PRESS KIT CREATIVE KOREAN CUISINE
TABLE OF CONTENTS Company Overview Profile 2 Concept 2 History 2 Timeline 3 Key Staff Young Sook Choi, Owner 3 Eli Martinez, Executive Chef 3 Fact Sheet Woo Lae Oak Western 4 Woo Lae Oak New York 4 Woo Lae Oak Beverly 5 Woo Lae Oak SoHo 6 Bann New York 7 Bann Los Angeles 8 MaDang Courtyard 9 Press Articles 10 Restaurant Photos 44 Food Gallery 48 Resumes 51 WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 1
COMPANY OVERVIEW Profile Woo Lae Oak is a leader in modern Korean cuisine, and is highly regarded as the premier Korean restaurant in the world. The restaurant can be credited with introducing Korean dining culture and developing it into the accessible, recognized global cuisine it is today. Since opening over 60 years ago, the highly acclaimed Woo Lae Oak brand has garnered a reputation for their excellence in food and service, and is considered the highest standard of Korean fine dining. Concept Woo Lae Oak restaurants are renowned for the authentic tabletop barbecue paired with inventive dishes inspired by authentic Korean cuisine. Woo Lae Oak's signature style of dining uniquely blends together traditional elements with a modern approach, presenting a refined contemporary cuisine in a sophisticated, fine dining setting. History Woo Lae Oak, meaning "House of Return", was opened in 1946 in Seoul, South Korea. The restaurant expanded to the United States with the first location in Los Angeles and quickly established itself as the most prominent, acclaimed Korean restaurant. Following this success, Woo Lae Oak opened restaurants in New York's Midtown followed by another location in Beverly Hills' prestigious Restaurant Row. Woo Lae Oak was next re-established in New York after the original location was closed due to fire, this time opening the flagship restaurant in Soho. The Woo Lae Oak brand was then expanded to include a new branch, Bann Restaurant, which rapidly became the highest rated Korean restaurant. Woo Lae Oak restaurants have been owned and operated within the same family since opening. It was originally founded in Korea by Chung Bong Lee, who brought the restaurant concept to the United States to introduce Korean cuisine to the Western palate, establishing successful bicoastal Woo Lae Oak locations. Her daughter in law, Young Sook Choi, developed the restaurant's concept further, redefining the boundaries of authentic Korean cooking to create a modernized, streamlined cuisine presented in a stylized, upscale setting. Mrs. Choi has established multiple successful restaurants of Woo Lae Oak and Bann on both coasts. Mrs. Choi's daughter, Julie, with training in Culinary Arts and education in International Hospitality, is the 3rd generation working for the business. She is working to progress the evolution of Korean dining, updating and building on the restaurants' concept further. WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 2
Timeline 1946- First restaurant established in Seoul, South Korea 1975- Expands to the US with first restaurant in Los Angeles' Koreatown Area 1974- Woo Lae Oak opens in New York's Midtown 1993- Woo Lae Oak opens the 2nd West Coast restaurant in Beverly Hills 1999- Woo Lae Oak in SoHo opens 2005- Bann, a new branch of Woo Lae Oak restaurants, opens in Midtown West 2010- Bann Los Angeles opens in the converted original Woo Lae Oak restaurant space KEY STAFF Young Sook Choi, Owner Mrs. Choi is highly regarded as the pioneering force behind modernizing traditional Korean dining, gaining worldwide recognition with successful Woo Lae Oak and Bann restaurants in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and New York. Since first starting her career in 1984, Mrs. Choi has worked to globalize Korean cuisine, redefining traditional cooking to form a refined and approachable style of dining signature to her restaurants. She has introduced what was once an obscure cuisine and developed it into an accessible, recognized cuisine at the forefront of modern Asian dining. She has undoubtedly made Woo Lae Oak into the most prestigious, well known Korean restaurant brand. Mrs. Choi is also a cookbook author and consultant. She has just completed development of her largest project, MaDang Courtyard in Los Angeles, an entertainment and shopping complex. Eleazar Martinez, Executive Chef Executive Chef Eli Martinez, originally from Honduras, has found success and recognition for his culinary talents at Woo Lae Oak and Bann restaurants over his 20 year career with the group. Eli is a classically French trained chef with degrees in culinary and pastry arts from UCLA, the Art Institute and New York Restaurant School. Eli has also trained extensively in Korean cuisine, having been invited to study traditional royal cuisine in Korea at the world famous 5 Star Shilla Hotel. WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 3
