A conversation with David Bae – Tokki, Marble BBQ, Kogi, Kinhboy & Khoi Sydney

Ever felt that feeling of rush and adrenaline from something that brings joy but equally suffers from being tumultuous in nature? That’s the feeling David Bae gets when he wakes up to manage his ever-growing hospitality empire. In a year where COVID-19 decimated the hospitality industry, ‘Tokki Group’ Owner David introduced more restaurants to Sydney in a time where survival was the mindset for most restaurateurs. He expanded so fast that his group (that includes Marble BBQ, Tokki, Kinhboy and Khoi Sydney) doesn’t even have a proper name yet. I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with David and get a better understanding of the year that was 2020, and what beholds him in 2021.

D: “So, I have to know. How did you get through last year and manage to open two new places?”

David: “I mean we couldn’t have done it without the landlord’s support. Lendlease, for some reason, was super supportive. We had already been tied up to opening this venue in early 2020 before the pandemic hit. We discussed it with our landlords and they were quite supportive with rent and helping us open. We actually took that time to really think about what we wanted to do here. That was really the reason for how we opened last year.”

D: “Opening during the midst of a pandemic must’ve been nerve-wracking right?”

David: “Yeah, it was very tricky obviously. With very little traffic around and as much as you want to market who you are, it’s hard. We just wanted to make sure we gave ourselves enough time to get our food and concept right. I mean, we had already hired our staff too. None of them were eligible for JobKeeper as they were all hired just before the pandemic. Again, I’m so grateful for our landlord and to be honest, that’s how we were able to open. I also have to give credit to our staff and our executive chef – they were incredible during that process. We actually got our first hat recently from the AGFG (Australian Good Food Guide) so it’s been quite the ride.”

“We’re still waiting for people to fully come back to the offices and then I think traffic will definitely intensify. Friday is a little bit funny as people tend to work from home. Saturday is even funnier in the sense that everyone wants to come back out again.”

D: ”Hopefully things begin to really pick up soon! Tell me more about yourself? How did you get roped into the hospitality industry?”

David: “My father basically brought Korean Barbecue to Australia, I don’t even know how or when. He immigrated here in the 70s and he was able to bring in a lot of the equipment from Korea and decided to do it here. My uncle introduced one of the first all-you-can-eat Korean Barbecues at North Paramatta. So essentially I’ve been brought up in hospitality.”

“When I was in my mid-20s, I had the opportunity to open my first venture called Chinari. That didn’t quite work out but once I got a taste for it (hospitality) i couldn’t leave. I think it’s just the day-to-day events that happen in hospitality. You just don’t know whether you’ll be around in 5 years. It’s that adrenaline, suspense and the rush. I guess also creating things that people enjoy.”

We laugh for a bit here as the passion for creating food is often the first answer that many of his equivalents would say. But the rush and adrenaline of something we enjoy doing is also part and parcel of that – a part that drives David more now than purely just passion. David goes on to tell his story about being the Godfather of the Froyo (Frozen Yoghurt) craze that strangled Sydney in the 2010s.

David: “I started Moochi frozen yoghurt. Travelling to Korea and Japan, opens your eyes to a lot of things especially when you go to places like that where they’re crazy about food. I first came across frozen yoghurt in Korea and thought this was an awesome alternative ice cream.” After doing some R&D, Moochi just went absolutely off. We were getting 50m lines and it was just crazy.”

He’s not lying. Anyone who was around before and after 2010 will know about the crazy ‘Froyo’ scene that just blew up in Sydney randomly.

David: “That really opened my eyes to social media and knowing how powerful an item could create so much hype. Instagram wasn’t even really around then. It was mostly Facebook. It just went crazy and within 2 years, we opened up 22 years. That’s how viciously we grew, and how viciously we fell apart. Everyone started opening it and before you know it you had two competing froyo stores opening up right next to you. Strathfield had 5 stores at one point. But even though we eventually died, it was a lot of fun and an experience I’ll never forget. It was exciting, challenging and you learn a lot.”

D: “With Tokki, how did you get through the pandemic during that period?”

David: “Tokki was super tough to navigate through. Other than our JobKeeper staff, we had to let go of our casual staff and we had to limit what we had in the kitchen. In the end, we decided to go with a set menu and when you have exact numbers for bookings, that was was the easiest way for us to get through COVID. We tried delivery during the lockdowns. My business partner and I were even doing the deliveries personally at one point. It just didn’t work out that well. Thankfully lockdown was taken off and we started getting people back in our doors again. The local community and other communities came to support the business so I’m grateful. The Northern Beaches wave didn’t help but we managed. We just had to keep it going whether we were making money or not. Now, it’s thriving again.”

“I think everyone in hospitality is pretty resilient. The people who have come back and survived are super resilient. I’m so lucky I’ve got a good team behind us. We’ve got individual good teams in our kitchens so I’m very grateful.”

The interview tapers off as David and I discuss Sydney’s nightlife, and the hopes of it being great again in a post-pandemic world. You can tell David and his team are super determined to deliver great restaurants with innovative meals. David and his executive chef, Jacob Lee, have been working hard on their craft for the new menu that will be launched at Khoi Sydney (located in Barangaroo) very soon. Also in the works is a ‘funky’ new Omakase that’s set to open in Quay Quarter towards the end of the year. Exciting new ventures are slowly being unleashed by what’s currently dubbed the ‘Tokki Group’ and I am excited!