Issue 19: Beyond the Hair with Danny Choi
A hairstylist takes a turn in the hot seat today and shows us his flair.
When I moved to Atlanta in 2021, I immediately did a Google search for “Japanese hairstylist in Atlanta” to find someone I could trust to restore my neglected pandemic hair since moving far away from my former beloved stylist. Thanks to the Asian monolithic projections that even A.I. normalizes, I was lucky enough to find “my little brother from another mother” Danny, at a salon only ten minutes away. We share a last name (no relation) and the understanding that for so many Korean families, food is the highest expression of love. Whenever we meet, we always share what we just ate for our last meal and want to eat next. We tend to work up an appetite together and have eaten meals together, too. I hope you enjoy meeting this special fella!
Flavor of the Week: KP Q&A with Danny Choi
Danny Choi has been cutting, coloring, and styling hair since 2013. He defied immigrant expectations by skipping college and trusting his talents instead — settling into a new chair at Cameo Salon in Atlanta. Danny is passionate about color as a Davines educator and is making the city more colorful through his work.You can check out some of Danny’s talent on IG @hairbydannyc.
Introduce yourself more personally in 2-3 sentences.
My name is Danny. I grew up in Minnesota. I was born in California, and was also in Nevada. So I've been all around the United States growing up. So I've experienced a lot of different cultures and before moving here.
Where are you from?
I live in the city of Atlanta.
No, where are you REALLY from? (Haha!)
Well, my parents are Korean, but I was born in LA. Yeah, I guess being Korean-American Komerican from America, but with a Korean family.
What’s your sign?
Do you want my big three? Cancer sun. Pisces moon. Leo rising. So a lot of water signs.
How would you describe yourself in five words?
Cheerful, hardworking, self-starter, foodie, and passionate.
What do you love about being Komerican?
The food! Yeah. My mom taught me some really good recipes and I can cook them whenever I want.
And of course, what are your favorite Korean foods?
Naeng myun is my favorite Korean food.
What was your childhood like and what has it taught you?
Childhood was tough. Because in elementary school in Minnesota, I was like the only Korean person. Coming home from school my parents were a little prejudiced towards non-Korean people, and they would tell me that because we’re Korean we’re better, while other people are telling me that they are better. It taught me that while we might look different, no one is really better or worse. Everyone has their own problems and good qualities, too.
Can you share something exciting that you’re working on now?
A start-up - I want to create a review platform for hair stylists instead of hair salons. So you can take ownership of your own work instead of attaching it to another business.
What do people underestimate about you?
I didn't go to college. So, you know, naturally that comes with people having an idea of how smart you are or how driven you are. And I think I've broken a lot of those expectations just from the work I've done and what I've achieved.
Share your proudest moment in the past year.
I like to have friends over for food. Whenever they're really excited to eat and taste my cooking and tell me it's good, I feel very proud of the fact that I can do that for my friends.
What was your hardest moment in the past year?
I left the salon I was working at for about four years, and interviewed with a ton of salons in Atlanta to try and find a place that I'd like to work. I wasn't sure if I wasn't accepting any offers because I didn't like the salon or if I was just avoiding commitment. Then I finally found this place (Cameo Salon) and I've been really happy with it. But that period was very difficult.
We’ve all been hurt in some form or fashion. What are you healing from?
I guess shit with family in general. Sometimes I feel like I have something that bothers me, but instead of talking to my parents about it, I don't want to talk to them at all because it always ends up being my fault, again, somehow. I want to let my family in instead of be afraid of them.
How do you love yourself?
I take myself to eat whatever I want. That's like the one thing that I won't ever be saving money on. A good meal just makes me so much happier.
How do you love others?
Also with food, you know.Inviting friends over, making sure they eat or even just texting, “Have you eaten today?” Asking about whether they're eating okay.
What five things can you not live without?
My computer. I just built it and I have a lot of fun with it. My shears for cutting hair. I've had them for years and I love them. I also love my knives. I don’t really have a lot of things.
What’s your favorite dance song?
I enjoy listening to music, but I never know what song I'm listening to. And I'm just kind of like, “Oh yeah, that was great!” So I just like whatever is playing.
What’s your favorite kind of pie?
Oh, there's this pie at Kitty Dare – it’s a white chocolate pistachio… oh wait, no that’s a cheesecake! I don’t really eat pie and I don’t have a sweet tooth, but that's the one dessert that I do really like.I know the owner of the restaurant goes to Athens (GA) to get it.There’s little pistachio pieces on it and it's aesthetically very pretty. And it's not too sweet – which is a big thing for Korean people. That's the best compliment! Yeah, that's my favorite pie/dessert.
This Q&A took place in person, was transcribed, and edited for clarity.
Crispy Crust: A Hint of Han - Subversive poetry that soothes
Gochujang Is Everywhere
Red pepper heat from
The spicy and sweet
Fermented paste
Is all the rage
In the United States.
Gochujang is everywhere
And I want it all to
Go away.
It is not a source of pride
To see my rich culinary heritage
dabble in mediocrity.
Nah, I’ll pass on that
gochujang hamburger.
I really get why the
French laugh at Americans
who put ketchup on everything.
***Love, Sarah
Korean School: Mul-naeng vs Bi-naeng 물냉 vs 비냉
Fun facts, idioms, translations and history
Naengmyun is a refreshing bowl of cold buckwheat noodles, either with broth (물냉면 mul-naengmyun) or spicy red pepper sauce (비빔냉면 bibim-naengmyun), often topped with cut boiled egg, chopped cucumber or daikon radish and slices of meat. The noodle is often made with buckwheat or sweet potato flour so it’s lighter and chewier than noodles made with just wheat flour. It’s also a dish that accompanies Korean BBQ very well.
Korean BBQ places often offer a small portion of naemyung on their menu so that people who are already quite full from BBQ can still order some to freshen up their palate at the end of the meal. At restaurants, these naengmyun dishes are often used in their shortened terms. Say “물냉 하나, 비냉 하나요 mul-naeng hana, bi-naeng hana-yo” (one mul-naengmyun and one bibim-naengmyun, please), and you will sound like an insider!
Sweet & Salty: A list of the tastiest treats satisfying all the senses
It was a family affair last Sunday at our foodie zine workshop at Sunnyside Arts in Queens! Drawing and writing about our favorite foods and contemplating why they are so important to our unhyphenated identities was the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon. We traveled to Colombia, Puerto Rico and South Korea through our food memories — and really enjoyed the ride. Thanks to everyone who made it!
My dear friend Leslie and former makeup artist for stage, screen and the page returned to her BFA roots since creating a new life with new loves in Nashville. Check out Leslie Marnett Welch Designs and peruse the beautiful bespoke paper art she creates for clients based on their souls’ desires and interior design. Leslie sources paper from Nepal and Japan, materials from around the world, and is inspired by hanji, Korean traditional paper-making, along with other paper processes. A couple years ago, she made my family a custom art piece we absolutely love called Be A Goldfish, an homage to our love of Ted Lasso. Thanks, Les!
While in NYC, Aram and I had dinner at KJUN with Caroline Choe - a restaurant we all had been wanting to try for years. I am usually dubious about fusion food - the line between appreciation and appropriation can be tricky and the purist in me wants everything to be “authentic.” But we were BLOWN AWAY by Jae Jung’s dishes. Her menu is the perfect love letter to two cities that shaped Jae’s cooking and identity - New Orleans and Seoul. Cooking from the heart is authenticity and the epitome of unhyphenated cooking. While every single thing we tried was delicious, I cannot stop thinking about the seafood jjajangmyun and green tomato kimchi. Follow Jae and the KJUN crew @kjunnyc.