Full Interview

“I feel that it’s a responsibility to showcase Korean culture and food,” says Chef Esther Choi. Where some ambitious young chefs might rush to put their stamp on food and brand themselves as innovators, Choi sees her role a little differently: as a culinary ambassador for Korea.

The chef-owner of Mokbar, a small ramen bar in Manhattan’s Chelsea Market and the more traditionally focused Mokbar in Brooklyn, Chef Esther Choi has been educating herself to become a chef most of her life. Though the bug to pursue a career in cooking didn’t happen until after college, she has loved food from the time she was a child, learning at her grandmother’s elbow.

By the time she opened the first Mokbar, in 2014 at age 28, Choi was ready. Working ferociously to be awarded the 20-seat space in Chelsea Market—a destination food hall that attracts more than six million visitors annually, from all over the world—Choi knew that she would need to find a way to make the beloved flavors and ingredients of her culture more approachable.

The vehicle was ramen bowls, carefully crafted, delicious noodle soup that fused a familiar Japanese concept—and a mother broth recipe—with Korean ingredients like kimchi, giant anchovies, braised pork belly, and other toppings. Also on the menu are other specialties like bibimbap, bulgogi and spicy tofu, all served in bowls. Diners customize their bowls with extra toppings and gluten-free purple rice (a blend of black and white rice that Choi learned from her mother) instead of noodles.

Mokbar was originally intended to be take out only (like a giant food court, the Chelsea Market offers dozens of food options that can be purchased to eat in a communal seating or off-premise), and bowls fit the need of being portable and operationally sound. Bowls also allow Choi to present her cuisine in an unintimidating format. The popular Kimchi Ramen is inspired by Jjigae, a classic Korean stew made with pulled chicken and roasted chicken ginger broth, cucumber, and garlic chive. The various components are made ahead, then assembled to order—a process that early customers found so fascinating to watch that Choi added counter seating.

Choi’s approach is quality oriented. She makes all her own kimchi, nine varieties in all, plus seasonal additions. The pork-based mother broth simmers all day. Traditional flavorings like spicy garlic paste, gochujang, and Kikkoman Less Sodium and regular Soy Sauce provide depth and a craveable hint of umami.

At the new Mokbar in Brooklyn, Choi has taken the menu a step further, adding inventive appetizers like K-pop Chicken, mandu dumplings, and a set menu of Jip-Bap, which translates as a multi-course “home style” meal. Choi applies her modern style to the traditional bibimbap, elevating the dish with purple rice, aromatic vegetables, and the added flavor of Kikkoman Teriyaki. Watch Chef Ester Choi craft her bibimbap here.

Choi isn’t done yet—the Mokbar Brooklyn is only Phase 2 of what the chef sees as a long and rewarding process. “I want to keep learning and growing so I can educate more people about the food and culture I’m so passionate about.”