Before moving to Almaty, Chihoon Jeong managed to live in Paris, Seoul, Buenos Aires, New York and even in Bishkek! In the article, read more about his activities, reason why he moved to Kazakhstan and about the creation of Flask Coffee.
About myself
I am originally from South Korea. I am an artist and entrepreneur — I am engaged in projects related to art and culture.
Before moving to Kazakhstan, I lived in Bishkek for four years. Before that, I worked as an artist in New York. I like to travel. I've always wanted to live in a completely unfamiliar place, because that's where you can learn a lot. So when I came to Central Asia, I was surprised. I had "wow" emotions.
About the move and the first impression
My first visit to Kazakhstan happened in 2015. At that time I lived in Bishkek, but Almaty was very different from it. The city seemed well developed to me, everywhere was clean and beautiful. But I really fell in love with Almaty after I moved to Kazakhstan in 2018.
During one of the conferences in Bishkek, I met my future wife. She is from Kazakhstan and came to Kyrgyzstan for work. In 2017 we started dating, and then we decided to get married. At that time I already had a business in Bishkek, but I was thinking about expanding it in Almaty. So it was goof timing to move there.
About Activities
I have a famous project called Chicken Star in Bishkek. It's a Korean food place where you can cook fried chicken. It was quite popular in Bishkek, and we decided to open in Almaty. But unfortunately, I opened it nine months before the pandemic. I realized that the restaurant business would have a hard time at this time, because people would be cooking at home. But the demand for coffee is likely to grow, because people usually don't have a professional coffee machine at home. So I opened Flask Coffee in September 2020. And that decision was the right one.
All of the projects I do are in one way or another about art, culture and people
At Flask we place great emphasis on specialty coffee. Specialty coffee is not only about quality, but also about sustainability. We have a goal by the end of the year to only serve beans from farmers with whom we have built good relationships. That's why I'm going to PanamaColombia next week to visit such farms in person.
In addition to Flask, I do other projects. Recently a friend and I started a modeling agency. We find talented people in Central Asia and give them the opportunity to work internationally. With another friend, we are producing a ballet in Bishkek.
All of the projects I do are in one way or another about art, culture and people. I strive to make the world a better place and people happier. The main goal is to build a more sustainable future for the next generation.
About Kazakhstan
My wife is a local Korean. We've noticed that there are similarities and differences in our culture and traditions. For example, in Kazakhstan Koreans honor older traditions that we in South Korea no longer practice.
Also in Central Asia, I encountered a different working culture and language barrier.
There are nice and kind people living in Kazakhstan
There are nice and kind people living in Kazakhstan. Unlike people in South Korea or the States, the locals are caring, always helping each other.
About the plans
In the next three years I want to make Flask the most environmentally friendly place to serve specialty coffee. I want people here to be themselves, socialize, build relationships, and just enjoy life.
