The people
behind GIUK.

Owner

Matae Lee

Matae Lee is the owner of GIUK, a Korean restaurant inspired by the intersection of his childhood memories in Korea and his experiences growing up as an adult in America. After moving to the U.S. at 14 and settling in Atlanta, Lee eventually made his way to New York, where he built a career in Korean hospitality and restaurant management, including leadership roles at Miss Korea BBQ, Barn Joo 35, and Don Chicken, with locations in Little Neck and Manhattan. His experience spans restaurant operations, team leadership, guest experience, and business growth, giving him a firsthand understanding of both the Korean culinary traditions he grew up with and the evolving ways Korean food is experienced in America. At GIUK, Lee brings those two perspectives together, creating a restaurant centered on the memories, flavors, and traditions of Korea while reflecting the experiences of a Korean-American life. The result is a deeply personal expression of Korean hospitality – one that invites guests to share in the tastes and memories that have shaped his journey from Korea to America.

CMO

Lynn Lee

Lynn Lee is a Korean-American hospitality professional with a decade of experience in restaurant operations, guest relations, and team leadership. Having moved to New York from Korea at age six, Lee grew up between two cultures, an experience that informs her perspective on Korean food and hospitality. She spent six years at missKOREA BBQ in New York, with two years in a management role, helping to lead over 100 employees while overseeing guest experience, restaurant operations, and efforts to drive revenue and customer satisfaction. Her background in social work, including a master’s degree from Columbia University, further shaped her people-focused approach to leadership, communication, and community. Today, as CMO of GIUK, Lee brings that perspective to a restaurant built around sharing the memories, flavors, and traditions of Korea through the lens of a Korean-American experience.

Beverage

Eunah Chloe Jeong

Eunah Jeong (Chloe) is a hospitality and beverage professional with experience spanning luxury resorts, high-volume restaurants, and bar operations. A graduate of Dong-Eui University with a degree in Hospitality Management, she brings a thoughtful, guest-focused approach to beverage service, with expertise in cocktail preparation, seasonal drink development, and high-volume F&B operations. Originally from Jeju Island, South Korea, Jeong draws on her own memories and experiences to shape GIUK’s beverage program, which pairs modern spirits and techniques with the flavors, ingredients, and traditions of Korea. Her creations draw inspiration from familiar Korean tastes and traditions, ranging from yuja tea and Jeju mandarins to dongchimi, Korean pear, sujeonggwa, and nostalgic favorites like the BongBong grape drink, reimagining them as contemporary cocktails. Her Jeju roots are particularly reflected in the Jeju Mandarin Spritz, inspired by childhood memories of family and neighbors sharing boxes of mandarins during the winter — a tradition she connects to the Korean concept of jeong, or the bonds created through simple acts of sharing. The result is a beverage program rooted in Korean storytelling and personal memory, designed to offer guests a fresh, modern way to experience familiar flavors.