Chef
Junghyun Park
Executive Chef & Owner, Atomix and Atoboy
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- New York City, New York, United States
- Venue
- Atomix · Restaurant
Known for
- Innovative New Korean cuisine at Atomix and Atoboy
- Two Michelin-starred Atomix, top-ranked globally
i. Biography
Food Science education, technique, and meal structure form the working base of Junghyun Park’s cooking. The training at Kyung Hee University gave him a technical frame before service kitchens in London, Melbourne, Seoul, and New York City put that frame under pressure. “As a chef, to understand my own identity, I was naturally drawn to my Korean heritage.” Junghyun has said.
The Trajectory
Formal study came first: Kyung Hee University supplied the Food Science foundation that sits behind Junghyun Park’s later work with inherited culinary traditions and contemporary restaurant formats. In 2007, The Ledbury in London added the pace and discipline of an international kitchen. Cutler & Co., Melbourne (2008–2010), placed that discipline in another dining culture, extending the range of references without displacing the chef’s own base. The Chef de Cuisine role at Jungsik in Seoul returned the work to its home context at a higher level of responsibility. Jungsik, New York City (from 2012), then moved that responsibility into a New York dining room. The chef-owner roles at Atoboy, Atomix, Naro, and Seoul Salon continue that line: ingredients, forms, and techniques from that tradition interpreted through distinct restaurant formats rather than a single fixed expression.
The Work Today
Contemporary Korean fine dining at Atomix is built around balance in flavor, texture, and color, with a tasting menu that draws from ancestral traditions and techniques. In Junghyun Park’s hands, the format also gives space to artists and artisans, making the dining room part of a wider material and cultural practice. Banchan provides the working structure at Atoboy, where small side dishes associated with home meals become a way to organize variety, sequence, and contrast. Naro and Seoul Salon extend the same broader practice in New York City, each adding another format for presenting the cuisine without separating it from its traditions.
Honors
Hospitality and restaurant recognition have followed the craft in specific terms. The James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality in 2025 recognized the service and dining-room standard attached to Junghyun Park’s work. Atomix was recognized as one of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, ranking #12 in 2025. Earlier recognition includes Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2019 and the StarChefs Rising Stars Award in 2017.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Junghyun
What is Junghyun Park's day job?
Junghyun Park is chef-owner of Atomix.
Where did Junghyun Park train or study?
Junghyun Park trained at Kyung Hee University.
What recognition has Junghyun Park received?
James Beard Award Outstanding Hospitality (2025).
Explore
Featured in
