Bobby Yoon

The Climb

Formal training at the Institute of Culinary Education gave Bobby Yoon a disciplined framework for the work, along with the vocabulary to support it. That sequence matters: the school comes first, then the decision to open a restaurant under his own name. Since 2018, Yoon has been the founder and owner of Yoon Haeundae Galbi, and the restaurant has become the clearest place where his point of view is visible. Continuity is the organizing principle behind the kitchen. Rather than treating the menu as a blank slate, Yoon builds from memory, family knowledge, and the responsibility of carrying a recipe forward. In that sense, the work is less about reinvention than about maintaining a line: interpreting what was handed down, keeping it legible, and making sure it remains active on the plate.

Today

“This recipe has been in my family since before I was born.” That sentence frames Yoon’s approach in plain terms: the recipe is an inheritance, and the kitchen is where that inheritance is maintained. In Bobby Yoon’s hands, the family line is not treated as background; it is the center of the restaurant, giving Yoon Haeundae Galbi its sense of continuity and purpose.

Signature

Bobby's signature dishes include Haeundae Cut, signature short ribs, and seafood tteokbokki. The menu is built around familiar Korean preparations, with an emphasis on grilled meat and the kind of texture and richness that reward careful handling. The Haeundae Cut and the signature short ribs define the restaurant’s core, while the seafood tteokbokki broadens the register without shifting the center of gravity. Together, they show a kitchen working with restraint, precision, and appetite in equal measure.

In Their Words “For me, the best Korean food is being 100 percent Korean food.” “I am very proud to be part of the ICE community.” Taken together, those lines make the standard clear: fidelity to Korean food, and respect for the training environment that helped shape the work. Bobby Yoon’s stance is direct, and it explains the restaurant’s form—rooted in origin, sharpened by schooling, and kept focused on what the food is meant to be.