East Bay Chef One Of Food & Wine's 10 'Best New Chefs Of 2025'

OAKLAND, CA — Bay Area Chef Steve Joo is among the nation's top 10 "Best New Chefs 2025," Food & Wine announced Tuesday.

The mastermind behind the tofu-centric Korean eatery Joodooboo in Oakland, "interprets Korean food and flavors through a California lens," Food & Wine noted.

Food & Wine described Joo and the other nine chefs as "the most dynamic and promising up-and-coming chefs in the United States...They join the ranks of Best New Chefs alumni, [and are] the next generation of the country’s culinary superstars."

Joo's restaurant, which opened in 2022, centers around tofu (dooboo) and banchan, with menu offerings such as a nori acorn noodle bowl, a farmer's bowl, kimchi and a fried dooboo set.

"Steve Joo has quietly cultivated something profound: a small, cheerful banchan shop that hums with intentionality, playfulness, and a deep respect for ingredients," said Food & Wine.

The magazine highlighted his transformative year spent in Korea, where he learned about traditional fermentation techniques from rural cooks.

"And then there’s the fried dooboo set, an elaborate presentation of crispy tofu served with Joo’s signature dooboo sauce — a Cali riff on Korean dipping sauce made of soy sauce bolstered with fermented tea, herbs, and aromatics — alongside soup, rice, salad, kimchi, and the week’s banchan selection," Food & Wine noted. "Specials come and go based on seasonality, so if the stars and the seasons align, you might encounter Joo’s albacore ssam platter, which comes with squash blossoms, Sun Gold tomatoes, perilla leaves, and lettuce for making wraps."

Joodooboo is located at 4201 Market St., Oakland. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.