Esther Choi Chef, Biography, Wikipedia, Restaurants, Husband, and Mokbar

Esther Choi Biography | Wikipedia

Esther Choi is a popular American influential Chef driven by her Korean roots and is the chef/owner of mŏkbar and mŏkbar Brooklyn and chef/partner of Ms. Yoo. Encouraged by the age-old technique of her Korean grandmother’s cooking, she believes that food is the ultimate expression of a country’s culture. Having a personal passion for introducing New Yorkers to the flavors of Korean culture, Esther’s cooking combines traditional and modern influences with fresh, seasonal ingredients.

She started her professional education at the early age of 14. Esther’s formal training as a chef began at New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), followed by many positions at New York City’s renowned ilili and La Esquina, and that of the Food Network. She worked as the host of Eater’s video series “Kitchen Gadgets”, where Esther channeled her cooking prowess and demonstrated compelling Korean dishes and flavors, garnering more than 50 million views. Esther guest-starred in HBO’s “Selena + Chef” with Selena Gomez. In addition, she is a challenger chef and finalist in the Netflix hit show “Iron Chef: Quest for the Iron Legend”.

She was named a “Zagat 30 under 30” in 2015 and NYC Culinary Rockstar. Among her other enterprises, Zagat announced Ms. Yoo as one of the city’s hottest new restaurants, while Thrillist dubbed it the best place to eat during a Lower East Side bar crawl. In 2020-21, she was a host and producer of two podcasts. iHeartRadio’s ‘Get Down w/Ktown’, where Esther dives into the rich world of Korean-American culture. And the Food52 Podcast Network “Hot Offline”, a call-in show where Esther tackles burning questions for home cooks. Esther’s newest Mokbar opened in Midtown Manhattan in the Fall of 2021 and has started expanding into food halls beginning with Le Fantome in Riverdale MD.

Esther Choi Age | Chef Age | Birthday

Esther was born on November 20, 1986, in New York City, New York, in the United States. She is 37 years old. Esther celebrates her birthday on November 20, every year.

Esther Choi's photo
Esther’s photo

Esther Choi Height

She is a woman of above-average stature. Esther stands at a height of 5 ft 7 in ( Approx. 1. 7m ).

Esther Choi Family

She was born in New Jersey and brought up in Egg Harbor. Esther’s parents Bok N Choi and Mi Choi were Korean when she was born, so she is of Korean descent. Esther has a sister named Jennifer Choi who is also a Managing Partner and Controller for Mokbar. She and her sister Jennifer decided to open up Mokbar believing in the Chef’s passion for introducing Korean food and culture into NYC. Esther also has a brother named Dan Choi. Esther’s parents moved them to Korea for three years to learn Korean culture. Esther’s grandmother worked as a major source of her inspiration recipes.

Esther Choi Husband | Married | Partner | Dating | Chef Married | Chef Husband

She is married to her husband Jerry Choi. The two dated many years prior to their marriage. The couple has children but they have not mentioned any information regarding their kids.

Esther Choi Daughter

She and her husband Jerry have children. At the moment, Esther has not disclosed any details regarding her children to the public.

Esther Choi Rutgers | Education

After completing her primary and high school education, Esther joined and graduated from Rutgers University. Later on, Esther joined The Institute of Culinary Education and graduated in 2011 earning a Culinary Arts Degree.

Esther Choi Chef | Iron Chef

She is a mŏkbar chef and owner who grew up cooking traditional Korean food with her Korean-native grandmother. She truly believes in the simplicity of dining, yet strives to deliver complex and perfectly executed traditional Korean cuisine with humility, showing her true commitment to the authenticity of her Korean heritage. Since the 2014 opening of her first venture, mŏkbar, she has been hailed as a New Rising Chef by the Food Republic and in 2015 became named a Zagat 30 under 30 “Rock Stars Redefining the Industry”. mŏkbar was also acclaimed as the Village Voice’s 2014 Reader’s Choice Best New Restaurant and was given Best Kimchi in 2015 by Epoch Taste.

