10 questions with Dongnae and Bokman’s Kyu Jeong Jeon

Kyu Jeong Jeon is co-owner, with her husband Duncan Robertson, of two Bristol restaurants: Bokman, a tongdak (rotisserie chicken) restaurant in Stokes Croft and Dongnae in Redland. 2025 has been a great year for Kyu and Duncan: the duo took home the ‘Chef To Watch’ award from The Good Food Guide Awards and Kyu was voted one of CODE Hospitality’s Women of the Year.

What’s the most underrated dish on your menu?

It would have to be our soft serve ice cream at Bokman. Because it’s served in a fun way from a proper machine, I think people may not realise the months of testing, care and premium ingredients like creamy Jersey milk that have gone into making it. But that’s how we like to approach things at Bokman – making them feel accessible and low key, then maybe surprising you.

Where’s your favourite place to go after hours?

Honestly? Home!

What’s your secret Bristol tip?

Meet Up Noodle Bar – just make sure to ask for the Chinese menu with pictures!

What’s the best thing you can do in Bristol with £20?

Splurge on cheese, jamón, chorizo and olives at El Colmado, the brilliant Spanish deli on Gloucester Road, then pitch up at nearby St Andrew’s Park.

Where do you go when you want to splurge?

Bristol Lido in Clifton – a heated outdoor pool, steam room, and excellent massage/facial treatments. It’s a proper treat.

Which CODE offers are you going to be snapping up?

We love Marmo in Bristol – Cosmo and Lily have something really special going on here. So I’d use the 20% off food offer and order the steak tartare, washed down with something from their excellent wine list. If we were really celebrating, perhaps an escape to Heckfield Place for the night using the 25% off Sunday to Friday, as both our restaurants are closed on Mondays.

What’s your favourite thing to cook when you’re off?

Gimbap! It’s one of my favourite comfort foods. I love using up whatever leftovers I have in the fridge – it’s creative, satisfying, and nostalgic.

Which kitchen task do you like most and least?

I love researching and developing new dishes; it’s the most exciting part of the job. My least favourite is grocery shopping. A lot of ingredients we use are quite niche and we can’t get them delivered easily. This means we waste a lot of time on physical shopping.

What is your favourite ingredient and your least favourite ingredient?

My favourites are our homemade doenjang, gochujang, and soy sauce – they bring so much depth and character to everything we make. As for least favourite… “Avruga”. Actually, it’s not fair to say I dislike the ingredient itself, I just dislike when restaurants call it caviar on menus. Let’s be clear: that is not caviar!

When you’re not working in a restaurant or eating in a restaurant, where will we find you?

Out in one of Bristol’s many green spaces with my dog, Bokki!

Become a CODE member to get 20% off food at Dongae and Bokman.