i. Biography
The Path
Shanghai is the setting for Tom Ryu’s working language: sea, leaf and noodle translated into dishes that rely on texture as much as flavor. Sweet shrimp, abalone sauce, sea urchin and gamtae give that language a clear register in the bowl, where marine sweetness, saline depth and earthy notes are handled without excess. At NABI in Shanghai, the cooking comes across as Inventive Korean cuisine built from practical instincts and a low tolerance for ornament. The early record places Tom Ryu first as chef-owner at Jeju Izakaya / Jeju Sagye in Shanghai, then as chef and restaurateur at NABI in Shanghai from 2024. That sequence points to a career formed through repetition, ownership and hands-on kitchen work rather than the usual credential-first path. With Shanghai as the base, those roles show a working practice that extends beyond a single pass on the line and into the structures around a restaurant business.
The Work Today
Executive Chef at NABI in Shanghai is the role where Tom Ryu’s cooking reads most clearly. The food is Inventive Korean cuisine, but the emphasis stays on restraint, precision and the basic satisfactions of eating well; the plates are built to land immediately, not to perform. The effect comes from practical restaurant discipline, where each element has to justify its place. Across Shanghai, Tom Ryu’s restaurant work and related projects sit alongside one another, with NABI acting as the clearest expression of that kitchen vocabulary. The arrangement gives range, but the common thread is consistent: the same set of ideas tested in different formats, with the same attention to how flavor and texture carry a dish.
Signature
Tom's signature dishes include sweet shrimp noodle with abalone sauce and sea urchin and gamtae. The dish works as a concise summary of the style: sweetness from the shrimp, depth from the abalone sauce, and the briny, seaweed-like lift of sea urchin and gamtae held in balance. It is direct, specific and built around contrast without crowding the bowl.
Acclaim
The work avoids flourish and relies on immediate sensation instead. In Shanghai, that is the clearest measure of Tom Ryu’s current cooking: direct, controlled and anchored in flavor and texture rather than display.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Tom
What is Tom Ryu's current role?
As of 2026, Tom Ryu is Executive Chef.
Where did Tom Ryu work before?
Tom Ryu's earlier career included Jeju Izakaya / Jeju Sagye and NABI.
What is Tom Ryu known for?
Inventive Korean cuisine in Shanghai.
