The first Korean restaurant in New York City’s Chelsea Market, a popular tourist destination for foodies, is Esther Choi’s Mokbar. The restaurant is run by 38-year-old second-generation Korean-American Esther Choi.
Esther Choi, a successful female chef and owner, is building a “Korean food empire” in an industry where four out of five restaurants close within five years, HerMoney recently reported.
Mokbar, a ramen restaurant with the concept of a Korean snack bar, is a small but popular eatery in Chelsea Market that is always packed with customers.
Mokbar’s menus feature Choi’s creative twist on what could be considered standard Korean food.
The Mokbar Classic, a popular dish, combines ramen with bibimbap toppings. Other notable items include the Ho’Cake, a crispy bun filled with savory pork belly accompanied by a homemade kimchi hot sauce, and the K-Town Fries, garnished with gochujang aioli, kimchi, scallions, and furikake.
“We’ve added new ingredients and flavors to familiar Korean dishes to make them more accessible,” said Choi.
After proving the popularity of Korean food at Chelsea Market, Mokbar now has two locations in Brooklyn and Midtown, with new locations coming soon in New Jersey and Las Vegas.
Despite its size, Choi said she started the restaurant with an overdraft account.
“After months of fierce competition, tons of tastings, and writing a business plan, I won the bid,” she says. “Having no money in my bank account, I took out a small loan from my parents, which I paid back in a few weeks.”
A graduate of New York’s prestigious culinary school ICE, Choi worked at renowned restaurants such as Mexican restaurant La Esquina and Lebanese restaurant ilili before opening Mokbar, where she dreamed of mainstreaming Korean food.
Although she was the only woman in a kitchen with all male chefs at the time, she said she was always humble and eager to learn.
“As a Korean-American, I knew I would return to my roots one day, but I was happy to learn the foods of other countries,” she said, “and I wanted to absorb everything I can from them.”
Born in southern New Jersey, Choi initially followed her parents’ wishes and went to pharmacy school but soon realized it wasn’t her path. When she switched to her dream of becoming a chef, she said her entire family was against it.
Choi’s decision to go against her family’s wishes was bolstered by her grandmother’s support, guiding her choice.
“I grew up with my grandparents and was heavily influenced by my grandmother’s culinary philosophy,” Choi said, adding that she felt Korean food deserved more attention.
Mokbar will soon have four more stores.
“The success of Mokbar shows that Korean food can be taken to the next level,” says Choi, “and I’m proud that it’s finally getting the attention it deserves.”
Mokbar website: www.Mokbar.com
BY SUAH JANG, JUNHAN PARK [jang.suah@koreadaily.com]
