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Recently, the luxury lifestyle magazine Robb Report highlighted several Korean figures in its selection of “The 50 Most Powerful People in American Fine Dining.”
The list includes chefs, restaurateurs, and restaurant designers who have contributed directly or indirectly to the fine dining industry this year.
Among the top 50, Chef Junghyun Park and Manager Ellia Jeongeun Park, the husband-and-wife duo behind the two Michelin-stars restaurant Atomix, ranked third, the highest position achieved by a Korean individual.
Located in New York, Atomix, a Korean fine dining restaurant, earned its first Michelin star in 2019 and has maintained two stars since 2020. Additionally, the restaurant was named the 6th best restaurant in the world in 2024 by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Chef Corey Lee, owner of the three Michelin-starred restaurant Benu, was ranked 9th. Benu, an Asian contemporary restaurant in San Francisco, became the first restaurant in the region to earn three Michelin stars in 2014.
Chef Lee was also the first Korean American chef to achieve this distinction. In addition to Benu, he operates San Ho Won, one Michelin-star Korean restaurant in San Francisco.
Restaurateur Simon Kim secured the 15th spot. He is the owner of COTE, a Korean steakhouse in New York. COTE has consistently retained its star, since earning its first Michelin star in 2018. Kim is credited with transforming the perception of K-BBQ through his upscale approach.
Chef Genie Kwon ranked 22nd. She co-owns Kasama, a Filipino fine dining restaurant and bakery in Chicago, with her Filipino-American husband, Tim Flores. Kasama received its first Michelin star in 2022 and has maintained it since. Last year, Kwon also won the “James Beard Award.” considered the Oscars of the culinary scene.
Lastly, Chef Kristen Kish ranked 38th. Born in Seoul in 1983, Kish was adopted by an American family in Michigan at the age of four months. She rose to fame as the winner of Top Chef Season 10, which aired from November 2012 to February 2013. More recently, she hosted Season 21 of Top Chef, which aired from March to June.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
