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Article: BREAKING BREAD WITH...Irene Yoo

BREAKING BREAD WITH...Irene Yoo

BREAKING BREAD WITH...Irene Yoo

Irene Yoo

Chef Owner of Orion Bar, Founder of Yooeating, Author of SOJU PARTY

On Taste Memories, Soju Tornadoes, and the Heart of Korean Hospitality.

At the heart of every great table is a storyteller. For chef, content creator, and Orion Bar co-owner Irene Yoo, that story begins in a childhood kitchen filled with the aromas of home-cooked Korean meals, lovingly prepared three times a day by her mother. That deep-rooted sense of care and culinary curiosity now flavors everything she does—from viral recipe videos to cozy, kimchi-laced plates served across the counter at her Brooklyn bar.

We sat down with Irene as part of our Breaking Bread series to talk about the power of tradition, the joy of personal rituals, and the art of turning memory into meal.

A Table of Her Own

Irene’s culinary journey started with Yooeating, her personal pop-up project exploring the fusion of Korean home cooking with global influences. What began as small-scale supper clubs evolved into a vibrant online presence during the pandemic, with recipe videos and food writing that offered both comfort and creativity.

But 2024 marked a new chapter: the opening of Orion Bar in Brooklyn, a collaboration with her husband that reimagines Korean and American-style drinking culture in an inviting, neighborhood setting. “It’s been so fun to have an IRL space to share my food and engage with customers,” Irene shares. “We wanted to create the kind of bar we’d want to hang out in—warm, nostalgic, and delicious.”

Flavors of Memory

Ask Irene about her most defining culinary memory, and she’ll take you straight back to her mom’s kitchen and the sparkling bite of perfectly ripe kimchi. “She was always chasing taste memories – recreating dishes from her childhood or something she’d eaten at a restaurant. That really stuck with me,” Irene says. It’s a philosophy she now channels in her own cooking: anchoring new dishes in memory, then letting them evolve with time, place, and personal inspiration.

Her favorite muses? Cold noodles shared with her grandfather in Seoul. Street food snacks savored under neon lights. And her husband’s uncanny talent for suggesting just the right twist – unexpected pairings that make a dish feel both fresh and familiar.

Traditions That Gather Us

For Irene, tradition is not about perfection or performance. It’s about preservation: of flavors, of moments, of connection. Korean holidays like Seollal and Chuseok hold a special place in her heart, not just for the elaborate meals but for the way they brought her family together. “I’ve long hosted gatherings to share these traditions with friends and extended family. I want Orion Bar to feel like that too – open, communal, and rooted in culture.”

That sense of intentional gathering mirrors the ethos of Hamkke Home: honoring the rituals that shape our lives while making space for new ones.

Personal Rituals, Shared Joy

Some traditions are inherited; others are made. For Irene, no bottle of soju is safe from a soju tornado – a playful shake-and-spark ritual that’s part muscle memory, part social glue. “It might seem silly, but I love the quirky Korean drinking rituals,” she laughs.

“They’re great icebreakers. It’s how we connect.”

Cooking with Comfort and Care

Her go-to crowd-pleaser? Galbijjim – soy-braised short ribs that melt into savory, sticky richness. It’s a dish she turns to for last-minute dinner parties and cozy nights alike. “I’ll even toss in chewy rice cakes or sub in pork ribs. It’s so satisfying.”

And this fall, Irene’s cooking philosophy will land on shelves with her first cookbook: Soju Party: How to Drink (and Eat!) Like a Korean, out September 9 through Knopf. Equal parts entertaining guide and cultural love letter, the book offers an immersive look at Korean drinking culture, from traditional spirits and drinking games to Orion-style cocktails and the anju (drinking snacks) that complete the experience.

“It’s everything I want to share about the communal joy of being Korean,” she says. “I hope it helps people celebrate togetherness in a way that feels delicious and true.”

Breaking Bread, Remembering Love

When asked who she most longs to break bread with, Irene doesn’t hesitate. Her grandparents – keepers of comfort and tradition, forever etched in dishes like soy-braised potatoes and bowls of naengmyeon shared in the quiet heat of a Korean summer.

In that answer lies the heart of Irene’s work: food as memory, gathering as legacy. And whether she’s behind the bar at Orion or in the pages of her cookbook, Irene invites us all to the table – to eat, to share, to remember.

Rapid Fire:

3 essentials for a beautiful tablescape?

A quickie floral arrangement (the bodega never disappoints), a hodgepodge of charming cloth napkins, and chopstick rests—they’re small but make the whole table feel considered.

Go-to flavor profile: sweet or savory?

Savory, always!

One ingredient you can’t live without?

Soy sauce. It’s magic—even a splash over plain rice transforms everything.

Your most cherished heirloom?

I don’t officially own it yet, but my mom has promised me the family soban—a small, wooden folding table that’s been in our home for as long as I can remember. I’m already scheming how to carry it on the plane back with me!

Surprise and delight: what food pairing always works, even if it shouldn’t?

American cheese melted into miyeok guk (seaweed soup)! It sounds odd, but it’s nostalgic and surprisingly delicious—a comfort combo I’ve loved since childhood.

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BREAKING BREAD WITH... Danielle Page
Breaking Bread

BREAKING BREAD WITH... Danielle Page

A florist known for her effortless style and work with goop, Balenciaga, and Sofia Richie Grainge, Danielle shares her journey from the unknown to artistic clarity — and the simple floral tips she ...

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