Cooking with Judy Joo BS’97

Columbia Engineering students rolled up their sleeves to make kimbap alongside alumna Judy Joo BS’97 during her two-day campus takeover, February 11-12, celebrating her new cookbook, K-Quick. 

An engineer turned chef and restaurateur, Joo is the chief executive officer, co-founder, and owner of Seoul Bird, a fast-casual Korean Fried Chicken concept with locations in central London and the U.S. The industrial engineering and operations research graduate pivoted from a career on Wall Street to one in the kitchen, winning Iron Chef UK in 2011, which jump-started her culinary journey. Joo was also the keynote graduation speaker for the Engineering Class of 2018 and serves on Columbia Engineering’s Board of Visitors.

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Joo’s takeover began with a kimbap masterclass held in Wang Pavilion. Fifty lucky Columbia Engineering students built the popular Korean dish –  consisting of cooked rice and various fillings rolled in seaweed –  while enjoying additional food inspired by her new cookbook. Dean Shih-Fu Chang even stopped by briefly to make some kimbap for himself and catch up with students.

The campus takeover continued at John Jay Hall on Feb. 12 when Columbia Dining hosted a Meet & Eat with Judy Joo and Pulmuone, a South Korean plant-based food company. She met with students and sold signed copies of her cookbook, while the dining team served authentic Korean dishes also inspired by K-Quick.

For the students who rolled kimbap at Wang Pavilion or grabbed a bowl of bibimbap at John Jay, the two-day takeover was a chance to connect with an alumna who has built something remarkable after a major career pivot. 

Chef Joo, come back anytime!

Lead Photo Caption:  Chef Judy Joo BS’97 leads the Feb. 11 kimbap masterclass for students on campus

Credit:  Eileen Barroso/Columbia Engineering