Today we’d like to introduce you to Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Cecilia Hae-Jin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Nearly two decades ago, I decided to make a living as a writer. I had been a painter, illustrator, graphic designer, public artist and art director, I thought it would be easier to earn money as a writer. Ha!
I went to the central library downtown and checked out every book on writing there was. They always say to write what you know. I knew food. I had been cooking since I was 7 and reading the LA Times Food Section since I was 9. So, my first letter and first assignment were for the LA Times Food Section. I pitched a piece about kimchi, then got a call from Russ Parsons, the food editor at the time. I had no idea what I was doing and I had never written an article or recipe before. He told me that they couldn’t pay much, but they’d give me front page coverage. I jumped up and down, so excited.
Then, I panicked. I had never written a recipe before.
That year, one of my kimchi recipes was chosen for the L.A. Times Top 10.
I went on to write numerous articles for newspapers, magazines and online publications. Three cookbooks and four travel guides later, I felt like I hit a wall in my writing career. So, I decided to open a restaurant. Call it temporary insanity, but here I am.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Is there ever a smooth road to anywhere? Any journey has bumps, slides, detours and roadblocks. Opening a restaurant is hard. Opening a restaurant in Los Angeles with only 2 cents in your pocket is nearly impossible.
Our location is our most difficult challenge. Since we don’t have a storefront, we can’t set our own hours and people can’t find us. Walk-in traffic is almost non-existent. We have to rely on social media, word of mouth and online searches.
I still feel like I’m on a journey, climbing towards the apex, but you have to enjoy the scenery along the way.
Nabi Korean Restaurant – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Nabi is a fast-casual Korean restaurant. We serve Korean bibimbap rice bowls as well as a fusion menu that I like to play around with. I have a degree in conceptual art and site-specific installations. I like to think of my joint like one big performance piece with food as my medium.
We’re known for our build-your-own bibimbap bowls, but also for our fusion items like the Korean tortas, kimchi grilled cheese and our Korean quesadillas.
We use fresh, high-quality ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible. We make all our marinades and sauces in-house. We use herbs and fruit from my home garden when things are in season. We’re serving homemade lemonade made from Meyer lemons from my trees, the same ones we use for our lemon sauce.
My greatest joy is feeding people. Going from food writer to restaurant owner and chef is like playing music live after being a studio musician for years. I get to see the direct effect of my food on others. I love seeing the expressions on my customer’s faces when they take the first bite.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It’s so hard to pick just one. When I held the hardbound copy of my first book, EATING KOREAN, it was an incredible feeling. Getting a box of your printed books is so exciting every time. It never gets old.
But, I also loved getting the email, asking if I was going to be attending the James Beard Awards dinner. I was like: “What? I’m nominated?” That was kind of thrilling.
Pricing:
- Bibimbap Bowls – $9.95-11.95
- Korean Tacos – $2-3.95
- Kimchi Grilled Cheese – $6.95
- Korean Pulled Pork Sliders – $6
- Korean Tortas, Korean Quesadillas – $6.95-7.95
- Drinks – $1-3
Contact Info:
- Address: 4632 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 16
(Inside the Union Swapmeet)
Los Angeles, CA 90029 - Website: http://www.nabikorean.com
- Phone: (323) 986-0107
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nabikorean
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NabiRestaurant
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NabiRestaurant
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nabi-korean-restaurant-los-angeles
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/nabikorean
Image Credit:
Benjamin Attwell, Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee
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