The sparse time Alex Yoon used to relax eventually inspired his livelihood.
The first-generation Korean-American chef and owner of Little Fish restaurant on 6th Street in Queen Village first learned the lessons of hard work by operating the cash register and stocking shelves in his parents’ delicatessen on the corner of 10th and Diamond in North Philadelphia. His responsibilities stretched even further, helping cook and care for his younger brother at home in the Olney neighborhood when the deli closed.
“My parents were always working so I was the one who had to cook or go get food,” Yoon recalled. “So food was a big deal. That was the only time where I could sit down and see my parents and relax a bit when we weren’t hustling or working. Our reference to food was always to eat well and enjoy the time, maybe an hour or two just relaxing.”
Relaxing isn’t something Yoon has spent a lot of time doing.
While attending the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, he staged and later worked alongside chef Steve Eckerd, at the touchstone of French cuisine in Philly, Le Bec Fin.
After earning his degree, he worked on the line at the former Serpico Restaurant on South Street before joining Little Fish as sous chef.
“I had the weekends off (at Serpico) because they just needed me Monday through Friday,” Yoon said. “I asked to pick up a few shifts (at Little Fish) and they asked me to come on board full-time. After working here for a few years, I had the chance to travel to Europe so I worked in Europe for a little bit.”
It was at that time that Yoon was competing in the Ment’or Young Chef Competition and won the grand prize.
“I would get up at 6 or 7 a.m. and go to the Italian Market and pick up what I needed,” Yoon said. “Our focus was lamb. I would come here and do a trial run for the contest and then start prepping for the restaurant. I ended up winning and that competition opened a lot of doors.”
It gave Yoon the opportunity to stage anywhere in the world and he took this opportunity to learn at chef Mauro Colagreco’s three Michelin-starred Mirazur on the French Riviera.
Yoon returned stateside and moved to San Francisco to work for Corey Lee at three Michelin-starred Benu. Yoon figured maybe the west coast was where he would settle at the age of 25.
“I always thought this is it, I’m going to be here forever,” he said.
But when word that Little Fish was up for sale in 2016, Yoon made a crucial decision.
“Chadd (Jenkins) was interested in selling the restaurant and moving to the suburbs again,” Yoon said. “I just thought, at the time, this is a hard decision to make. In the beginning, I wanted to do my own thing, but as I was working I thought maybe it would be better to be somebody’s top dog at an established place. But at the time, my mom’s health wasn’t that well and all the signs were pointing to coming back home. It led me here.”
Yoon bought Little Fish and sparked the restaurant’s third iteration, transitioning to a seafood-focused menu with Asian influences. High praise soon followed as Yoon was named a 2019 StarChefs Rising Star, and the restaurant was named a semifinalist in 2025 by the James Beard Awards for Outstanding Hospitality.
Now the cozy 16-seat, open kitchen restaurant is celebrating 10 years since Yoon purchased the establishment. Little Fish first opened in 1994 on Catharine Street but relocated to 6th and Fitzwater after structural damage in 2011. Yoon has made some minor changes since he worked there as a sous chef.
“What hasn’t changed is what we think is the soul of it,” Yoon said. “I always thought of this place as unassuming. It’s a small South Philly row home. There are grander restaurants that have a nicer ambiance. But this place is an underdog spot, where the cooking is top notch. We’re small enough where we can express ourselves without too many limitations.”
In November, the restaurant will celebrate 10 years with a series of chef dinners, curated by the industry professionals who have supported the restaurant’s evolution.
The list includes Brad Stanek (Nov. 2), Stevie Laney (Nov. 9), Steve Eckerd (Nov. 15) and a surf-and-turf dinner on Nov. 16.
“It’s still hard to wrap my head around that it’s been 10 years, but it’s pretty amazing that I’m still able to connect with these people,” Yoon said. “We have that history where we are able to create a full menu from their time spent there. I think it’s special that I still feel the urge to keep producing new things but also take the time to thank the people who have been by my side, and also give that experience to people who just know us recently. It’s like digging into the archives.”
Little Fish is known as one of the city’s premier fine-dining seafood destinations and a pioneer of the city’s vibrant BYOB culture. That reputation came through a lot of hard work that Yoon learned at an early age.
“Inherently, the food business is tough,” he said. “It’s very hands-on and I don’t think you can get by doing the bare minimum because the business is very competitive. I think that anything you are willing to do, you should give it your best and try your hardest.” ••
