If You’re Going to Leave, Leave.
If You’re Going to Stay, Shine.
How Sons of Thunder Conquered The COVID

NOTE – On July 15th, James Kim and John Kim chose to close both Sons of Thunder locations (East 38th Street and Pearl Street). They continue to innovate and lead in the culinary and fast casual communities, and in restaurant culture. This interview demonstrates what is possible, despite horrendous conditions, when you choose to do something meaningful, and you’ve got the steez, character, and energy to make it happen. Stay tuned for what’s next for James and John, and read, be inspired by, and share this interview. Thank you. — Kate 

Choice.

When it doesn’t feel like we have one, we do have one. At least one. Even when things are insane – all over the world – we still can choose how we manage things, whether we strike new ground, take a seemingly crazy risk, or stand pat and keep things steady.

Never in our lifetimes was this truer than in 2020, beginning in early March and – honestly – through today. The coronavirus/COVID-19 situation demanded the best of us while it was, and in several ways still is, presenting worst case scenarios all over the place. This interview is with two people who rose to and exceeded the occasion: John Kim and James Kim, co-owners, co-founders, and co-head chefs of Sons of Thunder in Manhattan (going forward, referred to as SoT).

First, a little background: James and John Kim grew up in Hawaii and the Southernest part of California, near Mexico. They opened the Murray Hill location in 2015, and the Financial District shop in 2018. Their cultural and geographical roots are imbued in their food, which includes poké (called Manhattan’s best by the New York Times) California-style burgers (this means smashed for texture and ultra-seasoned), teriyaki, sashimi, chili, and tostadas. Fish is delivered whole and untouched, ensuring its preparation for poké (often made on the US mainland with leftover scraps of raw fishes) will be hygienic, pristine, and intentional. The sauces, of which there are four, are made in-house. Those who seek a low-carb or carb-free experience can still be satiated: the pokés’ base choices include cauliflower rice and greens, along with brown rice and white rice. (Note that the burgers were added to the menu during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Starting a business is not for the faint of heart. Starting a restaurant in the United States’ most populous city, whose residents are notoriously hard to please, where the economy is sustained by the performing arts is only for truly heart-driven leaders. James and John chose to open their restaurant in Murray Hill. Murray Hill is a somewhat transient neighborhood. While it has its share of co-op and condominium residents, it’s also home to multiple hospitals, law firms, consultancies, banks, the Midtown Tunnel, and Grand Central Station. One of these hospitals, NYU Langone, is less than 30 steps east of the restaurant on East 38th Street. Its practitioners, paramedics, and administrative staff were SoT’s first and most loyal guests. From the jump, the restaurant provided excellent food in a to-go and seated place dedicated to culture and instilled with character. This is more of a rarity in New York City than you might think.

When COVID-19 showed up, the first necessary thing was to decide if they stay open. John and James left that decision to their staff, because keeping the team safe was most important. And at a business that had built and fostered a culture and made a family “where people felt seen, cared for, and loved,” the staff wanted to remain open. They wanted to be part of the solution. Their desire to give back had been cultivated, naturally, by John and James since they opened in 2015. (Note that no one who works at Sons of Thunder caught the coronavirus.) Hours were adjusted: immediately to 11am-3pm and in July, dinner returned between 5-9pm via takeout and delivery, Monday through Friday. Current hours are 11am-9pm with indoor dining at 50%, Monday through Friday.

Keeping the doors open during COVID-19 wasn’t the only thing James and John did: the staff made bespoke meals gratis for those working on hospital frontlines throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. That’s four of the five boroughs. When asked how that came about, James declared, “It actually was born of a conversation with my pastor (Kristian Hernandez, Hope Astoria) when he asked how he could help during the crisis. I told him we had some nearby hospitals getting lunches from us on the daily, and they were in the thick of it.” Pastor Hernandez have them $600, from his own pocket.

When James approached him with the idea, John was immediately on board. The stated intention was inherent to them: “James and I believe that service is a way of life. First and foremost, our hearts tell us to serve. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t be in food service. To take this posture and help those who needed it most was not only fundamental to who we are, we could do it where it was most needed.”

