Dong Hyun Kim ( ko, 김동현, 金東炫; born September 1973) is a South Korean businessman and

fast food Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredien ...

restaurateur based in Canada, who founded the

East Asian East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea a ...

-inspired restaurant chains

Wasabi Wasabi (Japanese: , , or , ; ''Eutrema japonicum'' or ''Wasabia japonica'') or Japanese horseradish is a plant of the family Brassicaceae, which also includes horseradish and mustard in other genera. The plant is native to Japan and the Russian ...

, Kimchee, and Kimchee To Go.

Early life and career

Born in 1973, Kim moved to the UK in 1999. After market trading in

Camden Camden may refer to: People * Camden (surname), a surname of English origin * Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer * Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor Places Australia * Camden, New South Wales * Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...

, London, he founded Wasabi in 2003, opening its first shop on London's Embankment. Capdesia took a minority stake in Wasabi in May 2019, and with Henry Birts appointed CEO in November 2019, Kim stepped back from active management at the business. He afterwards started the business concepts Pelicana and Kineya in London. After founding the company in 2003, he stepped away from the Wasabi business in 2021, stating he would be focusing on other business interests while remaining a minority shareholder and director."Wasabi founder to step away from business"
The Caterer, 11-01-2021

References

1973 births Living people 20th-century South Korean businesspeople {{Authority control