At the age of eight, Chef Jae Lee immigrated to New York City from Seoul, South Korea with his family, arriving on a travel visa in pursuit of the American dream. They settled in Queens, where in 2007, at just 18 years old, Jae began his culinary journey at a ramen shop in the East Village. It was there that he fell in love with the high-energy, fast-paced world of professional kitchens.

Over the next decade, Chef Jae honed his craft in a range of esteemed restaurants, ultimately rising to the role of Executive Chef at Momosan Ramen & Sake, followed by Hotel 50 Bowery. At 30, encouraged by his then-girlfriend (now wife), he made the bold decision to leave his position and pursue a pop-up concept rooted in his Korean-American identity.

In early 2019, Chef Jae launched Him—a six-month pop-up series named after the Korean word for "strength." Hosted in the intimate setting of Black Emperor, a bar in the East Village, the pop-up quickly earned a loyal following. Gothamist went on to praise his burger as "one of the best burgers in NYC," propelling Jae to open his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Nowon, in the East Village.

Following the success of the original location, a second, larger outpost opened in Bushwick in July 2023, where Chef Jae expanded the menu to include Korean-inspired wood-fired pizzas. Nowon continues to thrive, with further expansion on the horizon—including a new Boston location slated for 2025.