Chef Soojin Shines in New York, From Jean-Georges to Oiji Mi Leading the Globalization of Korean Cuisine

Chef Soojin has recently returned to Korea after building a stellar career at Michelin-starred restaurants in New York. Known for his significant contribution to the globalization of Korean cuisine, Soojin is a rising star in the culinary world.

[Chef Soojin Shines]

 
After graduating high school, Chef Soojin gained experience at the Imperial Palace Hotel and pursued his dreams by studying English diligently during his military service. His hard work paid off when he was admitted to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), a prestigious culinary school in New York, where he further honed his skills with passion and dedication.
 
Upon graduation, Chef Soojin earned an opportunity to work at Jean-Georges, a Michelin two-star restaurant operated by the world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Starting his training at Nougatine at Jean-Georges, Soojin's diligence and talent caught the attention of Mark Lapico, the restaurant’s executive chef. Within just a year, Soojin was promoted to a full-time chef at the Michelin two-star Jean-Georges.
 
Reflecting on his time there, Chef Soojin recalls experiencing the precision and perfection of New York's fine dining scene, where even a one-gram deviation was unacceptable. For him, Jean-Georges was his "dream job" and the first Michelin-starred restaurant where he gained invaluable experience.
 

After three years at Jean-Georges, Chef Soojin embraced a new challenge by joining the Korean restaurant Oiji Mi in New York. Located in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, Oiji Mi is a Michelin-starred restaurant that reinterprets traditional Korean cuisine into modern five-course meals, gaining widespread acclaim for both its dishes and interior design.
 
As the chef of Oiji Mi, Chef Soojin played a pivotal role in promoting Korean cuisine globally. Oiji Mi is also a hotspot for celebrities, including Hollywood actress Lucy Liu and Korean stars Son Tae-young and Kwon Sang-woo. During a YouTube filming with model Hong Jin-kyung and Son Tae-young, Chef Soojin prepared an exquisite course menu, starting with scallop mulhoe and beef tartare with caviar donuts, followed by oyster bossam, striped mackerel, lobster bibim-guksu, sea urchin rice, aged duck, and wagyu. The dishes were praised for their refined reinterpretation of Korean cuisine, with Hong Jin-kyung commenting, "This food isn’t just about presentation; it truly tastes incredible."

[Chef Soojin Shines]

 
Last year, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won hosted a "Korean Night" event at Oiji Mi, inviting United Nations (UN) ambassadors to experience Korean cuisine. Under Chef Soojin's direction, the event featured signature dishes such as beef tartare, flower galbi with sea urchin rice, and glutinous rice donuts, which received rave reviews.
 
Despite his success in French cuisine at Jean-Georges, Chef Soojin chose to pursue Korean cuisine. He explained, “Although I have never formally studied Korean food, it’s what I do best. Having spent 25 years in Korea, eating the food and experiencing the culture, I wanted to use the techniques I learned at Jean-Georges to present Korean cuisine in diverse and innovative ways.”
 
After a successful tenure at Oiji Mi, Chef Soojin has now returned to Korea. With his experience from Michelin-starred restaurants like Jean-Georges and Oiji Mi, expectations are high for his next chapter. The culinary world eagerly awaits how Chef Soojin‘s dream of promoting Korean cuisine globally will continue to unfold.
  

박원중 기자 ([email protected])