A Kitchen Built
on 손맛

I'm from Korea — a region well-known for its amazing food. I grew up learning to cook over my granny and mom's shoulders, and by the time I was 13, I was already making five lunch and dinner boxes every day — for my siblings and me. My parents had moved us from a west coast island to the mainland for better education, and feeding our family fell to me. Looking back, those lunch boxes were where it all began.

My recipes? Mostly self-taught, with roots in my mom's family. But what I really cook with is something harder to explain: 손맛 (Son-mat). Literally, it translates to "hand taste" — but it describes something far more soulful than a measurement or a technique. It's the secret ingredient that can't be found in any recipe book. I got this intuitive touch passed down from my family, and it's in every single dish I make.

I'm a trained pastry chef with over 10 years of professional kitchen experience. I spent years crafting refined desserts and honing my culinary craft — but weaving Korean traditional culture into pastry for non-Koreans proved tricky. So I made a bold decision: channel my professional training and deep cultural roots into Korean savoury food — and bring it to Edmonton. Bountiful Farmers' Market is where MJ's Korean Kitchen was born. And now, we've expanded to a second home at Old Strathcona Farmers' Market — more of Edmonton, more of that same food, same love.

What keeps me going? I love feeding people. For my Korean customers, it's a taste of home. For everyone else, it's cultural storytelling — a glimpse into Korean history, traditions, and values through food. I love seeing the smile when someone tries something for the first time. Food is LOVE. And as I always say — if you enjoy it, it's zero calories. 😄