Name of Business: Manna Korean Cuisine

Type of Business: Korean restaurant

Hours: Monday-Saturday 11a.m.-8 p.m.

Location: 218 W. Olive Ave

Contact Info: 656-1448

Business Specialty: Authentic Korean dishes

James and Susanna Kwon are living their dream here in Turlock, as the happy couple has recently opened their new Manna Korean Cuisine restaurant downtown.

The two were born and raised in Korea, where Susanna learned to cook from a young age.  Her husband James shared that his wife’s mother was an excellent cook, as well as Susanna’s two older sisters.

“It’s just in her blood; she inherited it,” James Kwon said.  “They are all so talented.”

Kwon explains their business plan in simple terms. “She’s the cook, and I’m the manager,” he said. “But she’s always the boss.”

What makes Manna so unique is that every item on the menu is Susanna Kwon’s own authentic recipe, from the “beef bulgoki” to the “bi bim bab.”

“Each item has its own distinct taste,” Kwon said.  “It’s unlike anything you could find anywhere else.”

Susanna Kwon was able to cook for a crowd of nearly 300 people in less than three hours with merely three to four helpers when she lived in Korea.  She had the talent to cook her entire life, but became serious about it when she was 30 years old.  Her children were grown so she could focus her time and attention on cooking.  She received her traditional Korean cooking license and that’s when it all started.

The restaurant proudly does not include MSG (monosodium glutamate) in any of their dishes.  You can expect a generous helping of food and the freshest of ingredients.

“Come and try it,” Kwon said. “Every manager is supposed to say ‘my food is the greatest,’ but I want the customers to decide for themselves.”