About this episode
Challenger chef, judge and the owner of Mŏkbar, Esther Choi shares her introduction to the culinary world and mission to celebrate Korean culture through her craft. She reflects on her initial introduction to Food Network and treasured memories made while cooking with her grandmother. Chef Esther emphasizes the value of cooking with fresh, homegrown ingredients, making each element by hand and other lessons her grandmother taught her. Reminiscing about elementary school days in Korea, she offers her perspective on their culture and cuisine. Esther dishes on the New York restaurant scene, praising its diverse representation of the Korean flavor spectrum. She shares her strategy for introducing Americans in small towns and big cities to her roots and encouraging them to cook with Korean elements. The restaurateur reveals challenges and considerations she had to make when scaling her concept into three restaurants and planning menus for each. Esther explains the cultural significance of shareable food and her people-first approach to curating menus. Finally, the Beat Bobby Flay winner opens up about judging and competing on television, spilling her rigorous training techniques. Find episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/esther-choi-champions-the-global-sport-of-korean-food VOTE FOR FOOD NETWORK OBSESSED: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2023/podcasts/general-series/lifestyle Follow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetwork Follow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesire Follow Esther Choi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choibites/ Follow Esther Choi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esther.choi.108 Follow Esther Choi on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@choibites Follow Esther Choi on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@choibites4038 Learn More About Beat Bobby Flay: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/beat-bobby-flay Learn More About Battle of the Brothers: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/battle-of-the-brothers Learn More About Money Hungry: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/money-hungry Learn More About Supermarket Stakeout: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/supermarket-stakeout Learn More About Family Meal: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/family-meal Learn More About Chopped: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/chopped Learn More About Throwdown with Michael Symon: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/throwdown-with-michael-symon Learn More About Iron Chef: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/iron-chef Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.