Industry Peers Pay Tribute to Atoboy on Its 10th Birthday
Published:
On a summer day in 2016, a sleek-looking Korean restaurant opened its doors on East 28th Street. Behind it were Junghyun and Ellia Park, who were about to redefine and evolve New York’s relationship with Korean food.
Yes, we’re talking about Atoboy, the very first restaurant from the widely celebrated NA:EUN Hospitality group (Atomix, Naro, Seoul Salon, and Somssi), which turned 10 this year. To mark this milestone anniversary, we turned to fellow restaurateurs, industry peers, and regulars and asked what the restaurant (and the Parks) mean to them.
I don’t think people realize how different the dining scene was 10 years ago. It was the era of the big hospitality group and really unusual for smaller independent restaurateurs to open.— Annie Shi
“We were navigating this landscape with King, and it was very heartening to look at some of our peers, like Ellia and JP, who were kind of breaking the ‘rules of dining’ and doing incredible things their way: with so much soul and so much style and elegance.
Restaurateur, King, Jupiter, Lei, and Dean’s
I just can’t emphasize all their hard work and dedication enough. That, coupled with the right concept and the right timing, can bring out incredible things. They were both ahead of their time, but not by too much. Because of it, Atoboy is like a fairytale come true.— Jin Ahn
Managing Partner, Noreetuh
What Ellia and JP have done for Korean culture and food has inspired so many restaurateurs. It showed what was possible, that you didn’t have to be French or Italian or New American to win the hearts of diners. That you could do it with ingredients that people find a little bit more foreign or maybe can’t pronounce, and that they can still fall in love with that food, too.— Annie Shi
Restaurateur, King, Jupiter, Lei, and Dean’s
It still feels fresh, even 10 years later. What they’re doing is still excellent and it’s still changing. It’s a testament to the two of them, the hard work they’ve put in, the people they’ve surrounded themselves with, and their hospitality and creativity.— Suzanne Cupps
Chef-Owner, Lola’s
I’ve known Ellia and JP since 2016, when we were very young. I was there for Atoboy’s friends and family, and for the opening of Atomix and Naro. When they were named the Best North American Restaurant by 50 Best, I was there, too. I love to see their growth from their vision to now.— Eunji Lee
Chef-Owner, Lysée
JP and Ellia are the K-pop artists of the culinary world.— Jin Ahn
Managing Partner, Noreetuh
Atoboy has given us a decade of inspired pleasure and gorgeous hospitality. We return over and over again because every delicious bite is also nourishing and delightful. I hope Atoboy will be with us for always.— Min Jin Lee
Author
We feel so lucky to have grown up alongside them because I feel like it really signaled a different era of dining in New York. People really don’t blink or think twice about independent restaurateurs. But we’ve come a really long way.— Annie Shi
Restaurateur, King, Jupiter, Lei, and Dean’s
