Event supported Cuisine.K, an initiative by CJ Foods and its U.S. affiliate Schwan's Company to support aspiring young Korean Chefs. 

Chefs Junghyun Park of NARO in New York and Jueun Park of Jueun in Seoul collaborated to create one-of-a-kind Korean cuisine experience.

NEW YORK, June 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Korean cuisine took center stage in New York City with a unique collaboration dinner between renowned restaurants NARO and JUEUN as part of a special series to empower and promote young aspiring Korean chefs. The event, held Wednesday, May 22, at NARO, was sponsored by bibigo™, America's No. 1 Korean food brand, and Cuisine.K Project by CJ CheilJedang, a project dedicated to nurturing and empowering Korean culinary talent for the global stage.  

Owners of NARO, Chef Junghyun Park and Ellia Park, teamed up with Chef Jueun Park, executive chef of Restaurant Jueun in Seoul, to create the special multi-course meal that featured a blend of dishes inspired by the menus of each restaurant. As part of Cuisine.K's mission to provide learning opportunities, two young Korean students with the project had the chance to participate alongside two chefs, learning from the entire kitchen preparation process.

"bibigo is proud to support the growth and expansion of Korean cuisine throughout the U.S. and the world," said Megan Elliott, director of the bibigo brand in the U.S. "As the No. 1 Korean food brand in retail grocery stores, it's important that we promote the exploration of new Korean foods and flavors as well as inspire the next generation of Korean chefs to create new tastes that people will love."

Cuisine.K is focused on the broader goal of globalizing Korean cuisine through a wide range of initiatives designed to cultivate and empower aspiring Korean culinary talents. Some of these initiatives have included opening pop-up restaurants for them to get hands-on experiences as a chef, holding classes to gain fundamentals of Korean cuisine and invaluable insights from culinary masters, providing global internships and culinary school exchange programs, and sponsoring young chefs in international competitions. By partnering with the Parks, owners of NA:EUN Hospitality which includes NARO, Atoboy, Atomix, and Seoul Salon, Cuisine.K was able to create an unforgettable experience in one of the world's best cities for culinary excellence.           

"Our vision in creating our restaurants is to share our hospitality, along with the amazing diversity and adaptability of Korean food with customers," said Ellia Park. "But that cannot stop with us. Helping to find and develop the next generation of Korean chefs is an obligation and a labor of love for us."

Korean cuisine is enjoying renewed popularity in the U.S. and worldwide. In the past four years, retail sales of bibigo products have increased 1,100%.  Most recently, #bibigo reached more than 250 million views on TikTok following the virality of bibigo Steamed Dumplings among content creators. In 2023, more than 17 million units of the popular dumplings were sold, selling out in stores across the country. Beyond food, the "K-Wave" has seen tremendous popularity in the spread of Korean culture through film, TV, music and beauty products.       

ABOUT SCHWAN'S COMPANY

Based in Minnesota, Schwan's Company is a leading U.S.-based manufacturer and marketer of quality foods offered through retail-grocery and food-service channels. Its many popular brands include Red Baron®, Tony's®, Hearth & Fire™, Big Daddy's™, Villa Prima® and Freschetta® pizza, Mrs. Smith's® and Edwards® desserts and bibigo® and Pagoda® Asian-style foods. The company is an affiliate of global lifestyle company, CJ Foods. To learn more about Schwan's, visit www.schwanscompany.com.

ABOUT BIBIGO

Founded in 2010, bibigo™ Korean-style foods are part of a global brand created by CJ CheilJedang ("CJ"), which is Korea's No. 1 lifestyle company. With over 60 years of experience, CJ has proudly been delivering flavor to dinner tables since 1953. Our bibigo™ products take 5,000 years of delicious cuisine and update it for today's modern, non-stop lifestyles. That's why the name combines the Korean word "bibim," from a long cultural tradition of "mixed" flavors, with the English word "go." The brand lineup includes a full assortment of snacks and appetizers, including Mandu, the brand's signature item. Inspired by authentic recipes, bibigo™ foods make the exciting tastes of Korean cuisine easily accessible with offerings that can be found at most major grocery chains. bibigo™ global K-style foods are distributed throughout the U.S. by subsidiaries of Schwan's Company. For more information, please visit www.bibigousa.com.

ABOUT NA:EUN HOSPITALITY

NA:EUN Hospitality is co-founded by James Beard Award-winning Chef Junghyun "JP" Park and Ellia Park. NA:EUN Hospitality operates well-established restaurant brands ATOBOY and ATOMIX (2-Michelin Stars, No.8 in World's 50 Best Restaurants), NARO, and Seoul Salon. The name "naeun" translates to "better" in Korean, reflecting the hospitality group's mission to provide a better dining experience, better service, and a better cultural experience for the world.

ABOUT JUEUN PARK      

Chef Jueun Park  founded Restaurant Jueun, situated behind Gyeonghuigung Palace in Seoul, after serving as head chef at Hansikgonggan, named one of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants by 50 Best Discovery.

SOURCE Bibigo