New Orleans Trained
In 2009, Jae relocated from Seoul to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, learning both classic cooking techniques and a new American culture. Soon after arriving, Jae began planning her first visit to New Orleans — a friend from Korea, knowing Jae’s lifelong passion for jazz music, had suggested she take a trip to New Orleans to experience the city and its culture. “I went to the jazz club in Seoul every weekend when I was younger, so I was excited to visit New Orleans and learn more about food and American culture. For me, the relationship between food and music and flavor is very powerful.”
During a short trip to New Orleans on a weekend away from culinary school classes, Jae tried Cajun food for the first time. “The shrimp and grits was the one for me,” Chef Jae says, “I tasted and it felt like home. That trip changed my life.” Jae quickly fell in love with Cajun cuisine and Southern traditions, and vowed that eventually she would come back to cook the food she loved so much.
“Food is the center of my relationship with my mother, and many of my dishes reflect that, but jazz music is something I learned about from my father.” Chef Jae’s father, a long-time jazz enthusiast, had always told her of the great New Orleanian musicians. “The combination of food and music is very special to me,” Jae says, “it reminds me of my family. After that first trip I spent a lot of nights at the CIA making gumbo and listening to New Orleans’ music. I saw it already as my second home.”
Chef Jae’s work ethic and commitment to excellence paid off when she accomplished her first goal in the food world and was hired as an extern at Restaurant August in New Orleans. “I came to New Orleans in 2009 to cook. That year the Saints won the Super Bowl, I got to experience a Mardi Gras, it was all wonderful. Everything happened at once. I decided to come back after school.”
After graduation from the CIA in 2011, Chef Jae accepted a position at Restaurant August under New Orleans food legend Michael Gulotta, quickly rising through the ranks while honing her abilities in the kitchen. Stints in other kitchens at restaurants including Domenica, Herbsaint, Luke, and Dooky Chase soon followed, as Jae’s technical skills and work ethic made her a sought-after chef for collaborations and innovative food projects. As Chef Jae cooked she continued to discover more similarities between Korean and Cajun-Creole cuisine including an emphasis on preparations of abundant local seafood, lots of barbecued pork, enthusiastic use of pickles and preserves, heavy spice and hot sauces, and the importance of sharing food together with family. “I felt so close to Korea when I cooked New Orleans’ food.”
In 2011 Chef Jae worked at Dooky Chase under the legendary chef Leah Chase, a titan of American cuisine and the Queen of Creole cooking. “I call her my Creole grandma; the opportunity to work in her kitchen was very special to me.” Jae credits Chef Leah Chase with teaching her the spirit and true form of Southern cuisine and hospitality, “She treated everyone the same — could have been the pope, the president, me, the dishwasher — she was never intimidated, never changed the way she talked. She had a huge impact on me as a chef. And as a person.” This philosophy serves as the backbone of Chef Jae’s culinary philosophy and personal life.
While working in New Orleans, Chef Jae began a series of collaborations with DinnerLab as a featured chef, showcasing Korean cuisine with New Orleanian flair in cities including Chicago, Miami, Austin, Boston, Birmingham, Nashville, and New York. This innovative series of dinners and culinary events allowed Chef Jae to refine her Korean-Cajun concepts while exposing thousands of Americans to her distinctive cuisine and unique flavors. “I loved doing events like that where I can tell people my own story, I love seeing people’s excited faces, it makes me want to cook.”
The opportunity to serve her food and connect with people around the country led Chef Jae to prepare for her next step in front of larger audiences, “I wanted to start achieving my lifelong ambition: to share my own KJUN cuisine and my journey through America with others. I decided that the next step for me would be in New York.”