Judy Joo's Culinary Journey
Judy Joo's Culinary Journey
From Wall Street to a Korean fried chicken hotspot at Citi Field, Judy Joo has worn many hats
With an engineering degree from Columbia University, Judy Joo embarked on a career on Wall Street, but finance left her unfulfilled. “There always has to be a push and pull, but I didn’t love where I was. I was burnt out. I was never sleeping, and I was a shell of a human,” she confides. Joo said she had an epiphany one day: “Life is too short not to spend it on the things you love. I had this creative energy that I wanted to tap into and I had to follow my passion.”
In a complete career role reversal, Joo enrolled in the French Culinary Institute in New York and received her Grand Diplome in Pastry Arts. Joo worked at Saveur magazine before moving to London in 2007 to serve as a pastry chef at several Gordon Ramsay restaurants. Joo went on to stage at the French Laundry and other Michelin-starred restaurants while also becoming the only female Iron Chef in the UK. Joo also starred in several cooking shows and opened the restaurant Jinjuu in London before parting ways to specialize in Korean fried chicken.
In 2019, she opened her first Seoul Bird restaurant in London. The brand has expanded with an additional London spot and a location at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas. Now, Seoul Bird has landed in New York with locations at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and Citi Field in Queens.
Joo says she wanted to focus on Korean fried chicken because it has a loyal following. The difference, according to Joo, between run-of-the-mill fried chicken and the wildly popular Korean version is the way it’s prepared and fried. Instead of coating the chicken in dry flour and seasonings, Joo explains that her Korean fried chicken is soy-brined for 24 hours before being dipped into a tempura-like batter and double-fried. “It yields a very thin crispy eggshell-like crust,” says Joo.
The chicken is tossed in a choice of sauces including a piquant gochujang mayo, chicken chili, sweet garlic soy, garlic ranch, Korean BBQ, or signature. “The umami sauces are a big thing,” says Joo.
Joo’s Korean fried chicken is right at home at Citi Field, sharing the spotlight with a host of unique fare including brisket sandos from Pig Beach BBQ, birria tacos from Queens’ Nixtamal, and lobster rolls from Lobster Shack this baseball season. Joo notes that stadium food has evolved from the standard beer-and-a-dog to match the tastes of the fans who flock to the games. “I think the crowd is changing and you’re getting more diverse offerings. At the end of the day, everyone wants good food.”
Joo has some advice for Mets fans who simply can’t choose between all the delicious options, including Seoul Bird. “Baseball is a long game. You can eat your way around and do a tour of the world. You can do Korean, Italian, Japanese, and more.”
Joo says she hopes to continue to expand the Seoul Bird brand, though specific locations haven’t been set. “We’re looking at sites and then we’ll let you know,” she adds.
In addition, Joo sees herself continuing to explore the world in search of fantastic food and the stories behind the dishes. “I love this industry and I love exploring cultures through food. Food tells the history of a country — from feast and famine to family, immigration patterns, and everything in between. When I set out on this journey, I didn’t know where it would lead — I just knew I wanted to be in food.”