David Shim
Madison Square Park, Manhattan
If you know the Busboy team you know it means a LOT when we repeat restaurants for big celebrations. COTE Korean Steak House is a place we’ve celebrated everything at, from birthdays to career wins, it’s just that good. Our interview with Executive Chef & Partner David Shim was a long time coming, and we were not surprised that the chef behind one of the most meticulously perfect meals we’ve ever eaten would also carry that attitude over to his life. We chatted with David about his favorite kitchen kicks (see below), food memories, and prepping for the NYC marathon as Co-Captain of the City Harvest Food Council team.
Full name, age, where are you from?
David Shim, 39, Seoul, Korea
What is your title and where do you work?
Executive Chef & Partner, COTE Korean Steakhouse
Was food a big part of your upbringing?
To me, food relates directly to family and the idea of spending time together around the table. When I was younger, both breakfast and dinner were moments to eat together with my parents who worked full time. Breakfast was a full meal of rice, soup, banchan, and other dishes; it wasn't just a bowl of cereal to eat and run. Dinner was also a full meal. I am a single child so after school, I would come home before my parents were back from work. I'd do homework and wait for them to arrive. Dinner was the time for us to catch up on the day over a warm meal.
What are your earliest memories of dining out?
My parents were paid monthly from their jobs, which meant at the end of every month we were going to go eat galbi at our local restaurant to celebrate and indulge together as a family. Galbi is marinated short ribs using a special knife technique, which we call diamond cut at COTE. It's sweet and savory with some burnt ends that are reminiscent of American BBQ. It’s one of my favorite dishes at COTE and really reminds me of these earlier days with my parents.
If you could give a piece of advice to someone who wanted to pursue your career, what would it be?
Have fun with it and roll with the punches. Don't take yourself too seriously and never let others make you feel like shit. You got this!
What do you think working in this industry has taught you?
In the years leading up to my role at COTE, I took my job incredibly seriously. Too seriously. I worked for some of the biggest restaurant groups in the industry, Michelin-starred establishments, and big name chefs. Every day I was in the kitchen was like preparing for war. I'll never forget this one day when I was working at M. Wells steakhouse and the chef/owner (who is still a great friend of mine) came up to me and told me to have some fun and not take things so seriously. In the beginning, it was hard to take his advice, but I soon learned that to survive this marathon of a job, you have to appreciate the small wins, the day-to-day conviviality with staff and diners, and not sweat the small stuff.
What's your favorite dish/drink on the menu?
The marinated galbi. I love it so much that we actually serve two different versions at the restaurant: a COTE galbi and a Grand Cru galbi.
What is your favorite place to go out and eat at and what are you ordering?
I really love what Chef Stefano is doing over at Rezdora. I personally love all types of noodles and in my opinion, he's got the best Italian pasta/noodles in town. Every time I go, I let him choose what I'm eating, and he's never steered me in the wrong direction.
What shoes are you rocking in the kitchen?
I don't think anybody other than my family knows, but I have a bit of a sneaker obsession. I am not a collector but do have a fair share (maybe more than needed) in my stash. The two brands I have the most of are Nike and Adidas, as well as a few Jordan 1’s (which I think are the best Jordans in the lineup), and a variety of Adidas Originals & Classics.
There is something about the Adidas Originals and the Classics retro vibe that I really love. I grew up wearing them, so I have a bit of a nostalgic attachment to them. At some point in my career, I started wearing sneakers instead of the typical kitchen shoes, which may have been the result of long hours when opening COTE NYC or just not being a fan of the options that were available. Personally, sneakers felt better after a long day of work and more importantly, they looked better. I always love an excuse to get more sneakers!
My current rotation for work consists of Adidas Busenitz, Pureboost 22, Nike, Courts, and more. I also love the Adidas Retropy F2 (which I had on during the shoot). As the name states, they have a retro, old-school vibe with a cool color combination. The heel cushion is also a bit harder which I prefer when working long hours. The only downside is that they don’t have non-slip bottom soles, but I have learned to work around it.
Is there anything new and exciting coming up for you?
I’m incredibly excited to run the New York City Marathon as Co-Captain for team City Harvest, the first and largest food rescue organization in New York City. I’ll be Co-Captaining with my fellow City Harvest Food Council member, Chef Dan Churchill, to recruit 100 runners to run alongside us with a goal to raise enough to help feed nearly 1.2 million New Yorkers who are struggling to put good, nutritious food on their tables for a day
You’re on a desert island, what are the 5 kitchen items you need to run your business?
I'm running a business on a deserted island...who's coming to eat with me then!? Definitely a 9.5 inch slicing knife because that's the primary knife I use, an Argentinean grill, a dry-aging room, kimchi, and a fishing rod. That way I can handle all the meat, vegetables and fish I can get my hands on.