since 1946 WOO LAE OAK WESTERN Location: 623 S. Western Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90005 (Koreatown) Opened: 1974 Opened by: Chung Bong Lee Size: 10,000 sq ft/ 350 seats Concept: Traditional Korean Cuisine Widely considered the most famous Korean restaurant, credited with introducing the Korean style of dining to the United States. Woo Lae Oak catered to a diverse clientele, popularizing Korean cuisine to the Western palate. This original space was in operation for 25 years, after which it was re-established as Bann Restaurant inside MaDang Courtyard. WOO LAE OAK NEWYORK Location: 69 W. 46th Street, New York NY 10036 (Midtown) Opened: 1979 Opened by: Chung Bong Lee Size: 8,000 sq ft/ 250 seats Concept: Traditional Korean Cuisine Woo Lae Oak in New York was the benchmark for all Korean restaurants. With its unique dining concept this restaurant attracted a wide range of customers, including the international business clientele of Midtown. With the immense success of this location, Woo Lae Oak solidified its standing as the most prominent Korean restaurant group in the United States. WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 4
WOO LAE OAK BEVERLY Location: 170 N. La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills CA 90211 Opened: 1993 Opened by: Young Sook Choi Size: 8,000 sq ft/ 350 seats Concept: Nouvelle Korean Cuisine At this time Korean cuisine was virtually unknown outside the small community in Koreatown, so venturing out to the prestigious Restaurant Row in Beverly Hills was an immense risk. Mrs. Choi's first branch of Woo Lae Oak introduced a modernized style of traditional dining, serving a contemporary, yet still authentic form of Korean cuisine and presenting it in an elegant, chic setting. WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 5
WOO LAE OAK SOHO Location: 148 Mercer Street, New York NY 10012 (SoHo) Opened: 1999 Opened by: Young Sook Choi Size: 12,000 sq ft/ 250 seats Concept: Creative Korean Cuisine Mrs. Choi began looking to restore the Woo Lae Oak in New York that had closed years prior due to fire. While the original location in Midtown was immensely successful in catering to the business crowd, she wanted to introduce her concept to a more globalized market so she chose a location in the historic district, Soho. Woo Lae Oak SoHo presented a new dining concept, Creative Korean. It showcased inventive dishes inspired by traditional cooking, presented in an elegant style in a chic, downtown setting, Woo Lae Oak Soho became the most acclaimed Korean restaurant in the city frequented by an international clientele and celebrities and established Korean food as a world class cuisine. WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 6
BANN NEW YORK Location: 350 W. 50th Street, New York NY 10019 (Midtown West) Opened: 2005 Opened by: Young Sook Choi Size: 5,000 sq ft/ 180 seats Concept: Innovative Korean Cuisine Mrs. Choi developed a new concept, "Innovative Korean", that returned to the origins of authentic Korean cooking with a modern adaptation. This style broadened traditional recipes by blending classic and modern elements of preparation and flavors, using only the finest natural products to highlight the unique tastes of Korean cuisine in a simple and refined presentation. Bann became the highest rated Korean restaurant in Zagat and is highly recognized as the finest Korean restaurant in New York. It was the first Korean restaurant to be included in NYC Restaurant Week, and has hosted events for the Korean Tourism Board and Cultural Society. WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 7
