We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gino Choi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Gino, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Among the things I am best at is pursuing and completing something original that others have not done.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a chef who cooks Japanese food, but I had the handicap of being Korean. People preferred Japanese food prepared by Japanese people rather than Japanese food prepared by Koreans. So at first, I practiced, studied, and worked tirelessly to get better. Then, I developed my own style. I developed a new type of Japanese food and put all my effort into developing food that is delicious and satisfying to myself. The most important thing is that doing what I do best will satisfy many people and that will help my business grow. I knew it was important and now I am the only restaurant that serves my own unique menu.it’s call Omakase, chef’s choice of multiple courses meals The most exciting and favorite part for many people is being able to try new and unique foods that you can’t find anywhere else.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The first of the three most important things is to eliminate prejudice. By understanding and encountering various foods across all fields, I was able to find the most important commonalities in the essence of food.
The second is continuous practice and repetition. No excuses are allowed for that.
Lastly, the third was ignorance. Because I didn’t know, I was able to create my own original method without sticking to the existing method. However, it requires more time and effort.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
The person who helped me the most is my spouse. For me, my spouse evaluates me more objectively from a third party’s perspective, points out things more directly, helps me see more possibilities, and always helps me become stronger when I feel lazy. I’m helping. I think the person right next to me is probably my biggest partner and teacher.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @omakasebygino
- Facebook: Omakasebygino
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/omg-omakase-by-gino-santa-ana
- Other: https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/us-santa-ana/restaurant/omakase-by-gino
Image Credits
Gino Choi Niyaz Pirani
