There is no denying the evocative power of food to remind us of who we are and where we come from. And after living in Asia for over fifteen years, my sister Jessica was longing for the burgers and barbecue of her native Tennessee.

With the help of her husband Dongseop, Jessica opened an American-style diner out of her home on Jeju Island, South Korea in 2018. But after being featured on one of the country’s most popular television shows, the couple must now adjust to the shock of their newfound TV fame, the crowds of curious new customers it brings, and all this against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exploring themes of food, home, identity, and celebrity, Ten by Ten is an intimate portrait of Jessica’s journey through these events as she learns to navigate the blurred boundaries between private life and public persona.