Addressing Columbia University’s graduation class in 2018, Judy Joo had come full circle. After earning her degree at Columbia, Judy worked in engineering and finance, before leaving those areas behind to become a chef.
Judy enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in New York (now known as the International Culinary Center), where she received her Grand Diplome in Pastry. She worked for SAVEURmagazine as an editorial and test kitchen assistant. She also founded and managed Harvest Time in Harlem, the first inner-city Slow Food in Schools program.
A move to London led her to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants, where she worked in his flagship kitchens: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Maze, Claridge’s, Pétrus, and Boxwood Café. She has also staged in internationally renowned restaurants including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray, David Thompson’s Nahm in Bangkok, and Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry in California. Judy then went on to become the Executive Chef at London’s prestigious Playboy Club.
In 2014 – alongside chef Andrew Hales – Judy opened her first restaurant: Jinjuu. Lauded as London’s premier modern Korean venue, Jinjuu was inspired by nostalgic flavours of her childhood, and focused on contemporary Korean cooking, with a multicultural twist. After successfully handing Jinjuu over to new owners, she teamed up again in 2019 with Andrew Hales to create Seoul Bird, a fast-casual Korean Fried Chicken concept.
Judy brings her knowledge of Korean food to a larger audience through her television series “Korean Food Made Simple” (Cooking Channel USA and Food Network worldwide, S1 & S2) and her regular appearances on various shows globally, such as The Today Show, Wendy Williams, The Talk, Saturday Kitchen and Cooking With the Stars. Furthermore, Judy claimed the title of first female Iron Chef UK and second worldwide.
What first drew you to hospitality?
Food is love made edible — it’s that simple. I’ve always believed that a great meal can transport you, transform a moment, even heal something, and create core memories. I’m also, let’s be honest, someone who really loves to eat and one of the greatest joys in life. For me, cooking was never just a career — it’s how I connect with people and the world.
Who encouraged your career?
Honestly? In the beginning, nobody. My parents were horrified when I walked away from banking to become a chef — it wasn’t exactly the plan they had for me and especially after paying so much for my education (tiger parenting for sure!). My ex-husband wasn’t exactly cheering from the sidelines either. I really did go out on a limb alone, which was terrifying and, in retrospect, the making of me. Later, it was colleagues and peers who lifted me up, and now I’m incredibly fortunate to have a brilliant team around me. No one does this alone — it just took me a while to find my people.
What challenges does your industry present?
The hours are brutal, the work is physically punishing, and you spend most evenings and holidays feeding other people’s families instead of your own — that’s just the deal you make. But the harder truth is this: women are still drastically underrepresented at the top, and misogyny in professional kitchens isn’t some relic of the past. I’ve watched genuinely brilliant women walk away from this industry — not because they couldn’t hack it, but because the relentlessness of the culture ground them down over time. That’s an enormous, avoidable loss of talent.
We need more women in senior mentorship roles, proper pay equity, and a serious conversation about maternity support — because standing in a 100-degree kitchen for twelve hours a day is simply not safe when you’re pregnant, and yet the industry has no real answer for that. And honestly? We need to retire this idea of what a “serious chef” is supposed to look like. I still get the comment — “Oh, you don’t look like a chef!” — and I never quite know whether to laugh or scream. Do I need to shave my head, weigh 400 pounds, and be covered head to toe in tattoos to be taken seriously? Does a chef have to be male and built like a bouncer? The kitchen is changing — but nowhere near fast enough.
Accomplishments you’re most proud of?
Giving the graduation address at Columbia University was a genuine pinch-me moment — speaking to thousands brilliant young people about forging your own path, having walked such an unconventional one myself, felt full circle. And cooking for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the Korean President’s state visit to the UK was an extraordinary honor —representing Korean culture at that level of diplomacy meant the world to me.
Advice for those considering this career?
Do it because you genuinely can’t imagine doing anything else; your passion and dedication has to be impenetrable — because on the hard days (and there will be many), that conviction is the only thing that keeps you going. Develop thick skin, but don’t let the industry harden your heart. And learn the business side early: passion gets you through the door, but understanding margins, cost control, accounting, and operations keeps the lights on. Oh — and eat everything; it’s necessary research and the source of never-ending inspiration. Curiosity is your greatest ingredient.
An incredible on-the-job story?
Oh god, this one still makes me cringe. I was working at The Fat Duck — Heston Blumenthal’s three-Michelin-star restaurant in Bray — which, as kitchens go, is about as high-pressure as it gets. I hadn’t clicked the Thermomix together properly, switched it on, and — boom — apple pie mixture exploded absolutely everywhere at full velocity. The walls, the counters, my hair/face, the ceiling. The ceiling. In one of the best restaurants in the world. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. It took me a solid hour to clean up the carnage, and I can assure you I have never, not once, failed to secure a blender lid since.
What do you wish people understood about hospitality workers?
That every beautiful meal you’ve ever had, came from someone who showed up exhausted, probably skipped breakfast and lunch, has been standing for 12+ hours, has arms and hands covered in cuts and burns, and poured genuine love into what they put on your plate. Hospitality workers are artists and athletes at the same time — we just happen to be invisible when we do our job well. A little more grace from diners, a little more respect from the wider world, goes a long way.
Tell us about Seoul Bird and your U.S. locations.
Seoul Bird is my love letter to Korean street food with Korean fried chicken as one of our signature products. The crunch, the heat, the sheer joy of it. We started in London and I’ve been thrilled to bring it Stateside in a big way. You can now find us in New York’s Citi Field, and Madison Square Garden. There’s something delicious about the fact that sports fans are eating Korean food while watching their fave games and concerts. That feels right to me.
Your upcoming book this Fall!
My new book Mukja: Let’s Eat! — Fan-Favorite Recipes from K-Pop, K-Dramas & More is out November 10th, and I am so excited about this one. If you’ve ever been watching a K-drama and found yourself completely distracted by the food on screen — pausing just to stare at a bowl of noodles or dumplings — this book is for you. And, for K-Pop fans, I have recipes such as BTS’s Jungkook late-night buldak noodles, and BLACKPINK’s Rosé inspired spicy tteokbokki. I’ve taken the best dishes… fandom moments that make you think, I need to make that. With over 80 recipes spanning noodles, stews, street food, barbecue, and sweets, it’s my love letter to the Korean Wave and everything it has done to bring Korean food to the world. It’s a cookbook, yes — but really it’s a way to bring those on-screen and stage moments into your own kitchen and taste the culture for yourself.
For more information:
Judy Joo’s website
Seoul Bird Restaurants
Photo Credit: Emli Bendixen