BANN LOS ANGELES Locations: 621 S. Western Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90005 (Koreatown) Opened: 2005 Opened by: Young Sook Choi Size: 10,000 sq ft/ 350 seats Concept: Innovative Korean Cuisine Bann Los Angeles, located on the site of the original Woo Lae Oak in Los Angeles, is the most recent addition. Bann's signature "Innovative Korean" is a modern approach to the concept of the first Woo Lae Oak, progressing traditional Korean into a unique, contemporary dining experience the Woo Lae Oak group of restaurants have become famous for. With over 35 years developing Korean cuisine, Woo Lae Oak and Bann have created a group of restaurants showing the diversity of Korean cooking. All restaurants have focused on highlighting the unique aspects of Korean dining, presenting refined styles of cuisine in an upscale setting. Throughout the years Woo Lae Oak has been a leader in innovating Korean cuisine and has transformed it into the accessible, recognized global cuisine it is today. WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 8
MaDang, Mrs. Choi's largest project, is an entertainment and shopping complex built on the site of the original Woo Lae Oak in Los Angeles. It was designed to recreate a traditional Korean courtyard and has become a venue for promoting Korean culture in Los Angeles. WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 9
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T E L E V IS ION WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 42
Y O U N G SO O K CHO I C O O K B O O K WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 43
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ELEAZAR MARTINEZ 350 W 50 th St, New York, NY 10019 OBJECTIVE A dedicated and seasoned professional with 14 years of experience looking to contribute a wealth of creativity and in return, learn, in the energetic culinary realm EXPERIENCE Executive Chef, Woo Lae Oak and Bann, Restaurant Group 2001-present -Created menu in Woo Lae Oak locations, SoHo, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills -Supervised food production line -Maintained food s constant high quality and precision -Managed menu archives -Trained new kitchen staff -Sustained strict sanitation within the kitchen -Controlled inventory -Succeeded in eliminating excess costs GardeManger/Line Cook/Pastry Cook, Vong, NY summer 2001 GardeManger/Line Cook/Pastry Cook, Jean Georges, NY spring 2001 Line Cook, Woo Lae Oak Beverly Hills, CA 1993-1999 EDUCATION Diploma in Pastry Arts, Art Institute of New York City 2004 A complete pastry arts program, including French and international desserts Associate Degree in Culinary Management, Art Institute of NYC 2003 Associate of Occupational Studies in Hotels, Restaurants, and Culinary Arts Certificate in Culinary Arts, New York Restaurant School, NY 2001 Intensive culinary arts program, including French and International Regional cooking. National Restaurant Association Certificates in Sanitation and Nutrition Basic Culinary Program, Univ. of Cal. Los Angeles, CA, 1997 Basic culinary program, including knife skills and classical French cooking techniques. SKILLS Languages- Fluency in English, Spanish, and Korean Computer- Microsoft Excel, Word, and Chef Tec Specialities- Asian Cuisine, Seafood, French Pastries WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 51
JULIE CHOI 350 W. 50th St, New York NY 10019 (646) 509-9399 julie.choi.nyc@gmail.com Over 10 years work experience in the hospitality industry with a formal education in culinary arts and hospitality management. Assists in multi-outlet operations and creative design, marketing & public relations for the Woo Lae Oak & Bann restaurants. CORE COMPETENCIES Brand Development Graphics Design Operations Management Profit & Growth Strategies Multi-media Marketing Computer & IT Skills EDUCATION Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland) International Hospitality Management 2001 2005 Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School (London, United Kindgdom) Le Grand Diplome of Cuisine & Pastry Arts 2000 2001 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE BANN RESTAURANT (Los Angeles, CA) 2010 Director of Marketing & Communications BANN RESTAURANT (New York, NY) Restaurant Manager Multi-outlet operations management 2005 Present WOO LAE OAK (New York, NY) 2005 2011 Marketing & Design Developed advertising strategies that resulted in consistent sales increases Designed graphics material for print/online marketing Responsible for all creative materials including menus, packaging, & website design Line Cook & Assistant Pastry Chef 1999-2000 INTERNSHIPS Grand & COEX Intercontinental Hotels (Seoul, Korea)- Communications Department 2003 Deborah Restaurant (New York, NY)- Sous Chef 2001 COMPUTER SKILLS Aloha, Squirrel & Micros POS, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Excel, Word & Powerpoint LANGUAGES English, Korean, Spanish, French WOO LAE OAK PRESS KIT P a g e 52