Esther Choi is a force in the kitchen. From her successful restaurants to her numerous food television appearances, people are drawn to her delicious Korean dishes as well as her welcoming personality. While diners have become more adventurous with their flavor choices, Chef Esther believes that it is more than bold spices and ingredients that make Korean food craveable. One key ingredient cannot be found on store shelves.
Choosing to explore food and flavors captivates many people’s culinary imagination. Even without leaving their home city, a table can offer an escape to all parts of the globe. Infusing culture into every bite, globally inspired cuisine encourages people to make meaningful connections.
Chef Esther Choi has been influential introducing Korean food and culture to a wider audience. At her successful restaurants like Mökbar, GAHM, Ms. Yoo, and ÖBAR, guests have delighted in the bold flavors and creative interpretations of classic recipes.
That influence extends beyond the four walls of those spaces. Whether it was competing on Iron Chef: Quest for a Legend or as host of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing, Chef Esther appreciates that her visibility stands as inspiration to both professional chefs and aspiring cooks. Incorporating personal connections into a dish resonates with anyone who eats that bite.
Through her recent partnership with Listerine Clinical Solutions Sensitive Teeth, Chef Esther Choi graciously answered some questions for FoodSided. From delving into the craveable nature of Korean food to navigating life as a working mom, Chef Esther appreciates that each moment is another opportunity to discover more delicious memories.
Cristine Struble: Korean food continues to captivate people’s attention. What makes those flavors and dishes so craveable?
Chef Esther Choi: I think that Korean food is very unique in that there’s a lot of fermented flavors. I don’t think there’s anything like Korean food in the world where it’s just so bold, flavorful, and everything comes from tradition. In Korean, there’s this saying called hand taste which in Korean is translated to son-mat. Everything is made with your hands, which my grandma used to say it’s made with love. I feel like there’s this deep appreciation for that type of food in Korean culture, where everything is really deep in flavor. I can’t really explain it, but it’s the fermentation which takes years and years sometimes to make. I think that type of tradition makes Korean food so craveable and really unique.
Struble: For the home cook who is looking to explore those recipes and flavors, are there some options that are approachable or easier to attempt for the non-expert cook?
Chef Esther: Yes, for sure. I always try to encourage people to cook Korean food at home, even though it seems intimidating. It doesn’t have to be. You can buy Korean ingredients, like kimchi, gochujang or even toasted sesame oil, and use those ingredients in your everyday cooking. I would say getting familiar with Korean flavors is the easiest way to incorporate them into your everyday cooking. Using kimchi in your pasta sauce or putting a dollop of gochujang in your marinade, things like that will get you really accustomed to the flavor profile. It will make you more confident in cooking different Korean dishes.
Struble: If a person is not an adventurous eater, what are some good entry dishes to get them engaged with Korean cuisine and appreciate its complexity?
Chef Esther: I would say the most fun and engaging way to enjoy Korean food is Korean barbecue- it is an entryway to Korean food. I feel like there is not one person in the world that said that they don’t like Korean barbecue. It’s so fun, it’s engaging, it’s interactive, but also the food is really delicious. It’s basically meat grilled right in front of you, but it’s not only about the meat. It’s also all the little side dishes. It’s the interactive experience that’s really unique.
I would also say one of the best parts of Korean food is that family style interactive eating. I’d say start with Korean barbecue and then you can work your way up to the other types of Korean food.
Struble: Some dishes can have pungent flavors that tend to linger on people’s breath. Is there a polite way to suggest that they might need a little breath refreshment?
Chef Esther: I think you just have to be blunt about it. Be like, “Oh, you know, maybe you should rinse your mouth with Listerine, right?” Is there a polite way? I don’t think there is, but I think the most polite way is to just be honest. I think everyone would appreciate that.
Struble: I heard that you are partnered with Listerine. What appealed to you about this partnership?
Chef Esther: For me, I think it’s really about the way Korean food is, and obviously for me being a longtime Listerine user, it was the match made in heaven. Basically, I feel like Korean food is this very interactive cuisine where the hot food has to be super hot. When I say super hot, it has to be boiling even when it comes to the table. A lot of times Korean food is that way where hot food is very hot and cold food is super, super cold, especially sashimi or the cold banchan, or even the kimchi and the pickles that you eat. It’s a very sensitive tooth triggering cuisine. I feel like a lot of times people can get a little bit nervous about trying a food or a dish because of that tooth sensitivity.
Obviously as a chef, I don’t want that to be a disrupter of trying something new or something fun, which is why I love that Listerine Clinical Solutions Sensitive Teeth provides 24-hour protection and reverses tooth sensitivity with continual use. I felt like the partnership was perfect in that way because of the type of food that I cook and also because Korean food can be very pungent and smells. After eating it, you definitely need some mouthwash and we always have Listerine in the bathrooms at our restaurants.
Struble: As a working mother, do you set up some parameters to ensure that you have some quality time at home? Do you use cooking to engage your son with your passion for food?
Chef Esther: Definitely! As a new mom, I think the number one most important thing was how do I split my time at home and with my hectic, busy schedule. It’s just about being very intentional with your time and being really specific about scheduling, even if it’s down to the minute. For me, the mornings with my son are very important because from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. is when I spend the best quality time with him. Afterwards, obviously I work a lot, so I just have to be very specific and intentional about planning my week and my days.
I think that if you don’t plan, if you don’t schedule in the time off, it just won’t happen. You just have to pencil it in even if it’s like five minutes of your day, like these five minutes are the time that I’m going to cuddle my son. That’s how I do it, you just have to be very meticulous and spend your time wisely.
Struble: Do you ever struggle with getting your son to enjoy different types of ingredients?
Chef Esther: Thankfully, he’s very open to food and trying new things, but sometimes there are scenarios where he’ll try something and spit it out because he doesn’t like it. But, I am not a quitter. I will introduce that food in 10 different ways to make sure that he gets acclimated to that flavor profile. For him everything’s so new, he’s still trying to figure out what he likes and what he doesn’t like. It’s been really awesome and fun kind of doing it, but also stressful as a chef because I want him to not be picky and love everything. For me, it’s about not giving up. Just because he didn’t like something once, doesn’t mean he’s not going to like it again. You have to keep trying.
Cooking a lot of variety of foods for him to try has been important. A lot of it is trial and error, and I think as a mom you should never give up and just keep trying, even if it’s the same thing multiple times a week It depends on their mood, too. I’d say don’t be discouraged if your kid isn’t trying new things, you gotta keep doing it, you gotta keep going.
Whether it is experimenting in the kitchen with foods and flavors for her son or serving the most delicious dishes in her various restaurants, Chef Esther Choi epitomizes the heart of what Korean food captures. Every meal is another chapter in a story of discovery. The spices might cause cheeks to flush with color but the heart is warmed with the lasting connection that lingers after the meal is finished.