Cozy Korean restaurant offers unique dishes inspired by chef's traditional father
CHINATOWN (WABC) -- New York neighborhoods are constantly changing, and so are the businesses in them.
A restaurant in Chinatown in a traditional city space is serving unconventional flavors cooked up by a chef who is inspired by her traditional father.
"This is a little shout out to my dad who when I was little, would pan fry my rice cakes," Lee said.
If you take a walk down Division Street in Chinatown, sandwiched between a tattoo parlor and the vintage luncheonette, you'd find a descrete restaurant called Sunn's.
"I want them to come into the space but I want them to feel like they're coming to my home and I'm cooking for them." Chef and Owner Sunny Lee said.
Sunny Lee is the chef and owner of Sunn's.
A restaurant so tight that patrons find themselves sitting elbow to elbow in front of a kitchen smaller than some walk-in closets.
"This is actually the rice cooker we had growing up," Lee said.
But while the space and the vibe is traditional, the menu is not.
The hidden gem features a variety of dishes from kimchi stew with baby corn and soppressata to zucchini braised with gojujang.
"I want more heat. I want more spice. Sometimes I think with Korean food it's got heat but it's balanced with so much sweetness. I sometimes crave the chili heat of Szechuan food," Lee said.
In fact, it is a menu heavily influenced by her father who taught her that sometimes you have to break the rules.
"He's definitely my most critical critique. He's been eating food you know, he's still a Korean dad."
A dad is challenging her to redefine the norms like the neighborhood evolving around her kitchen.
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