K-pop and other Korean popular culture are gaining immense popularity overseas. Korean dramas, such as "Crash Landing on You," received enthusiastic support in Asia, including Japan, and "Squid Game" has created a global following beyond Asia. In response to the popularity of Korean popular culture, unique industries and lifestyles born in Korea are also spreading widely abroad. ChosunBiz focuses on this global K-culture.
The 'driver's restaurant' is a roadside restaurant primarily catering to various drivers, such as taxi drivers, with the advantage of providing hearty side dishes at low prices. Driver's restaurants have been responsible for feeding urban residents day and night for decades, but they are gradually diminishing as the owners retire. They find it challenging to compete with cheap convenience store food and are pressured to maintain low prices due to the perception that 'Korean food should be inexpensive,' leading to a lack of new entrepreneurs wishing to open them.
As driver's restaurants gradually disappear in Korea, there are attempts to revive their value overseas. David Junwoo Yoon, the representative, opened a Kisa restaurant in the heart of Manhattan, New York, in April. The Korean sign, "Dongnam Corner Driver's Restaurant," Kisa serves authentic Korean food. It offers eight main dishes, including bulgogi, pork bulgogi, stir-fried squid, and bibimbap, along with various side dishes. Shortly after opening, Kisa was featured in local media such as The New York Times (NYT) and Eater NY, becoming a restaurant where New Yorkers line up. ChosunBiz interviewed Yoon by email.
◇ The reason why the 'fusion Korean restaurant' representative showcases 'traditional Korean food'
Kisa is a restaurant founded by Representative Yoon, who has over 10 years of experience in the food service industry, infused with a love for Korean cuisine. Yoon started working as a server at the Korean restaurant "Kristalbelli," opened by singer Park Jin-young in Manhattan in the early 2010s, and has held positions such as event manager, bar manager, and general manager of the restaurant. After gaining confidence that the food service industry was a good fit for him, he opened a restaurant in Manhattan in 2022 that fuses Southern American cuisine with Korean elements, called "C as in Charlie." "C as in Charlie" was selected for the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand (good value restaurants) for its fusion dishes like popcorn chicken coated in gochujang sauce.
While operating "C as in Charlie," Representative Yoon received a compliment from a foreign customer saying, 'This is my first time trying Korean food, and it’s so delicious,' which became the catalyst for opening Kisa. He noted, 'While the food at "C as in Charlie" had Korean elements, the menu was difficult for Koreans to recognize as traditional Korean food.' He added, 'I thought Korean food and culture were already well-known globally, but I realized that there are still many foreigners who haven’t properly experienced Korean cuisine,' leading him to decide that traditional Korean food should be featured in his second restaurant.
Representative Yoon expressed hope that if Kisa achieves international recognition for the traditional Korean restaurant style, it could have a positive impact in Korea as well. He mentioned, 'I had the opportunity to meet the next generation of restaurant managers in Korea, but I could hardly find anyone operating casual Korean restaurants. The reason is simple. Paying 20,000 to 30,000 won for a plate of pasta is considered reasonable, but there is a perception that Korean meals, which include rice, soup, main dish, and side dishes, should be inexpensive.' He started his business with the hope that Kisa could help continue the history of traditional Korean food.
Korea's driver's restaurants come in various forms, depending on their location and operating style. Some operate as buffets or specialize in kimchi stew or tonkatsu. Kisa follows the style of a 'baekbanjip,' which serves rice with soup and several side dishes. Representative Yoon stated, 'I believed that one of the representative elements of Korean food is the side dish culture,' and decided to keep the main dish minimal while changing the side dishes at least four times a year according to the season to introduce Korean seasonal side dishes in America, where the concept of 'seasonal food' is vague.
◇ Recreating the 1980s driver's restaurant and incorporating Korea's 'jeong (情)'
Many customers who visit Kisa often comment that it feels like they are 'momentarily in Korea.' This is a result of Representative Yoon's efforts to incorporate Korean details throughout Kisa. The food is served on round plates reminiscent of those seen in grandmother's houses, and old tube televisions play shows like 'Korean Table' or 90s news. On the walls are Korean bank calendars, which are said to 'bring good fortune,' along with nostalgic wall-mounted fans. The origin labels indicate Korean ingredients as 'Korean' and American ingredients as 'domestic,' a detail typically seen in Korean restaurants.
Kisa's unique characteristic lies in blending New York-style 'hospitality' with Korea's distinctive 'jeong (精)' culture. Kisa has placed a coffee vending machine at the entrance so customers can enjoy Korean instant coffee and mugwort tea as they leave the restaurant. Representative Yoon stated, 'The detail that customers love most is the coffee vending machine,' explaining that while it's a familiar service in Korea, it's a rare experience in New York, leading many customers to line up to get coffee. Kisa also offers choco pies with candles for customers celebrating their birthdays and staff greet returning customers by checking reservation details and saying 'Welcome back.'
Kisa's strategy of bringing Korean tradition directly to New York has proven effective. By recreating the 1980s Korean driver's restaurant, Kisa has gone viral on social media (SNS), consistently maintaining high visitor numbers and sales. One notable change is that more than 70% of visitors now are local New Yorkers rather than Koreans. Representative Yoon stated, 'Kisa has become a space that goes beyond being a simple restaurant to introduce our culture,' adding that while it is a source of pride, it is not a light matter, and thorough training is provided to employees so that every guest has a special experience.
Representative Yoon plans to focus on solidifying Kisa's foundations for the time being. Given the restaurant's popularity, he aims to refine service and operational systems to provide patrons with an even more complete experience. Considering the inconvenience of long lines faced by customers during the initial phase, Kisa has started accepting reservations at a regulated rate. He stated, 'Kisa's ultimate goal is to grow beyond a simple Korean restaurant into a hospitality group representing New York,' and he wishes to show the next generation that the food service industry can be a mission-driven profession that conveys Korean culture and values rather than merely a means of living.