About JEJU Restaurant
When JEJU, a modern Korean restaurant, opened in Tofino, a scenic resort community on Vancouver Island, BC, it was equal parts fate and careful planning. The owners, Sungeun “Sung” Kim and Yunyoung “Dylan” Kim, chose the location during an impulsive day trip from Vancouver, BC. When the couple arrived at Tofino, their surroundings immediately reminded them of Jeju City on Jeju Island, their favourite place in Korea. Within 30 minutes, they knew they had found their future restaurant and a new home.
the beginning
Sung and Dylan met in 2018 while working at a French Japanese fusion restaurant in Vancouver, BC. Dylan was in the kitchen as a chef, and Sung was a restaurant manager. She was in Canada to study English before planning to return home to her job as an afterschool teacher in Korea. After a few months, they started dating and fell in love, getting married in 2019. Dylan’s passion for cooking began in 2008 with his first culinary job at a sushi restaurant. He connected with guests while they dined at the sushi bar, realizing the joy he could bring to others through food. The couple often discussed starting a business together and kept returning to the idea of a small restaurant. Sung had been promoted to restaurant manager and learned how to run day-to-day operations, while Dylan was eager to create his own menu.
Owners Sung and Dylan Kim in front of JEJU in Tofino, BC.
the location
They toured various spaces for lease in Vancouver, but none felt right. They also hadn’t settled on what type of restaurant they would be opening and considered a focus on brunch, French, or Japanese cuisine. During the summer of 2021, they stumbled upon an advertisement for a lease space in Tofino, BC. Even though they had never been to the resort community, they had heard a lot about it. Located on Vancouver Island on Canada’s west coast, the town sits at the top of a peninsula within the traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, the UNESCO Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region. The area boasts sandy beaches with year-round surfing, ancient rainforests, and peaceful inlets. They called to schedule a tour of the space.
On the following Monday of the August long weekend, Sung and Dylan drove to the Vancouver ferry terminal, took the ferry to Nanaimo, BC, and drove 2.5 hours across Vancouver Island to see the empty restaurant space in person. They had only half an hour to spend there before turning around and getting back to Vancouver. It was peak tourism season, and all the hotels had been fully booked for months. When the couple arrived and stepped out of their car, they were greeted by the smell of salty sea air, sights of sandy beaches surrounded by lush green trees, and a mountain backdrop. Within seconds, they agreed it reminded them of Jeju City on Jeju Island in Korea. Feeling it was meant to be, they decided right then to open a restaurant in Tofino serving authentic Korean cuisine and call it JEJU, a tribute to their heritage and favourite city. Half an hour later, they were driving back to Vancouver with a clear vision. They secured the restaurant lease over the next two months and moved to Tofino in October.
Arriving without a place to live and without knowing any local suppliers, they sat in their empty restaurant to take it all in before getting to work. The Tofino community welcomed them with open arms, coming to the restaurant and offering help in any way they could. The support from their neighbours reaffirmed that this was the place they were meant to be.
“Korea has a unique kind of love that is 정 (Jeong), a single word that exists in Korean capturing all these sentiments. It implies love, an affectionate state of mind, the invisible bond that connects us to Tofino in the same way it ties us to Jeju.”
the menu
Sung and Dylan sought advice from their mothers while creating the menu for their new restaurant. They wanted to serve authentic, elevated Korean dishes reminiscent of their childhood memories. An entree they knew they wanted to include was Sung’s specialty, ‘Sung Style Ribs,’ which consisted of baby back ribs marinated in soybean paste, soy sauce, garlic, and chilies. Dylan’s mother, Myungseok “Julie” Suh, who had worked as a professional chef for over 40 years, visited Tofino with Dylan’s father to assist the couple with the restaurant’s opening. However, their help proved invaluable, and soon they moved to Tofino permanently. Julie joined Dylan as a chef in JEJU’s kitchen while his father took over the dishwashing duties and Sung managed the restaurant operations.
The menu was complete, though Dylan and Sung felt something was missing. The composed dishes didn’t taste the same as back in Korea, and they could pinpoint the difference down to a few key ingredients. Sung reached out to her grandmother in Haenam, Korea, who, as luck would have it, owned a family farm. They began importing chilies, sesame seeds, and other essential ingredients directly from the farm in Korea, and everything came into balance.
JEJU Restaurant opened on December 3rd, 2021, and boasts an interior design inspired by nature, incorporating light woods and custom Korean art. Dylan was committed to having an open kitchen where he could connect with guests, much like his days behind the sushi bar.
JEJU menu item, Galbi.
Sung and Dylan explain, “Korea has a unique kind of love that is 정 (Jeong), a single word that exists in Korean capturing all these sentiments. It implies love, an affectionate state of mind, the invisible bond that connects us to Tofino in the same way it ties us to Jeju. These two towns we love, a mirror image of each other in uncanny ways, have taught us the invaluable lesson of cherishing family, venerating nature, and fostering a nurturing community.”
On a summer afternoon in 2022, two guests arrived at JEJU restaurant shortly before 5 p.m., even before the doors opened. They seemed to be in a hurry and quickly ordered multiple dishes. When Sung asked them about it, they revealed they had taken the ferry from Vancouver that morning and driven to Tofino specifically to dine at JEJU for dinner. They needed to return in time to catch the last ferry of the day home. Sung and Dylan were reminded of that Monday in August a year earlier when they embarked on the same day trip that led them to JEJU.
JEJU today
The restaurant quickly gained popularity in the Tofino dining scene, earning a finalist spot in enRoute magazine’s Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2022 list, and receiving accolades from other media outlets such as Canadian Geographic, The Toronto Sun, Vancouver Magazine, Scout Magazine, BC Business, and more.
Sung and Dylan are honoured by the accolades JEJU receives, but what makes them truly proud is their relationships with their guests, community, and team. Occasionally, they go to the beach with their staff at night to admire the stars, sip hot chocolate, and listen to the soothing sound of the waves. Most significant is the gift JEJU has given them of family connection, from ingredients Sung’s grandmother grew to recipes shared across generations to working shoulder-to-shoulder on the kitchen line as mother and son, with dad not far away. Even when the restaurant is closed, Dylan’s mom, Julie, can be found at JEJU, using the downtime to prepare her famous kimchi for future guests.
Inside contemporary Korean restaurant JEJU in Tofino, BC.
Bam 밤 (chestnut)
Though not an official employee, Bam is very much a part of the JEJU family and occupies Sung and Dylan’s attention when they aren’t at the restaurant.