How Jaeki Cho of Righteous Eats Has a Very Ahjusshi (Old Man) Day in Queens
Cho’s guide to Flushing includes Korean food, traditional Korean saunas, and more self care.
By Tae Yoon and Jaeki Cho
Published on 2/13/2023 at 12:00 PM
Jaeki Cho – Co-founder of Righteous Eats | Photo by Lanna Apisukh for Thrillist
As a co-founder of Righteous Eats, Jaeki Cho is known for eating his way through New York City with the hustle of a top influencer. But Cho is simply a native New Yorker driven by community. His videos highlighting (never “reviewing”) under-the-radar and often-overlooked eateries across the city have gained a large following and the respect of many within the food landscape. Hang with him as he spends a day off in the Korean American enclave of Flushing, Queens.
I'm a full-time content creator from Queens and my typical day off might feel very ahjusshi, aka old man, but I love it. For many Korean Americans like myself, our way of taking a day off, especially if doing it solo, is eating our culture’s soul food and taking care of ourselves from the perspective of mind, body, and spirit, through self-care and familiar traditions (a little retail therapy also never hurts). Flushing is a Korean American hub and where my parents still live, but a day off here is also about moments to myself so I can reflect—that’s how I really treat myself.
I have fond memories of going to Flushing Meadows Park for the annual Chuseok harvest festival, which used to be the major gathering for Koreans in the Tri-State area. I even got to see K-Pop stars like Hyolee Lee perform there in the early 2000s. Now, the park is where I like to jog because of its flat surface and plentiful asphalt. Even if I’m driving and have my car for the day, I’ll still start with a run here. And on Wednesdays, it’ll be together with the World's Fair Run Crew.
“Flushing is a Korean American hub and where my parents still live, but a day off here is also about moments to myself so I can reflect—that’s how I really treat myself.”
After, I jog back to Main Street, which is also the last stop of the 7 Train, for coffee at GongGan. This Korean-style cafe reminds me of Seoul’s cafe culture and is one of the few legit coffee spots around downtown Flushing. I like how they use an avant-garde approach to their architecture and have a general art-house vibe. You can tell they put a lot of thought into every detail, including the menu. For the Rainbow Cake, you get to pour this cool, colorful icing onto it.
Then I pop into Alumni, a contemporary men’s wear and streetwear shop I co-founded in 2018. I originally proposed opening a Flushing location after noticing a growing local audience that appreciated contemporary fashion. The goal was good curation with a boutique focus. At the time, there wasn't much like it in this part of Queens. I’ve transitioned to becoming a silent partner since becoming a full-time content creator, but I like to check in to see what’s new and if there’s anything I want to pick up for myself.
“The goal [with Alumni] was good curation with a boutique focus. At the time, there wasn't much like it in this part of Queens.”
After working out, getting coffee, and doing some shopping, it’s time to wash up. There’s no better place than a Korean bathhouse for this, so I head to New York Spa for a cold plunge followed by a sauna session. Korean people have been doing this since the days of our ancestors, but it’s interesting how this wellness activity is what the biohacking community is all about now. So I sweat it out in the sauna, order some hard boiled eggs at the onsite restaurant, put on a face mask, and chill for a bit. I come out feeling fresh as a newborn baby.
Then, it’s off to Jimmy’s on 162nd Street for a haircut. This Colombian-owned barber shop–which plays salsa and bachata–has a barber of Korean descent among its mostly Guatemalan and Peruvian staff. (It's basically a quintessential Queens experience.) Mr. Kim is a rarity because he understands the complexities of cutting Korean hair in addition to those small details that are a part of the American barbershop experience – like giving that nice little razor blade shape up on the corner of my forehead. You know what I mean?
Haircuts for me are every two weeks, but once a month, I do a scalp treatment at HairIB. This salon recently relocated from near Jimmy’s to further east on 194th Street. But the thing about anybody who touches your hair is, once you build a relationship with them, you continue riding with them. That’s why I’m loyal to HairIB. After I sit, they rinse my hair, put on products, steam it, and then give it a wash.
Jaeki Cho at HairIB | Photo by Lanna Apisukh for Thrillist
“Once a month, I do a scalp treatment... the thing about anybody who touches your hair is, once you build a relationship with them, you continue riding with them.”
Now I’m hungry for Parksanbal Babs, back on 162nd Street. They only serve one dish here that makes a great solo meal: Gukbap, in either spicy or non-spicy. It’s a beef bone soup with pieces of meat, glass noodles, and a boiling broth, all with white rice and side dishes like Korean rolled omelet. I always order mine spicy. It’s a simple and rustic meal, and I've been a regular for more than a decade.
For more R&R, I get a foot massage at the nearby JR Spa. It’s a more recent newcomer to the street and I discovered them through one of those fitness and wellness booking apps. I like its clean environment. The space is a bit tight and compact, but the service and massages are great.
The last stop on 162nd Street is Hansol to pick up kimchi and banchan, those side dishes that are an integral part of Korean cuisine. Essentially, this is all that’s really needed when it comes to eating in a typical Korean household. You have a jar of kimchi, a variety of banchan that usually lasts in the fridge for a while, rice, and then maybe a simple piece of protein. Hansol is run by one family and they make everything on premise. The ready-to-eat goods are also distributed to their other locations, like an outlet across the street from New York Spa.
If I happen to not be driving for the day, I’m definitely calling a Korean livery car service to get home. These companies have been servicing Korean communities like Flushing for generations and were a vital mode of transportation to the non-English speaking immigrant population. Ride sharing apps have completely changed the industry, but there are still companies chauffeuring riders to and from airports, colleges, and even casinos. I use Orange Call Taxi at 718-888-0404. Just be sure to have cash handy.
Tae Yoon is the Senior Editor of East, Local cities at Thrillist. He was born and raised in Queens, New York.
