Seoul · Korea → Canada
Warmth, family, and Korean comfort food shaped by memory.
At NUI in Mount Pleasant, warmth is built into everything — the food, the space, the service, even the name itself. “Nui” means older sister in Korean, but in a softer, more caring way — someone who looks after you like family. When chef Jay moved to Canada as a child, it was his older sister who helped their family navigate a new country and language. That feeling of care eventually became the foundation of the restaurant itself.
NUI was built almost entirely by family. The interiors were designed by Jay’s wife and sister-in-law, while the tables and much of the space were handcrafted by his brother-in-law, who works in industrial design and cabinetry. The restaurant feels refined and thoughtful, but never intimidating — warm in a way that feels deeply personal.
Their signature dish is gomtang: a clear Korean pork soup served with rice. Jay describes it as the “shio ramen” of gukbap (soup and rice) — lighter, cleaner, and more refined than the heavier versions he grew up eating. Comfort food that feels quiet and grounding.
What stayed with me most was hearing how much of Jay’s understanding of Korean food came not from Korea itself, but from family — from his mother and grandmother, both incredible home cooks. Like many immigrant stories, culture gets carried through food, memory, and everyday rituals.
Opening the restaurant has been all-consuming for their family. They spoke honestly about the strain it can put on relationships and time together, but also about the joy of seeing people connect with the food and slowly becoming part of the community around them.
Photographing NUI felt like photographing a family building something together with care, instinct, and long hours behind the scenes. A space shaped as much by relationships as by food.