Chef
Jungsik Yim
Chef / Proprietor, Jungsik New York
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- New York City, New York, United States
Known for
- Pioneer of 'New Korean' cuisine
- First Korean restaurant outside Korea with three Michelin stars (Jungsik New York, 2024)
- First Korean chef to win James Beard Outstanding Chef Award (2025)
i. Biography
At MUJE, the working brief is modern Asian cuisine built from ingredients, culinary traditions, and cultural references gathered across the continent. In Jungsik Yim’s hands, that material extends the Korean forms he is known for without treating Korea as a closed frame. At Jungsik, the signature kimbap keeps the craft close to handwork and proportion: rice, seaweed, tuna, truffle, and mustard.
Career Arc
Modern Korean cooking, as practiced by Jungsik Yim, was shaped through formal training at Culinary Institute of America and early-career work at Aquavit, Bouley, Zuberoa, and Akelarre. The record points to a cook building discipline across kitchens before applying that structure to Korean cuisine in a contemporary register. Today, the operating base spans multiple rooms: chef / owner of Jungsik since 2009, chef / proprietor of Jungsik New York since 2011, and chef-owner of SEA since 2024.
The Current Work
Modern Asian cuisine at MUJE is framed through diverse cultures, ingredients, and culinary traditions across Asia. With Yim as chef / proprietor, the work is not a departure from Korean food so much as a wider field of reference around it. The Seoul foundation remains Jungsik, opened in 2009. The New York counterpart remains Jungsik New York, launched in 2011, where Yim continues as chef / proprietor. The case for Korean food is stated without ornament: “Korean food is unique; different from other countries in Asia. People can’t help but be interested.” The difficulty of presenting it outside familiar expectations was also part of the work: “It was difficult, because there was really very little context or background. People knew so little about Korean food outside of Korean barbecue. The restaurant was not very popular when it first opened.”
Signature
Signature dishes include Creative take on bibimbap.
The Record
Recognition for the Jungsik kitchens places the work in both guide and peer-facing contexts: World's 50 Best Restaurants North America — No. 35 for Jungsik New York (2025), Two Michelin stars for Jungsik New York (2013), Three Michelin stars for Jungsik New York, and Outstanding Chef (2025).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Jungsik
What does Jungsik Yim do now?
Jungsik Yim is chef / proprietor at MUJE.
Where did Jungsik Yim train or study?
Jungsik Yim trained at Culinary Institute of America.
What recognition has Jungsik Yim received?
World's 50 Best Restaurants North America — No. 35 for Jungsik New York (2025).
