Hooni Kim
🇰🇷 South Korea · Korean cuisine · b. 1973
The Seoul-born chef who earned the first Michelin star for Korean food in America.
Biography
Hooni Kim is a Seoul-born Korean-American chef whose New York restaurant Danji, opened 2010 in Hell's Kitchen, became the first Korean restaurant anywhere in the world to receive a Michelin star (2011). His second restaurant, Hanjan in Flatiron, also won a star.
Trained under Daniel Boulud at Daniel and Masa Takayama at Masa — two of the most demanding kitchens in New York — Kim brought classical fine-dining technique to Korean small plates: bulgogi sliders, fried chicken wings, KFC (Korean fried chicken), perilla-marinated mushrooms.
After Danji and Hanjan he moved more deeply into traditional Korean cuisine, founding the Korean Food Foundation–backed Meju, an artisan jang (fermented soy product) brand that produces traditional Korean doenjang, gochujang and ganjang aged in onggi clay pots. His cookbook 'My Korea' is one of the most respected English-language books on Korean cuisine.
Cooking Philosophy
Korean ingredients deserve the same respect as French or Japanese. Kim argues that the depth of Korean cuisine — the year-aged jangs, the regional kimchi traditions, the temple food, the royal court cuisine — has been chronically underestimated abroad, partly because of poor ingredient supply. His Meju jang project is an attempt to rebuild that supply chain.
Restaurants
- DanjiNew York (closed 2020)
First Korean restaurant in the world to earn a Michelin star (2011).
- HanjanNew York (closed 2017)
Michelin-starred Korean small plates in Flatiron.
- MejuTappan, NY
Artisan Korean jang (gochujang, doenjang, ganjang) producer.
Awards & Recognition
- Michelin star (Danji, 2011) — first Korean restaurant in the world
- Michelin star (Hanjan)
- James Beard Best Chef NYC nominee
Iconic Dishes
Cookbooks
- My Korea: Traditional Flavors, Modern Recipes
Signature Recipes Inspired by Hooni
Original recipes we created as homages to Hooni's cooking style and signature dishes. Not direct reproductions of any copyrighted material — these are our interpretations of the traditions Hooni has worked with throughout their career.
Recipes in Hooni's Style
These recipes from our database reflect the korean cooking tradition that Hooni works in. They are not direct reproductions of Hooni's copyrighted recipes, but traditional dishes inspired by the same culinary heritage.
Career Timeline
Graduates from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York after pivoting from a medical-school path.
Joins Daniel Boulud's flagship Daniel in New York — his first major fine-dining post.
Moves to Masa under Masa Takayama, deepening his sushi and kaiseki technique.
Opens Danji in Hell's Kitchen, New York — his first restaurant.
Danji earns one Michelin star — the first Korean restaurant in the world to do so.
Opens Hanjan in Flatiron, NYC — also Michelin-starred.
Closes Danji during the pandemic; expands the Meju jang fermentation project in upstate New York.
Mentors & Influences
Frequently Asked Questions about Hooni Kim
Was Danji really the first Korean restaurant with a Michelin star?
Yes — when Danji received its star in the 2011 Michelin Guide New York, it became the first Korean restaurant anywhere in the world to be awarded one. Several Korean restaurants in Seoul and elsewhere have since followed.
What is Meju?
Meju is the artisan jang (Korean fermented soybean product) brand Hooni Kim founded in upstate New York. It produces traditional doenjang (soybean paste), gochujang (chilli paste) and ganjang (soy sauce) using meju blocks fermented in onggi clay pots, in the centuries-old Korean tradition.
Where did Hooni Kim train?
Kim trained under Daniel Boulud at Daniel and Masa Takayama at Masa — two of the most demanding fine-dining kitchens in New York. He had originally been studying for medical school before switching to culinary at the Institute of Culinary Education.
Why does Hooni Kim focus on jang?
Kim argues that Korean cuisine has been chronically undersold abroad partly because the artisan jangs that anchor its flavour profile — long-aged doenjang, gochujang and ganjang — are largely unavailable outside Korea. Meju, his fermentation project, aims to recreate those traditional jangs in the US to support American Korean restaurants and home cooks.
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