Nominee: David Chon of Nohm
David Chon, the owner of Nohm, started working in restaurants when he was 16 because he discovered he could make money at a young age. He also discovered food. He went to the University of Utah and studied architecture but kept coming back to restaurants. He joined a family friend in the business and then, as he says, “it all clicked.”
“From there I decided I wanted to own a restaurant and started focusing on techniques. I went back to Korea and Japan and worked at restaurants. I would come back and go again, perfecting my knowledge of these two cuisines.”
Nohm, a Korean word that means people, is not, however, a Japanese-Korean restaurant. It is both, concurrently.
“We do either this or that,” he says. “We serve Korean dishes and Japanese dishes but we don’t try to combine them.”
Dishes not to miss
Nohm is emphatically not a “fusion” restaurant. This means your tabletop could see a steaming hot bowl of Japanese oden, a brothy stew of fish cakes, stuffed shiitake, marinated egg and braised daikon, alongside a selection of meats on skewers prepared the traditional Korean way.
One cool thing
Nohm’s menu is succinct and to the point, like its chef-owner. David challenges diners with simple, exacting preparations of food that may sound unfamiliar but rewards the curious with the pleasing sensation of discovering something new.
Nohm // 165 W. 900 South, SLC, 801-917-3812
Nominated by: Ryan Lowder of The Copper Onion
‘Why I love Nohm’
“David is doing something that’s needed in this town. He has a hand in everything in the kitchen and you can tell. It’s one of the best restaurants in the state. Hands down. He’s doing something that people aren’t familiar with here. He could easily take his concept and American-ize it, but he’s hell-bent on what he’s doing. I lived in the East Village in New York when David Chang opened Momofuku and it took a while to get traction. Nohm reads like that to me. With David Chom, you have a guy with a vision and he’s not changing it. You gotta admire it. Because that’s the way the food culture here is going to change.”
Why does Nohm deserve to be recognized in the 2022 Dining Awards?
“Because his food is really good, and he’s not adjusting for Utah’s midwestern tastes. That’s rare and risky. He’s willing to wait it out and get traction. People need to discover Nohm and David’s dedication.” — Ryan Lowder of The Copper Onion
The Copper Onion // 111 E. Broadway, SLC, 801-355-3282
Copper Common // 111 E. Broadway, SLC, 801-355-0543
The Daily // 222 S. Main St., Ste. 140, SLC, 801-297-1660
This year, we are doing our Dining Awards a little bit differently. In the spirit of Utah’s close-knit and supportive dining industry, we asked some of the top industry professionals to nominate their favorite chefs. The 2022 Salt Lake Magazine Dining Awards presents 12 honorees, each paired by their mutual admiration for each other and love of good food. Read the full list of winners. Subscribe for more Salt Lake magazine.
