Cathlyn Choi

Co-owner at Carma Media Productions
Author, Business Development/sales, Dialect Coach, Director, Language Coach, Music Composer, Music Supervisor, Producer, Screenwriter and Voice Actor

San Diego, California

Member Since:
April 2020

Last online:
> 2 weeks ago

Invites sent:
72

About Cathlyn

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for stopping by!
After reading my bio below, If you are interested in collaborating with me on TV/Film projects, please let me know.

When I'm not working on work-related projects, I enjoy cooking, listening to and playing music, learning new things, playing golf, and watching content that moves me... I love learning about new things, socializing, and meeting cool people.

I am fluent in Korean and English and speak basic Bahasa, French, Chinese, and Russian.

Kamsahamnida,
Cathlyn Choi

Dubbed "Korean Food Ambassador" by the media, Cathlyn is a multi-award-winning TV host and producer of the first Korean TV cooking show in English on PBS, “Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen," and Asian Pacific Voices,mentary TV series featuring Asian and Pacific Islanders, community, art, a cultural docu and culture in Southern California.

Prior to moving to the US in 2000, Cathlyn worked as a bilingual freelance reporter for TV networks, translated subtitles for local and foreign film companies, and taught English at private schools and Korean companies for 11 years. In 1991, she started her own language consulting business called CSIS, where she contracted over 350 freelancers and 15 full-time employees, generating an annual revenue of 800K-1Mil.

Since age 11, Cathlyn developed a passion and sense for cooking by watching her mother and grandmother cook. She also helped her parents with their catering business in Brunei for 5 years. Cathlyn acquired a sophisticated palate through years of living and traveling throughout Asia and other European countries, sampling and cooking various cuisines. Since then, Cathlyn has developed over a thousand traditional Korean and fusion recipes.

Proud of her Korean heritage, Cathlyn inspired her husband to help her produce her own TV cooking show in September 2008. The show aims to raise awareness of Korean foods and culture among non-Asian and second-generation Koreans living in the US.
In February 2009, the first Korean cooking show in the US was launched through KTSD Time Warner Cable Channel 12, a local TV station in San Diego. Then in September of 2009, Cathlyn signed a contract with tvK24 and launched Season II of Cathlyn's Korean Kitchen nationwide in November. Season III was launched in January 2011 and scheduled for a 13-episode run. The program re-launched on PBS SoCal on July 10, 2011. Twelve episodes of Season 4 aired on national PBS in 2012-2016 through NETA. Cathlyn also self-authored and published her first companion cookbook, Cathlyn's Korean Kitchen, on Amazon. Cathlyn originally composed, arranged, and/or performed all the background music for her shows and films.

A community and media activist, Cathlyn founded a non-profit organization called Asian Culture and Media Alliance in May 2013 to provide a voice of unity, awareness, and empowerment for the Asian Pacific Islander communities through television, film, and online media. She is the producer, director, and host of an episodic cable TV series called Asian Pacific Voices, currently in production of Season 6. She also produces a popular weekly Asian Pacific Voices Radio Podcast series since 2021.

In 2018, Cathlyn directed, co-wrote and produced her first short film called Butterfly, based on the 1992 LA riots that happened in Koreatown. She also rearranged and performed the music score from a Korean lullaby called Nabiya meaning butterfly. Cathlyn is currently writing a script for a feature-length movie called Kimchi Pasta, which addresses the social and cultural issues of over 100,000 Korean American adoptees in the US who struggle with abandonment and self-identity issues. Since then she has directed and produced 4 short films.

Cathlyn is currently on the USS Midway Museum DEI Committee. She previously served as the President of the Korean Women's International Network (KOWIN) San Diego Chapter for three terms and on the advisory board for the Hansik Globalization Committee Los Angeles. She was a former food columnist for the Huffington Post, Hanin Community News Monthly Magazine San Diego, and Korea Herald Business Los Angeles.

Cathlyn is a frequent emcee, judge and speaker at food festivals and beauty pageants. She also performs live culinary demonstrations at the Del Mar Fair, Asian Cultural Festival, Taste of Asia, Ramen Festival, Miss Asia International, Multi Cultural Food Festival, Taste of Korea, LA Times Food and Wine Festival, the Gourmet Experience Expo and Let's Move California.

