Best Korean
Jeju Kitchen
Carmel Plaza, 526 Ocean Ave., Carmel
(831) 574-8693, jejukitchencarmel.com
Like “Zazel,” the human cannonball who was shot into the air at London’s Royal Aquarium, a stunt that immediately drew thousands of people to watch her fly, Jeju Kitchen quickly soared into the limelight. After only two years, the Korean-American fusion restaurant in Carmel had already made its mark, dishing out everything from Korean classics like dolsot bibimbap and kimchi pancakes to smashburgers and Korean short ribs. “I’m just cooking from the heart, storytelling and combining flavors of a Korean childhood in an American home,” says Ashley Wolff, owner of Jeju Kitchen. “What I’ve always found special about my food is that it feels like home.”