Mokbar Esther Choi | Mokbar | Chef Restaurant

She opened Mŏkbar in 2014 at the age of 28 (via Nation’s Restaurant News), which suggests Esther just burst onto New York’s culinary scene without paying her dues. Mŏkbar was an instant hit. Mŏkbar restaurant’s website mentions that Esther made Zagat’s “30 under 30” list, and Mŏkbar earned the Village Voice reader’s choice award for best new restaurant. With Mŏkbar, Esther uses a familiar vehicle — the Japanese noodle restaurant — to introduce newbies to Korean cuisine (via The Korea Times) When she opened her second Mŏkbar location in Brooklyn, in 2017, Esther got away from the easy lure of the Japanese noodle.

As she told KoreanAmericanStory.org in the second video the organization made about her, the Mŏkbar BK menu is more refined and more traditionally Korean. In the video, Esther showed Mŏkbar BK’s jipbap, or home meal — a traditional Korean spread with rice, protein, and side dishes presented in small bowls. She also presented a mung bean pancake made with white kimchi that lacks the usual spicy Korean red pepper.

Esther Choi Personal Life

Esther was born in New Jersey and brought up in Egg Harbor. Her parents are Bok N Choi and Mi Choi. Esther is married to her husband Jerry Choi.

Esther Choi Restaurants

– Ms. Yoo
– mŏkbar Brooklyn
– mŏkbar

Esther Choi Chef Recipes

– White Kimchi (Baek Kimchi)
– Tofu Katsu Onigirazu
– Bulgogi Onigirazu
– Roasted Mushroom Fried Rice
– Gochujang-Glazed Holiday Rib Roast
– Galbi Jjim (Korean Braised Short Ribs)

Esther Choi Ramen Recipe

Ingredients
Pork
4 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 bone-in skin-on pork shoulder (4 to 5 pounds), at room temperature

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup sake

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup gochujang (Korean red chile paste)

1/4 cup sesame oil

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Ramen and Toppings:

4 packs fresh ramen noodles

8 large eggs

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, defrosted

2 cups prepared kimchi, roughly chopped

1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped

8 sheets nori

Esther Choi Cookbook | Book

On October 1, 2019, Esther released her cookbook titled Le Corbuffet: Edible Art and Design Classics. Le Corbuffet is strikingly beautiful and provocative as it blurs the boundaries between art and daily life and celebrates food in an engaging and imaginative way.

Esther Choi Nigel Ng

She has collaborated with Nigel Ng and Joshua Weissman. Nigel is a Malaysian stand-up comedian and Internet celebrity whose online persona Uncle Roger is a stereotypical middle-aged Asian guy.

Esther Choi Food Network

Esther has appeared in many Food Network shows including co-hosting “Beat Bobby Flay” a judge on “Chopped” and the show “Money Hungry” and “Throwdown alongside Michael Symon”. Host on “Chopped 420”, and guest judge on “Battle of the Brothers”.

Esther Choi Kimchi

Esther’s praised restaurant, mŏkbar was acclaimed as the Village Voice’s 2014 Reader’s Choice “Best New Restaurant” and was given “Best Kimchi” in 2015 by Epoch Taste.

Esther Choi Selena And Chef

She guest-appeared in HBO’s “Selena + Chef” with Selena Gomez.

Esther Choi Net Worth

Esther gets her wealth from her work as a Chef, entrepreneur, and Podcast Host who is the owner of Mokbar in New York City. Therefore, Esther has accumulated a decent fortune over the years. Esther’s net worth is $5 million.

How Old Is Esther Choi

Esther is a 37-year-old who was born on November 20, 1986, in New York City, New York, in the United States. Esther celebrates her birthday on November 20, every year.

How Tall Is Esther Choi

Esther is a woman of above-average stature who stands at a height of 5 ft 7 in ( Approx. 1. 7m ).

Who Is Esther Choi

She is a celebrity chef and social media personality well known for being the owner and lead chef of the Brooklyn-based Mokbar. Esther introduces patrons to the flavors of Korean culture while combining traditional and modern influences with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Over her career, Esther held positions at the world-renowned Ilili and La Esquina restaurants. Esther hosted the Eater video series “Kitchen Gadgets” and also guest starred on Selena + Chef.

Esther Choi Social Media Account

Instagram – choibites