About Judy Joo

Judy Joo is a Korean-American chef, restaurateur, writer, entrepreneur, and television personality. She is the author of two best-selling cookery books and an accomplished writer, published in national periodicals including Forbes Travel Guide, The Financial Times, OK! Magazine, National Geographic, The Guardian and more. You can read Judy’s articles here.

Leading expert in Korean cuisine

Considered as the leading expert in Korean cooking in the West, Judy celebrates and showcases Korea’s cuisine for its distinctive and vibrant flavours, colours, and heritage. She achieves this through her television series Korean Food Made Simple (Cooking Channel USA and Food Network worldwide, S1 & S2) and her regular appearances on various shows globally, such as Today Show, Wendy Williams, The Talk, Saturday Kitchen and Cooking With the Stars. Furthermore, Judy claimed the title of first female Iron Chef UK and second worldwide.

Following a degree at Columbia University in Engineering, and a career on Wall Street, Judy enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in New York (now known as the International Culinary Center), where she received her Grand Diplome in Pastry. Judy worked for SAVEURmagazine as an editorial and test kitchen assistant. She also founded and managed Harvest Time in Harlem, the first inner-city Slow Food in Schools program.

London move

A move to London led Judy Joo to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants, where she worked in his flagship kitchens: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Maze, Claridge’s, Pétrus, and Boxwood Café. She has also staged in internationally renowned restaurants including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray, David Thompson’s Nahm in Bangkok, and Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry in California. Judy then went on to become the Executive Chef at London’s prestigious Playboy Club.

In 2014- alongside chef Andrew Hales- Judy opened her first restaurant: Jinjuu. Lauded as London’s premier modern Korean venue, Jinjuu was inspired by nostalgic flavours of her childhood, and focused on contemporary Korean cooking, with a multicultural twist. After successfully handing Jinjuu over to new owners, she teamed up again in 2019 with Andrew Hales to create Seoul Bird, a fast-casual Korean Fried Chicken concept. You can find out more about Seoul Bird here.

Having battled through three male-dominated arenas: engineering, finance and the hospitality industry, Judy attributes her success to challenging her boundaries and welcoming the unease of living outside her comfort zone. Her captivating fearlessness and tenacity are inspiring to all that cross her path, and can be viewed at Columbia University’s Graduation Ceremony 2018.

 

 

Social media

@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageWhip up these Mung Bean Pancakes for a traditional savoury treat. I have so many memories eating these totally addictive pancakes in Gwangjang market in Seoul. 

Packed with flavours from finely chopped cabbage kimchi, spring onions, and red chilli, these pancakes are a classic in Korean cooking. I like to add some pork for extra savouriness, and it’s all held together with blended mung beans for a crispy yet soft texture.

The accompanying dipping sauce, a blend of soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and gochugaru, adds the perfect tangy and spicy kick to complement the pancakes.

Serve these pancakes hot with the special dipping sauce for a delicious fusion of flavours.

Check out the full recipe and add a Korean twist to your pancake game – link in bio!

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#JudyJooKitchen #MungBeanPancake #KoreanFood #SavouryPancake #Kimchi #ChefLife #FoodBlog #InstaFood #FoodStagram #CookingAtHome #Homemade #RecipeOfTheDay #CulinaryJourney #FoodInspiration #Gourmet #AsianCuisine #Foodie #FoodLover #FoodPhotography3 hours ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageDive into my latest cooking video where I blend the rich flavours of Korea with the classic French mussel dish, introducing my fusion creation: Doenjang and Gochujang Mussels.

Starting with the French tradition, I kick off with sautéed lardons (or bacon) to create a sumptuously rich base. Next, a generous amount of garlic and shallots join the mix, followed by the unique twist of sake and mirin for fragrance. 

Chicken stock creates the perfect broth, setting the stage for the stars of the dish: doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste) and gochujang (Korean fermented chilli paste), bringing an unmissable Korean flair and umami to the mussels. So tasty and the broth is so yummy to soak up with a piece of crusty French bread. 
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#JudyJooKitchen #FusionCuisine #Mussels #Doenjang #Gochujang #CookingVideo #ChefLife #FoodBlog #InstaFood #FoodStagram #CookingAtHome #Homemade #RecipeOfTheDay #CulinaryJourney #FoodInspiration #Gourmet #KoreanFlavours #FrenchCuisine #Foodie #FoodLover #FoodPhotography2 days ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile image#whatsnewatcitifield ⚾

IT’S OFFICIAL! We are opening in @citifield 🙌

Making our mark on the New York map once again, you can now experience Seoul Bird at the home of the @mets Citi Field!

Find us on the promenade level right behind home plate alongside the Hudson Whisky Bar.

Enjoy one of the best views of the game while eating the best korean fried chicken!

#SeoulBirdNYC #KoreanFriedChicken #CitiFieldEats #EntrepreneurshipJourney #Foodpreneurs #NYCFoodScene #SeoulInNewYork #seoulbird
#seoulfood #seoulbirduk4 days ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageHappy to announce our new venue @citifield home of @mets. Seoul Bird will be on the Promenade level right behind home plate. @seoulbirduk @seoulbirdusa 
Joining me this year in the stellar line up are the amazingly talented @chefanneburrell and @adamrichman. 
So great to be back in New York and serving up our Korean fried chicken in Flushing! 
Let’s go Mets! 
#mets #citifield #citifieldeats #baseball #chefs #chefsofinstagram #judyjoo #newyork #seoulbird5 days ago via Instagram
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