodles), Korean potsticker salad, gimmari (fried seaweed noodle rolls), Korean corn dogs, kimchi pancakes and tteokbokki (rice cakes with sweet-spicy sauce).
Once open, In-Yun plans to operate Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, the food truck will continue at Zocalo, 636 S. 6th St.
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