Author interview: Sohn-mat’s Monica Lee
Monica Lee, founder of the legendary Beverly Soon Tofu, left her mark on LA’s Koreatown. We discuss the restaurant’s significance and the way food can connect generations with the author of Sohn-mat.
• Your restaurant, Beverly Soon Tofu, helped put LA’s Koreatown on the map. What’s it like to be recognized as a pioneer who helped build this important community?
Honestly, when I opened my restaurant in 1986, I just wanted to be able to share my cooking with others. In Korean culture, we show love through our food. When I first started the restaurant, I was making tofu to sell each day and I worked to make sure what I was cooking for customers was the food I wanted people to eat. No shortcuts and the best thing I could make. If I can be recognized as a pioneer who helped build Koreatown LA, I am grateful to the community for letting me do that. Back in 1986, we had very few specialty restaurants in Koreatown LA, those that specialized in one thing and did it well. Now, Koreatown LA is a food destination and I am so proud of this community and our resiliency!
• It’s been two years since Beverly Soon Tofu closed. What was it like to revisit the recipes that were loved by so many who visited?
I have to say it was so bittersweet to close Beverly Soon Tofu in September 2020 due to the pandemic. If you frequented my restaurant, it was just 10 tables and I really wanted it to feel like home-cooked meals. When I revisited the recipes, that feeling of bringing my food to customers came back. I wanted to contribute these recipes as a thank you to everyone who came to my restaurant, from the time they were kids to the end when we closed. They had shared so many memories with me, from graduations, to first dates, and other special occasions. I hope my readers know how much I valued those memories and how thankful I am they enjoy Korean food.
• Readers will be pleased to see recipes from Beverly Soon Tofu, but you have also included many family recipes as well. Do you have a favorite?
There are recipes from my restaurant, Beverly Soon Tofu, recipes from all the years I made Korean food at home for my two daughters, and ones I learned from my grandmother that span this cookbook. All the recipes in the book are close to my heart but I'd have to pick two favorites: LA Galbi and Grandma’s Egg and Chives. I remember having LA Galbi for the first time when I came to the US. My grandmother made them and grilled them on charcoal. There was nothing like that in Korea back then. They were so delicious that I ate 20 of them! The other favorite is also linked to a memory of my grandmother. She used to make the egg and chives side dish often and then she taught it to me. I started making this as part of our regular meals too. It is quick, easy, and yummy!
• In writing this book you collaborated with your co-author, Tien Nguyen, and your daughters, who also helped you tell your story. What was it like working with everyone to bring the book to life?
I am so grateful to work with my co-author, Tien Nguyen. We started writing this cookbook during the pandemic so it was largely through many Zoom calls where Tien would ask questions and I would talk through the stories with her. I can’t believe with my broken English and all of our Zoom meetings she was able to capture my passion for food and bring to life my journey as a cook in Koreatown LA. My daughters and I also spent countless hours going over recipes, and they helped translate my thoughts. I wasn’t able to spend a lot of time with them when they were growing up because I was working at the restaurant. I will cherish the time we spent on this cookbook because it gave me a chance to teach them so much about my cooking, have them listen to my stories, and most importantly, connect with them about food in a way that I am certain they now understand at this age. It was so memorable and deeply meaningful to me.
• What do you want home cooks to know about this book?
Korean food is approachable, delicious, and comforting. This book reflects my food style. The recipes are easy to make because you can get most ingredients in any grocery store these days. The dishes are simple to prepare and enjoy, and adaptable to people with many different palates, tastes, and preferences. I want to share that through food, one can reflect their love for cooking but also the person they are making it for. I want to impart that feeling and encourage people to love cooking… Korean food!