"Sustainability

will move beyond a buzzword and into practical kitchen solutions"

Why did you become a chef?

I’d done the finance route, I understood the security of it, but food was where I felt alive. Cooking fed my curiosity, my creativity and my soul in a way no paycheck ever could. At some point, I had to choose passion over practicality, and once I did, there was no turning back.

Was there a moment you knew you’d made the right decision?

Standing on the judging panel for Iron Chef: Superstar Chefs was surreal. I was suddenly critiquing dishes made by chefs I had idolised for years; people whose cookbooks I studied, whose careers shaped my own aspirations. It was the moment I thought, yes, this leap was worth it. Later in my career, being asked to

deliver the commencement speech at Columbia University was a true bucket-list

honour. From finance to food, from the kitchen to the podium, it was a powerful reminder that choosing passion can open doors you never even knew existed.

Your favourite food memory?

Watching my mother make kimchi from scratch, using my old baby bathtub, no

less – crouched down on the kitchen floor in a full kimchi squat. It was messy, aromatic, communal, and full of love. That ritual taught me early on that food is about patience, tradition and passing something meaningful from one

generation to the next.

What lessons have you learned during your career?

Respect is everything. A kitchen only works when every single person feels valued, from the pot wash to the head chef. Gratitude, humility and consistency go a lot further than ego ever will.

What would you change about the foodservice industry?

I’d like to see far more women in senior leadership positions; not just in kitchens,

but in ownership, executive roles and decision-making seats. When women

are visible at the top, it changes culture from the inside out. It creates safer,

more balanced workplaces, encourages mentorship and shows the next generation that longevity and leadership are possible without sacrificing identity. Second, I believe we need to radically improve education around the business

of food. Too many talented chefs are set up to fail because they’re never taught how to read a profit and loss statement, understand supply chains, source responsibly or build sustainable operations. Cooking is only one part of the job; running a food business is a craft of its own. If we teach young chefs how to

think like entrepreneurs as well as artisans, we don’t just create better restaurants, we create careers that last.

Your biggest trend predictions?

A continued focus on dishes that feel familiar but are executed with precision and global influence. Sustainability will move beyond a buzzword and into practical kitchen solutions, and Korean flavours will keep evolving from a trend to a pantry staple across the world.

How do you stay motivated?

I stay curious. I travel, I taste, I listen and I keep learning all the time. Right now,

in fact, I’m penning this interview while cruising down the Amazon River!