Welcome to Sook, a newsletter by Mina Park

Every Thursday, I will be sharing Korean recipes, exploring Korean foodways, sharing family stories and recipes and telling the stories of the Korean cooks and artisans I love. I will also be reporting from the front lines of opening and running a modern Korean restaurant in Los Angeles with my husband as independent restaurateurs. Every other Sunday, I will talk about what hospitality means to me and sharing links to things I love in a dispatch called Sook Sundays.

Who am I?

I’m a cook and restaurant owner based in Los Angeles. My husband and I own Shiku, a Korean takeaway restaurant in Los Angeles and a newly reopened restaurant, baroo. I’m based in Los Angeles, formerly based in Hong Kong, London, France and New York. Before I owned restaurants, I taught Korean cooking classes and ran a Korean culinary pop-up called Sook. And before I cooked professionally, I was a lawyer who always dreamed of doing something else.

What does Sook mean?

Sook was the nickname given in the US to my mother, Hyun Sook Kim. My love of Korean food and cooking came from her, so though it would probably horrify her that I’ve made it my career instead of continuing with my legal career, I named my pop-up in honor of her.

Sook is a love letter to Korean food and the people who inhabit the world of Korean cuisine. Sook embodies many of my favorite things centered around a good meal, where people gather to share something new and delicious. Sook pays homage, in part, to the vibrant souks and markets around the world where communities converge to share their food stories — and anything else.

Why subscribe?

If you love Korean food, if you love restaurants, if you love the people who cook your food and run restaurants, I hope you will enjoy this newsletter. There will be essays on Korean cuisine and traditions, recipes and more. Most of the content will be free because my husband and restaurant partner, Kwang, and I believe in sharing our food stories with as wide of an audience as possible.

So, why sign up for a paid subscription?

For 2024, all my new newsletter will be free as I explore this Substack world more deeply. If you choose or have chosen to be a paid subscriber, I will be forever touched by your support in this endeavour. I do believe in supporting the work of writers and artists as much as is feasible. Being a paid subscriber is an affirming show of support for someone’s work, whether mine or someone else’s. Also, if I have some paid subscriptions, I can feel less guilty about my writing time not being used for restaurant work! :)

Stay up-to-date

You don’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox. Or I love reading on the Substack app because my inbox tends to get out of control…

Any other questions?

Please feel free to email me at minapark1@gmail.com (though I apologize in advance if my response is delayed - please see note above on out-of-control inbox). Thank you for stopping by!