[INTERVIEW] Joo Ok looks to bring next-level Korean cuisine to New York City

Korean fine dining restaurant Joo Ok is leaving its two Michelin stars and closing its venue in Seoul to open anew in New York City, aiming to bring along with it its interpretation of Korean cuisine. The restaurant will be located in Manhattan.

Joo Ok's executive chef Shin Chang-ho poses for photos with the Korea JoongAng Daily at Joo Ok in Jung District, central Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]

At the center of the very best Korean meals is jeongseong, which can be translated to “all of one’s heart and soul.”

Cooking with jeongseong means crafting a meal with love, respect and care for the person eating that food, so powerful and genuine that the mindset can be tasted and felt through the food.

This is how fine dining restaurant Joo Ok defines Korean cuisine, and it is looking to bring that exceptional warmth halfway across the globe, to New York City.

The restaurant is permanently closing its Seoul venue by the end of December and is poised to re-open in the Big Apple early next year.

“These are times that I really feel very confident about hansik [Korean cuisine],” executive chef Shin Chang-ho said. “I very much look forward to bringing our interpretation of the cuisine to New York City.”

Joo Ok opened in 2016, and just like its name, which means precious gem, the dishes here are one-of-a-kind.

They aren’t pretentious, however. Rather, they are subtly imbued with the many years that Shin has eaten and loved Korean cuisine, like through a spoonful of the perilla oil pressed in-house from its vegetable garden, or a sip of the grape or pine bud vinegar drink.

Joo Ok's dish incorporating its own perilla oil [JOO OK]

It holds two Michelin stars today along with numerous other prestigious rankings but Shin is leaving all that acclaim behind by deciding to close Joo Ok in Korea altogether, instead of operating a second branch of the restaurant in New York. Nearly his entire team will be transferred to the new stateside restaurant.

Shin has also chosen an unusual spot for its new home abroad: the Manhattan K-town area on West 32nd Street. All others of its kind have opted for more upscale parts of the city, like Midtown Manhattan or TriBeCa.

Here, Joo Ok is looking to serve the same, elevated Korean fine dining his restaurant has built its reputation on in Korea, but also plans to tweak the menu a bit to make it “more Korean.”

Fermented condiments at Joo Ok in Jung District, central Seoul [JOONGANG ILBO]

“Still, so much about Korean cuisine remains unknown,” he said, “and I think now people abroad are ready and wanting to discover the true flavors of hansik.”

This means no more putting a tiny piece of kimchi atop steak and calling it a “Korean touch.” Shin plans to accentuate more local flavors with authentic Korean ingredients.

“It may not be to everyone's taste, but it isn’t Joo Ok’s goal to please everyone. If you don’t like it this time, that’s okay. Maybe come back another time when you feel like it.”

The Korea JoongAng Daily recently sat down with Shin to discuss the new Joo Ok in the Big Apple and his vision for Korean cuisine around the world.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Joo Ok's executive chef Shin Chang-ho talks to the Korea JoongAng Daily at Joo Ok in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 14. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Q. From a small restaurant at the back alleyway of Cheongdam-dong in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, to this location at the Plaza Hotel, and now to New York, Joo Ok has come a long way. How are you feeling ahead of the imminent change? A. I feel just like how I felt when I was opening Joo Ok in Cheongdam-dong — very nervous but very excited too. This is a huge challenge for me and the team.

Why did you decide to open in New York?

Covid-19 really got me thinking about it. It was a really hard time for us, and I was forced to contemplate closing the restaurant. I even thought about opening up a Korean barbeque restaurant because times were so difficult! And during that time, I was worried; not only about myself but also about other people on the Joo Ok team. I opened Joo Ok about eight years ago with four others, and they are still with me to this day. I was apprehensive about our future. This is how I got the idea of opening Joo Ok in a larger market.

I also feel like now that we’ve come through Covid, it is time for a change and new motivation. The timing right now seems right.

Why close the Joo Ok restaurant in Korea? Most chefs in Korea opt to open branches abroad while still operating their restaurants at home.

It was about choosing our focus. I didn’t feel like I would be capable of operating two restaurants while maintaining the quality and flavors to the level of my expectation.

Joo Ok's bite-sized dishes [JOO OK]

There are currently no Korean fine-dining restaurants in Koreatown. How did you choose your location?

I have to say, many opposed it. But I had my reasons for sticking with the decision. One was that I simply found the restaurant space in Koreatown more attractive than the spaces that were available in other more typical areas with many fine-dining restaurants. It is more spacious and, structurally, better and more comfortable to work at, I think. It’s also more interesting because, at a glance, the area is casual but you take an elevator up and suddenly the space turns very fancy.

I also see more benefits in being close to the community of my people, because I am definitely going to need help!

And lastly, what fun is it if I’m just going to go into a place that is all set? It may certainly be easier, but not more enjoyable.

Korean chefs in New York are showcasing hansik in their own creative ways. What is your definition or interpretation of hansik?

In the past, hansik, when served abroad, was about getting people to simply try Korean food — like putting a piece of kimchi on steak and calling it a “Korean touch.”

But I think that for hansik to reach more people now, we need to use more authentic Korean ingredients and flavors. We as chefs need to take pride in them as well, because, still, so much about Korean cuisine remains unknown to people outside of Korea. For instance, Korean ganjang is completely different from Japanese soy sauce, and our doenjang isn’t the same as Japanese miso. I think this is the mission of the Korean chefs of this generation.

What can those visiting Joo Ok in New York expect?

In the beginning, we plan on keeping the same menu that we offered in Seoul. Once we’ve settled in, we want to try more authentic Korean menu items that further accentuate traditional and local flavors. I’m considering everything, from a hearty bowl of doenjang jjigae (fermented soybean stew) to the stinky cheonggukjang (extra-strong fermented soybean paste stew). Not everyone may like it, but it isn’t Joo Ok’s goal to please everyone. If you don’t like it this time, that’s okay. Maybe come back another time when you feel like it.

In Korea, we were very focused on sourcing the very best ingredients from local farms and fisheries, even extracting our own sesame oil. Obviously, we will face some limitations on this front, so I’ve come up with the idea to grow and make my own ingredients like jang [fermented soybean base used in various Korean sauces] and makgeolli [traditional rice wine]. I hope to operate it with other Korean chefs who are interested as well.

These days, I really feel confident about hansik. I think that every local cuisine goes through a period where it is heavily adjusted to suit the palate of a bigger audience, but eventually, people become curious about the original, traditional taste of that cuisine. I hope Joo Ok can introduce something new to epicureans in New York — maybe even inspire others to make their own kimchi or jang. I’m certainly ready to take on that challenge and am working very hard for it.

How do you imagine the future of Korean cuisine?

I believe that there is no right or wrong, and there are no limitations to what cuisine is. I think that the moment we start defining what “Korean” is, its possibilities shrink.

The energy of the chefs who’ve gone to New York and opened restaurants are phenomenal, and I think that they are really diversifying the meaning of what hansik can be. Korean culture, like music and movies, certainly instigated interest in Korean food, but taking that fleeting interest and making it a staple on the streets of one of the most competitive and gastronomic cities in the world, are all on them and the value of our traditional food.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]