JB Life March 2017

GLOBAL FOOD
By DEAN CRAWFORD
Jeonbuk Life Contributing Writer
Jeonju has undoubtedly changed a great deal since
I first set foot in this town, and over the last couple
of years the city has grown at a rapid rate. Long
gone are the days of feeling blessed to have an Outback
Steakhouse in Gaeksa or counting down the days until
the grand opening of a TGIFriday’s. Jeonju is not only
the culinary capital for Korean food, but it is now a
hotbed for authentic cuisine from all around the world.
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Where once foreigners faced a huge problem trying to
hunt down authentic Western food, the biggest dilemma
expats face today is choosing between curry, paella, enchiladas,
or even escargot .
Nestled in Jeonju’s bustling downtown area, You Love
Soul Zip is the newest location to offer foodies authentic
foreign flavors. The restaurant is run by Lucy Oyi, a
Jeonju native who moved to France as an 18 year old,
spending twelve years studying and modeling, all while
learning about food from her friends and new-found
French family. She has recently returned to her home-
town to share knowledge of French cuisine and
her desire to provide a place for everyone to enjoy,
whether they like to eat, drink, or party. Despite
the restaurant being open for only two months,
she has been exceptionally busy, but found the
time to sit down with me to talk about her passion
for food, France, and her journey from Asia to Europe
and back again.
First of all, why did you decide to go to
France?
“I decided to go France for several reasons. There
was some conflict with my parents about my future
so I knew I had to travel and separate myself
from my family for a while. I decided to go to
France as a student because I wanted to learn the
language. Then I decided to study Sociology. I really
enjoyed my life in France. I thought it would
be hard because I was there as a foreigner but
that meant I didn’t have to try and be anything I
wasn’t. I could just be me.”
LEFT: The baked camembert [Photo by
Anjee DiSanto]; ABOVE: Lucy behind the bar.
[Photo by Dean Crawford]
Tell me about your background in
modeling. How did you get started?
“I was a party girl and my motto in life was simply
‘have fun.’ I was trying to make my life better
by studying, but after several years in school
I decided to have fun and meet lots of people. I
partied almost every night and one of my fellow
party goers was a photographer. They suggested
I be a model for their photo shoot. At first I was
modeling for free with amateur photographers.
But they showed their photos to some modeling
agencies and suddenly the agency ‘VIP MOD-
ELS’ contacted me with an interest in becoming
a model.”
What did you think about modeling as a
job?
“Well, I think it helps a lot for having self-confidence.
In Korea, I see many people wearing the
same things: the same accessories, the same hair,
the same makeup. But in the modeling world,
even for amateurs, we have to be a unique person.
In other words, we have to accept our
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