Serendipity and good timing played a major role in bringing Annie Kim’s Blue Han Korean Kitchen and Café to the East End this summer. At least that’s what it sounds like to hear Annie talk about how she made the leap from Greenport to Sag Harbor and, most recently, to Shelter Island to open the town’s very first Korean restaurant.
Kim worked at Suki’s Spa, a popular salon in Greenport, before starting her own salon, Scarlett Rose Mindful Beauty, in Sag Harbor back in 2012. When her aunt, who owned Suki’s, decided to retire about four years ago, Annie stepped in and placed her second salon, Scarlett Rose, in that Greenport location.
Here’s where that serendipity and good timing come into play. Suzanne Walsh is one of many North Forkers who frequent Scarlett Rose. Annie spoke with her about wanting to open a Korean restaurant in the area, and Suzanne told Annie about the vacant restaurant space at the Shelter Island House on Sterns Point Road.
Blue Han opened its doors on June 21 — Father’s Day. It was an unusually quiet opening for the new Korean restaurant – not a lot of advance hoopla, just word of mouth and some online posts that hinted at what was to fill the dining space, previously occupied by local business owner Marie Eiffel’s Chez Marie.
Adding restaurateur to her growing cache of East End businesses may seem like a big leap, but the Blue Han’s name is a clue to the spark and tenacity that drives Kim: Blue is for the music she likes, blues and jazz. Han is a little more difficult to translate.
“It’s more of an emotion,” she says, as it encompasses longing, sorrow, resilience and hope. “But mostly resilience.”
Quiet jazz plays in the background as Kim talks about the restaurant and the paths that led her to this spot on Shelter Island; her calm excitement about Blue Han and its future is palpable and engaging. She exudes a serenity that’s also evident in the space she has enhanced through both her choice of music and art.
The walls of the dining room display the photographs of Ralph Gibson, another patron of Scarlett Rose Salon, whose contemporary photographic art is showcased in the GibsonIGoeun Museum in South Korea, which is devoted entirely to his photography.
The dining room is quietly exquisite —gray, sleek and minimalistic, with the expansive porch creating another alfresco facet of the dining atmosphere of Blue Han. But if people want to enjoy a meal sitting at the bar or order take-out, they’re welcome to do that, too, Kim says.
When it comes to the food itself, Kim is hands-on involved in the creation of the recipes and working with her staff to prepare authentic and traditional Korean dishes. And for those not familiar with Korean fare, such as bulgogi bibimbap —thin slices of beef seared on a hot grill and served with rice and seasoned vegetables, with a little gochujang sauce on the side — her waitstaff will be happy to describe and explain the varied items on the menu.
“Tuesdays have been very busy,” Kim says. “Sometimes, even busier than the weekends.”
Though open for a little over a month, the Island grapevine is spreading the word about Blue Han and the buzz is good. One diner says that when he went online to order take-out, but after seeing pictures of the food online he decided to head to the restaurant and dine there and plans on being a repeat customer.
You can decide for yourself, but the jazzy serenity and authentic dishes are proving to be the sleeper hit of the summer.
Kim hopes to add breakfast service, too because, she confides, breakfast is her favorite meal. That’s down the road, but Kim has already proven that she has the resilience to make that happen.
Blue Han is located at 11 Sterns Point Road, Shelter Island, 631-749-5265. They are open from noon to 4 p.m. and from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; closed Mondays.
