When Sophia Lee opened her first restaurant in New Jersey in 2002, she had no prior experience running a food business. Neither did she have much experience cooking.
“My mother-in-law didn’t want anyone touching stuff in the kitchen,” Lee said. “So I never had a chance to learn.”
But Lee’s longing for food from her native South Korea ignited a passion for serving meals that comforted the soul.
Healthy, hearty, traditional Korean food gave Lee solace and energy when she struggled to adjust to life in America. She wanted to offer that same transcendent feeling to her customers.
For example, at miss Korea—Lee’s tribute to Korean culture and cuisine located in Manhattan’s Koreatown—they serve dishes that were once reserved for South Korean royalty.
