i. Biography
Park Kyung-Jae works in Japanese Edomae omakase through Kojima in Seoul, South Korea, where the counter is part of the method rather than decoration. Born on Wooi-do Island in Jeollanamdo Province, Park brings a coastal sense of ingredient attention into a practice defined by patience, texture, and disciplined handling. At Kojima, sushi is served directly on a custom 500-year-old hinoki counter, making the wood surface part of the service: grain, warmth, movement, and the short interval in which each piece is placed before the guest. “In the summertime, we ate new potatoes for lunch and in the winter, sweet potatoes.” Park has said.
The Making
Restaurant work in a Japanese restaurant in Seoul, South Korea (from 1989) gave Park Kyung-Jae the trade’s first requirements: stamina, repetition, timing, and service discipline. Sushi training often begins away from recognition, with the body learning station rhythm, handwork, and the small codes that govern a kitchen before individual style has any use. Hotel sushi work at Ariake at Josun Hotel and later Sushi Chohee at Shilla Hotel placed Park inside rooms where precision and restraint had to hold under service pressure. The craft developed through repeatable fundamentals: cutting fish, seasoning rice, pacing an omakase sequence, and maintaining composure while working in direct view of the guest. Head chef work at Kojima (since 2014) shows the authority that comes from long practice rather than display. Park’s counter presence is built on economy: clean movement, considered pauses, and the confidence to let simple preparations carry their own weight.
Today
Kojima’s service centers on a custom 500-year-old hinoki counter that Park personally selected and brought from Japan. Sushi is served directly on the wooden surface, an uncommon use of the counter as the serving vessel, where touch, grain, temperature, and immediacy become part of the piece. Restraint is the operating principle. Park prefers to let his food speak for itself, and at Kojima that means sequence, silence, and technique are used to focus attention on what is present rather than what has been added.
Honors
Park Kyung-Jae has received MICHELIN Guide Seoul — Mentor Chef Award (2023). Recognition for this counter practice includes the MICHELIN Seoul Mentor Chef Award (2023), awarded to Park Kyung-Jae.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Park
What role does Park Kyung-Jae hold?
Park Kyung-Jae is chef at Kojima — Sushi.
Where did Park Kyung-Jae work before?
Earlier in their career, Park Kyung-Jae worked at Japanese restaurant, Ariake at Josun Hotel, and Sushi Chohee at Shilla Hotel.
What recognition has Park Kyung-Jae received?
MICHELIN Seoul Mentor Chef Award (2023).
