As a young boy growing up in South Korea until age 10, Minsoo Jo recalled his earliest impressions of food came to him though his grandmother, who would spoil him with yams and candy on his visits.  

“The culture of South Korea is rich in food,” Jo said. “I have always been surrounded by good home cooking.” 

When Jo’s parents moved their family to the United States, they opened a small breakfast restaurant, Main Street Café in Norristown, where he helped out and kept the books. Prior, they were small business owners back in Korea.  

After graduating from high school in the U.S., Jo wanted to continue working in the restaurant business, but saw the value in getting an education to enable him to fully prosper in the culinary world.  

“When my parents opened up the restaurants it seemed natural that I would pursue it,” Jo said. “I decided I would learn how to properly run a restaurant.” 

High-caliber chefs 

Jo, who lives in Maple Glen, Montgomery County, decided to enroll in Montgomery County Community College’s Culinary Arts program in 2015, but that was after looking at various options. 

“I think one of the selling points of Montco back when I was applying to colleges, is they were emphasizing how high of quality education you can get for the money,” he said. “All of the chefs there are very high- caliber chefs who really know the field inside and out.” 

Due to their level of experience, they were able to give Jo a lot more insight than he felt he could get at other schools he was considering.  

Once he began at MCCC he realized he could get out of the program as much as he put into it. Jo said that Chef Stephen Latona, MCCC Culinary Arts Instructor, treated students as professionals to prepare them for real-world experience, which was beneficial to him.  

“If he saw someone that really wanted and was going to be in the industry for a long time, he would push the students – their standards, how they were dressed, how sharp their knives were, their uniform, how timely they were,” Jo said.  

Love of cuisine 

Latona said that Jo was an outstanding student in the program from the start, who exuded a love of cuisine and learning. 

“He always wanted to learn as much as possible and completed his tasks in a timely manner and also showed a keen eye to plating details,” Latona said. “He always asked if he could help in any way and was always courteous and helped other students.” 

After receiving his associate degree in 2018, Jo decided to continue with his education and transferred to Johnson & Wales University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management.

Leading up to his graduation from Johnson & Wales in 2020, it was MCCC’s Chef Latona who referred him to an internship at the French fine dining restaurant, Jansen, located in Mount Airy, Philadelphia.  

“Chef Jansen was a chef at the Four Seasons and has cooked for kings and queens,” Jo said. “Chef Latona felt he was someone I could really benefit from.” 

Chef Latona said that he recommended Jo to Jansen because he felt it would be a good fit for both the student and the operation.  

“I thought, based on his actions in my labs, he would be a perfect fit with my friend, Dave’s, restaurant – Jansen,” Latona said.  

Creative in the kitchen 

Jo worked his way up the ranks at Jansen starting as an unpaid intern, known as a ‘stage’ in the culinary world, and is currently a sous-chef. While Jo does get the opportunity to get creative in the kitchen, he said he also still cooks in the line and makes bread and pasta. Each of his responsibilities comes with different levels of fulfillment.  

“When I’m doing my own special I created for the night, there is that extra umph when I designed it and shared it with the customer,” he said. 

Despite most of the cuisine at Jansen being New Age American with a French background, Jo appreciates the openness Chef Jansen has for other cultures, which has enabled Jo to incorporate his roots in his creations. 

“I have been able to infuse a lot of Korean stuff,” he said. “We pull in a lot of inspiration from different cultures, and he encourages us to explore.” 

Jo shared a Moroccan-inspired dish that was recently on the menu.  

“It’s a Moroccan spiced couscous with grilled dorade, which is a flakey fish from the Mediterranean,” he said. “The dish has lots of clove, cinnamon and bold flavors.” 

Demands of the restaurant industry  

Given the demands of the restaurant industry, Jo said that if you’re in the business to simply look cool or own a restaurant, it’s going to be challenging to sustain yourself in the business. 

“Time management is the key to figuring out what you genuinely want out of the industry and if you are working weekends, holidays and really long shifts, it’s not going to be an easy task, but if you really do love cooking and being in the restaurant and prioritize what’s important to you first, then everything else will work out.” 

Jo balances his work at Jansen with continuing to help his parents out at their restaurant in the mornings when he’s free. 

“It’s hands-off work like calling purveyors and bookkeeping,” he said.   

When Jo takes a close look at his career, MCCC is held in high regard. It’s the place where he learned methods to keep things under a certain cost, how to manage staff with different personalities, all about culinary entrepreneurship, and how to apply for a loan with a business model. 

“For an overarching view on how to run a successful restaurant, I got that from Montco,” he said. “A lot of the chefs and instructors bring in real examples.” 
 
Jo sees the culinary arts as a craft where techniques need to be continuously practiced. 

“I think people forget the culinary arts is a creative field,” he said. “It’s passion clashing with passion because the industry can be a tough one to be in, especially with chefs and cooks arguing over food and cooking techniques” 

When discussing his future goals, there is a simplicity to Jo’s perspective on personal fulfillment.

“I get the most enjoyment out of my job when a dish I created comes back and is almost licked clean,” Jo said. “I can get enjoyment in knowing I can make someone’s day better. That is what drives me forward.” 

Latona credits Jo’s rise at Jansen to his hard work.  

“I definitely see him, and have high hopes, that in due time he will be moving on to a higher position in the culinary world,” Latona said. “Perhaps, one day, owning his own restaurant.”