Gender:
Female

Height:
5' 3"

Weight:
135

Body type:
Average

Hair:
Long

Hair color:
Brown

Eyes:
Brown

Ethnicity:
Asian

Badges

Certifications

Photos

Hosting a special event promoting the Korean Wave Hallyu movement in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cultural Center of Los Angeles

Honored to receive culinary award from California's Asian Pacific Islander Legislature

Videos

Promo Video of Annual Drive, Dine & Wine Charity Golf Tournament 2017

Cathlyn's Korean Kitchen 30 Second Promo Reel

Credits

Asian Voices (2014 - 2024)
Television (Documentary, News and Talk-Show) Producer, Host Currently in production of Season 4, Asian Pacific Voices is the recipient of Telly and Fil-Am Humanitarian Awards, the only Cultural Documentary Cable Television Series produced in English promoting and empowering the Asian and Pacific Islanders (API) communities in Southern California. The purpose of our program is to create a better awareness and understanding of the many rich and diverse Asian cultures in Southern California. It is intended to breakdown the stereotypes and culture barriers of these communities and create a positive “voice” for these cultures. Content highlights culture, community, business, music, fashion, film, and food, while entertaining and educating the general population about the diversity of their community. Asian Pacific Voices was broadcast via cable on TVK24 to a combined national audience of over 32 million households in over 30 markets.
Kimchi Pasta (2018)
Film (Drama) Producer, Co-Writer Produced by ACMA in association with Carma Media Productions, Kimchi Pasta is a film about a Korean adoptee who discovers his cultural roots and identity through a new international exchange student from South Korea. Inspired by true events and people, this special movie addresses the social and cultural issues of over 100,000 Korean American adoptees in the US who struggle with abandonment and self identity issues. This film is currently in pre-production.
Butterfly (2018)
Film (Drama) Director, Co-Producer, Co-Writer Based on true events, the story takes place during the LA riots near Koreatown in the early 90s. Some of those historical elements are incorporated into it depicting the conflict and tension between the Korean American and African American community at that time.
Tonight in San Diego (2014)
TV Series (Talk-Show) Guest
The Bigger Picture (2013)
Film (short) by Asian Culture and Media Alliance Writer, Director, Producer Produced in collaboration with ACMA's TAKE ONE film students, the Bigger Picture is a short film that addresses the stigma surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) particularly in Asian American families.
Cathlyn's Korean Kitchen (2009 - 2012)
TV Series (Reality-TV) Producer and Host Hosted by Korean celebrity chef and musical artist Cathlyn Choi, this cultural and entertaining PBS cooking program showcases delicious, nutritious and easy to make traditional and fusion Korean cuisines. The program also explores rich, historical Korean culture with the viewers, and how Korean food has played such an important role over the centuries. Whether you’re a food connoisseur, or just looking to learn the secrets of making great Fusion recipes, Cathlyn’s Kitchen is sure to educate, entertain, and enlighten you.
Top Chef Korean Food Challenge (2011)
Film (Reality-TV) Producer, Host Top Chef Korean Food Challenge is a one hour special program broadcast on PBS SoCal as part of Cathlyn's Korean Food Challenge Season 3 series. The program featured a live culinary event held at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center with three main judges - cookbook author Cecelia Hae-Jin Lee, Barbara Hansen, Editor of LA Weekly and Korean American actor James Kyson-Lee best known for his role as Ando Masahashi on the NBC series Heroes. Three teams of two chefs compete in creating popular Korean dishes in a span of 30 minutes using ingredients provided to them in a “mystery” basket. The competitors included Villa Saverios‘s Executive Chef Javier Plascencia and Sous Chef Adria Montano of Tijuana, Mexico; Bluewater Grill‘s Executive Chefs Brian Hirsty and Graham Norton of Tustin; and the Marine Room‘s Executive Chef Bernard Guillas and Chef de Cuisine Ron Oliver of La Jolla.