2021 K-New Leaders Online 2

A Conversation with Sehong Brian Kim
Chef and Owner of Oiji in New York


Premiere on June 30th, 2021 
Free to watch at Korean Cultural Center Youtube channel (www.youtube.com/KCSNY)

“New York was completely dead. And I thought I would have to shut down.
But then I had an idea. How about bringing the fine dining experience outdoors?”

How a Korean restaurant survived the pandemic with innovative outdoor dining
Join our K-New Leaders Online of 2021 with Sehong Brian Kim, Chef and Owner of Oiji in New York!

Sehong Brian Kim, a chef owner of Oiji in New York City faced a crisis of his lifetime in 2020 when the city announced the “New York State on Pause”-- executive order in which all non-essential businesses statewide had to close in-office personnel functions. Due to this order, as well as stay-at-home and social distancing orders, restaurants in New York City began to experience severe financial difficulties. 

Then in June 2020, New York launched its Open Restaurants program allowing restaurants to expand onto sidewalks, parking spaces, and backyards. Since there were no clear guidelines or infrastructures in place, many restaurants started installing temporary dining set ups. But Kim had different thoughts on the outdoor dining set-up. He had been tracking how Covid-19 had affected Korea before it really hit the US, so he could foresee that this was going to be a long battle. 

Rather than installing a temporary outdoor dining system, Kim built individual private dining rooms with ventilation systems and sliding doors. The response to this new dining system was incredible. Customers were excited to experience this new, safe method of outdoor dining and in turn, outlets like ABC7 news and the New York Post and many others were excited to share the story of Oiji’s dining system. Also other New York restaurant owners came to Kim to learn his outdoor dining system.  

In this <K-New Leaders Online Program>, we will explore the life and story of Sehong Brian Kim who has created an innovative outdoor dining system during Covid-19 pandemic. This program will also showcase Kim’s traditional yet localized Korean cuisine as well as his journey of opening a restaurant in New York City as an international student from South Korea. 

This online program is presented as a part of Korean Culture Day 2021

 
 
 
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