Right away, John and James let their contacts at hospitals around the boroughs know that frontline staffs could order meals, and the meals would be provided for free. They rewrote the restaurant site’s home page, letting people know they could help fund this effort. When SoT’s Instagram posted some of the photos that NYU Langone teams sent, which depicted them onsite enjoying their poké bowls and what have you, people contacted the restaurant and asked how they could help. These actions generated donations faster than most crowdfunding platforms. John remarked, “This was a service to the frontlines that people wanted to support. On our website, we added a feature so people could donate to specific hospitals. People feel connected to these places; maybe they or their family members have been treated there.” The personalization of the donations built community between donors and the Sons of Thunder team.

The hospitals’ staffs had always appreciated the restaurant. SoT being open during the COVID crisis somehow elevated the restaurant. Add to that, people could order what they wanted and it would be given, not sold, to them. One week after Langone 38th Street was served, SoT offered meals to hospitals in all five boroughs, and provided meals to hospitals in four of them. That people questioned why restaurant workers were designated “essential” during the COVID is a mystery to this reporter.

Food nourishes us. Food comforts us. Most importantly, food unites us.

In every industry, how you do something is particularly critical to what you do. Nowhere is that more the case than in food, spirits, and places that serve food and spirits. The culture the Kims had created, one that John described as being comprised of “respect, honor, and compassion,” was crucial as they kept going. John went deeper: “In hard times and in good times, we serve the people in front of us, whether they are a customer in the restaurant or a doctor dealing with death every day. We’re going to give them the highest quality items with the most possible love. And we’re going to do it all together.” James’s answer to the question, “Why did you stay open during the worst of the COVID crisis?” is as concise as it is aligned with his brother’s response: “Because we were helping.”

As much as this work was spiritually, personally, and culinarily meaningful, this is real life, and nothing is more real when what we expect, need, and like become really difficult to experience, do, and have. “We seriously considered closing at several points in 2020,” James bluntly stated, “for safety and financial reasons. As funny as it may sound, the lawsuit [since resolved] between our landlord and us kept us going.” They knew it couldn’t get any worse, and they stayed open. John refused to accept a negative conclusion or take a path because “we didn’t know how it was going to end.” Day by day, they kept going.

The neighborhood noticed. The community noticed. And the media noticed. Reporters at Taste Atlas reviewed Sons of Thunder, and included the restaurant on their short list of the Best Poké in the World.

Among COVID-19’s lessons, or observations, is how generous people are. James spoke with a degree of awe on how people they never expected to care contributed sums in the thousands. “You never know who someone is until the proverbial shit hits the fan,” he accurately declared. John found a new bulwark in crisis: perseverance tinged with steady optimism. With contemplation, accompanied by a smile, he stated, during our interview, their learnt and chosen approach: “Until we know how it’s going to end, let’s continue to do what we do, let’s do it well, and let’s do it as a team.”

Flash forward to today. While things aren’t completely restored to their preferred status (this reporter is averse to the word “normal”) – the FiDi location has yet to reopen – opportunities abound. Currently, real estate in New York City is a buyers’ market, and John and James are considering expansion. Whether the coronavirus required or prompted them to get lean, flexible, and adjust the menu, the business soared due in no small part to their “showing compassion, focusing on what people needed, and making ourselves available.”

Amen, James and John.

Sons of Thunder is located at 204 East 38th Street, New York NY, 10016. It is open Monday through Friday, 11am–9pm with indoor dining at 50%. Delivery and takeout are also available.
Instagram @sotnyc | Facebook @sotnyc

Note: July 15 2021 was the final day for service at Sons of Thunder’s two locations (Murray Hill and Financial District). Stay tuned for what James and John Kim and their teams will go on to accomplish.

Kate Harvie is a staff writer and editor for In Step Beauty. She is the contributing writer for the Universal Hip Hop Museum and the author of a book, Believe It and Behave It: How to Restart, Reset, and Reframe Your Life.