Soogil Lim

The Climb

Kitchen hierarchy and repeatable discipline shaped the early technical base here. At Daniel, Soogil Lim worked as Sous Chef in a house where pace and precision were part of the daily standard. At Hanjan, he went on to serve as Executive Chef, extending that foundation into a larger leadership role. Those years established the working habits that now read through his name: controlled technique, clear identity, and a point of view built in service. Soogil Lim is now chef and owner of Soogil, where those earlier roles resolve into a single operation. The cooking remains central, but ownership also gives him the final say over how the room, the menu, and the work are presented.

Today

Chef and owner is the practical framework at Soogil in New York City, United States. The title keeps the work close to the stove while also placing Lim in charge of the broader shape of the restaurant. Daniel and Hanjan are still present here, not as references for prestige, but as the working base that informs how the room is run. At Soogil, lineage is carried forward through service rather than declared as concept. The restaurant functions as a place where previous experience is still active—sorted, adjusted, and made visible in the present. Soogil Lim’s name on the door marks that continuity plainly.

Signature

Soogil's signature dishes include nurungji gras, black truffle chocolate panna cotta, and legendary Bossam. Each dish shows a different register in the kitchen: the crackle and contrast of nurungji gras; the unlikely pairing in black truffle chocolate panna cotta; the sustained pull of legendary Bossam. Taken together, they point to a menu that works through texture, richness, and recognition, with each plate carrying a clear intention.

In Their Words “My favorite dish in our takeout menu is our signature nurungji gras, with chile-sautéed foie gras, crispy rice, and sweet soy sauce.” “SOOGIL' is a restaurant that brings forth these past experiences into the present.”

Recognition

Lim’s clearest articulation of the dish comes in his own words: “My favorite dish in our takeout menu is our signature nurungji gras, with chile-sautéed foie gras, crispy rice, and sweet soy sauce.” The phrasing is direct, and that directness suits the plate. Heat, crunch, and sweetness are named without extra framing. He has also described what holds the dish together: “The harmony of the foie gras and rice and sweet soy sauce is really, really good.” That emphasis falls on balance rather than flourish. For Soogil Lim, the work is legible in how the parts meet, and how a few elements can be arranged until they settle into one clear idea.