Our Story

Sam, the owner and chef of Seoulful Table, is a qualified chef with deep expertise in both Korean and Japanese Cuisine. His journey began in high-end Japanese kitchens before his passion shifted and expanded to the vibrant flavours of Korean Cuisine.​

Since moving to New Zealand in 2013, he and Grace built their life and family. While Grace was committed to her corporate career, Sam stepped away from the commercial kitchen to focus on family. However, his passion for owning a restaurant—a place to share his food and connect with people—never faded. Sam genuinely loves communicating with people and seeing the sheer happiness a sufficient meal can bring.

In Korea, everyone holds sweet memories of the nostalgia food enjoyed around their college or university—places where dreams are built in youth. With Seoulful Table, he aims to recreate that feeling for local students and residents alike: a place where you can make new memories and one day look back and say, 'It was so fun when we used to go to that restaurant!​​​