In 2005, fresh from a four-year stint in the Army and a yearlong tour in Iraq, Sung Ahn took a job as a dishwasher at Los Angeles’ Water Grill. Seven years later, Ahn is chef de cuisine at the modern-Moroccan restaurant Aziza, a job he acquired after working at such noteworthy restaurants as Urasawa in Beverly Hills, The French Laundry and, most recently, Benu in San Francisco.
But the self-taught chef, who immigrated from Seoul, Korea, to San Diego when he was 14, has cooking in his blood: His parents own a Chinese restaurant in San Diego. For the latest edition of the Sous Chef Series, Ahn cooked his inspired version of Korean-style short ribs, a variation on a dish he grew up eating.
Don’t miss next week’s Sous Chef Series email! Sign up for free today, and every Monday you’ll receive a new profile of one of the country’s most exciting sous chefs, along with one of their favorite recipes.