We’re a casual Korean restaurant in Stokes Croft that’s serious about authentic food and fermentation. That’s why we spend a lot of time making our own soy sauce, pickles, kimchi, marinades, and kombucha.
We cook dishes that we love, and our menu is rich in history and heritage, taking inspiration from our favourite restaurants in Seoul and further afield in Korea.
Bokman 복만식당 Bristol
Fermentation is the keystone of Korean cuisine and is at the heart of our kitchen too. From kimchi to kombucha (and doenjang and gochujang, soy sauce and fish sauce), we take pride in preserving Korean culinary traditions, and making these essentials in house wherever possible.
About Kyu and Duncan
Duncan and Kyu are pretty humble about the incredible achievements they've achieved, so we thought we would do it for them.
Duncan and Kyu met in Paris behind the stoves of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Rue du Bac. They then moved to Brive la Gaillarde in SW France, where they opened and ran Restaurant L’Envie which received a Michelin star two years after opening - the first time that a restaurant in the area had been awarded a Michelin star in over 30 years. Their sights were subsequently set on moving to Kyu’s native Korea, where they stayed for nine years, before returning to the UK with their young family to set up Bokman in Bristol. They opened their sister restaurant, Dongnae on Chandos Road in September 2024.
Bokman is a neighbourhood restaurant in Stokes Croft, yet the impact that Duncan and Kyu’s cooking has reverberates far beyond Bristol. In October 2025, TimeOut London recognised Bokman as the No.2 Best Restaurant in the UK, and the Best Korean Restaurant in the UK. Kyu was also nominated for 2025 SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year and among CODE Hospitality’s 2025 Women of the Year.
Team
Kyu Jeon - chef/owner
Duncan Robertson - chef/owner
Sam Manyweathers - head chef
Anna Birmingham - restaurant manager
Karina Barberis - front of house
Careers
We’re always on the hunt for passionate and inquisitive people to join our team. Send us an email with your CV and cover letter if you’re into fermentation and want to learn something new.
Wines and Drinks
Our low intervention wine selection is sourced from Vine Trail, a Bristol based wine importer that represents some of the best vignerons in France, Northern Spain and Sicily. We like wines that are alive and have energy. Fermentation, a key principle in Korean cooking, paired with wines that rely on natural fermentation methods make for some mind blowing, nourishing pairings. Our good friend, Raphael Rodriguez of Vine Trail has personally selected wines from their portfolio that complement our dishes.
Our drinks list features a handful of our favourite cocktails, craft beers from New Bristol Brewing Co and non-alcoholic drinks.
Our Produce and Suppliers
Duncan does a daily shop at the St Philips Fruit Market, and we get speciality fruit and veg from Hugo’s Greengrocer and Ali of Rocketman Produce, who grows organic kkaennip and mu (korean radish) exclusively for us. Jonny of Conscious Fish Shop supplies us with dayboat fish and shellfish from the south coast, and Beast Butchers provide most of our beef and pork. We try to source as locally as possible, using tofu made in Bristol, fresh Wasabi grown in Dorset and tteok (korean rice cakes) from Green Farm in New Malden.
