Every so often, a New York restaurant comes along and makes people genuinely happy. Beloved pop-up chef Sunny Lee laid down roots with Sunn’s in 2024, and the pint-sized Chinatown eatery has been dishing out infectious vibes and incantatory fare that takes Korean classics around the world and back ever since.
Name an influence of yours that might surprise people.
Nikola Jokić, center of NBA’s Denver Nuggets. How that man plays basketball is how I would want to run a kitchen. He’s an unbelievable shooter, and a dancer on the court. But his true talent is making his whole team better by integrating all the players and utilizing their skills. Nobody in the league has more assists and rebounds than Jokić.
What do you think is your biggest contribution to culture?
My talent to express myself while creating an environment that allows those around me to also express themselves freely. I love to be surrounded by creative people, but I detest the idea that they are simply mirroring my own ideas. I think about how Sunn’s came to be, and I think the worst ideas were the ones I came up with on my own with complete confidence, and the best ideas were the ones that our team pushed out together after a series of adjustments and conversations.
When you were little, what were you known for?
I’ve always carried a little snack in my pocket with me, just in case I needed one. As a 5-year-old, I would have a little bag of Goldfish. Now, 39-year-old me has emotional support chocolate in my coat pocket at all times.
What do you want to see more of in your industry? Less of?
I want to see more restaurants opened by passionate people looking to serve their community, and less restaurants opened to make rich people richer, with no personal point of view.
What would you be doing if you weren’t working in your field?
I would have tried to become a ceramicist, wooden spoon whittler, textile weaver, medieval historian, or food writer.
What’s been the hardest part of your career so far?
The hardest thing about my career is that “Is this working?” and “This is working,” look exactly the same about 80 percent of the time.
What keeps you up at night?
I work in restaurants! As a chef, I’m stimulated at work until past midnight every night, so it will often take several hours to calm my body and mind down to a place of rest. I’ll often do New York Times crosswords or try to read when I get home from work with no TV or music on. Gone are the days of going out all night and drinking after work.
What question do you ask yourself most often while you’re making work?
Can I do this faster, more efficiently, and in one less step?
Where do you feel most at home?
Is it boring to say, at home? [My husband] Mike and I will walk over to our favorite local bar and have a Guinness, and then come home, listen to records, and “sound bathe” until we fall asleep on the couch.
Who do you call the most?
Most consistently, FaceTiming my two nephews, Miles (4) and Charlie (2). I have to know what they’re up to (always eating something while running around), or what they’re playing with (legos, cars, Pokemon).
To read more from the 2026 CULT100 honorees, see the full list here.
in your life?
