K-Food Grant Initiative
SHIA Restaurant, in partnership with the Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington (KCSC), is proud to announce the inaugural K-Food Grant Initiative, awarded to four individuals across the DMV who are advancing Korean food and culture through creativity, storytelling, and community engagement.
The selected projects, now underway, explore Korean cuisine in new and inspiring ways, including:
- Rediscovering Tradition: Reviving and reintroducing lesser-known historical recipes and dishes.
- Modernizing K-Food: Offering contemporary interpretations of Korean culinary traditions.
- Cultural Storytelling: Showcasing the cultural narratives and unique ingredients that define Korean food.
- Community Engagement: Fostering connection and education through culinary experiences.
Each participant received a $4,000 award to bring their project to life between November 2025 and February 2026, and their work will culminate in a presentation of their work at the KCSC Gala in April 2026. Learn more about our grant winners below and stay tuned for updates as they bring their creative visions of K-food to life!.
Zachary Suh (HomePlate)
Zach Suh is a marketing student at George Mason University with a passion for cooking. He started HomePlate after finding ways to cook healthy, delicious meals for his grandmother with late-stage Alzheimer’s, a mission that evolved into a desire to serve the broader senior community. Having previously hosted private chef events and cooked tailored meals for seniors, the K-Food Grant will allow him to expand his reach by focusing on Korean food, which is rich in nutrition and history. He will use the grant to scale the delivery of healthy, culturally-appropriate Korean meals and specifically serve the many generations of Korean seniors in the DMV community. He plans to reduce his academic courses in 2026 to fully devote himself to this mission.
Soomin Kim (Virginialicious)
Soomin Kim started her food tour business, Virginialicious, after realizing many newcomers to the DMV struggled to find high-quality, authentic Korean dining. She saw an opportunity to not only introduce delicious food but also bridge cultural gaps. Her part-time initiative has grown significantly, and many participants continue to support the small businesses after the tours. With the K-Food Grant, she can scale the business, sustain her mission, and expand her programs to new regions, new restaurants, and new cultural immersive excursions. Virginialicious already donates a portion of its income back to a local food bank in the DMV, reinforcing its commitment to community impact.
Claire Lee (JADU)
As a second-generation Korean American from Southern California, Claire Lee grew up surrounded by the vibrant flavors and traditions of Korean cuisine. After moving to D.C., she noticed two considerable things about Korean food in her life: 1) the diversity of K-food she knew from home was largely missing or less accessible and 2) many of her peers only recognized K-BBQ, Tteokbokki, and Kimchi as Korean food. With the K-Food Grant, Claire will launch JADU (자두), a creative content initiative highlighting the traditional flavor and community stories of Korean cuisine in the DMV. She will visit 30 DMV-based Korean restaurants, bakeries, and cafes, documenting their delicious dishes and amplifying their personal stories through short-form videos. The project aims to introduce the richness of Korean cuisine to a broader audience while providing local restaurants with usable media assets that amplify their personal stories and business.
Jinny Lee (Bit Bakery)
Jinny Lee, an engineer by training and a baker by heart, challenges us to rethink both sustainability as it pertains to food, and traditional bakery flavor profiles. Her venture, bit bakery, expertly combines traditional and contemporary Korean influences with ingredients like ssuk (mugwort) and yakgwa in her unique cookies. And, with a vision for building towards a greener future, Jinny is working to address the prevalence of single-use plastic in traditional baked goods packaging. The K-Food Grant provides the opportunity to pursue this dual mission: she will research and test new sustainable packaging solutions for her business while developing one new, signature Korean flavor to expand the palate of her unique offerings.
Evaluation Criteria
Elevation of K-Food
How effectively does the project introduce and promote lesser-known or unique aspects of Korean cuisine, particularly traditional dishes?
Long-Term Community Impact
How great is the potential to create a positive influence on the greater DMV area?
Creativity
How original and innovative is the project in idea and execution?
Feasibility
How practical or realistic is the project, including proposed budget utilization and timeline?
For questions, reach out to:
Monica Kang
Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer at SHIA monica@shiarestaurant.org
