Traveling to foreign lands can be an exciting and exhilarating experience for all of us. However, what truly makes these moments unforgettable is the pleasure of indulging in exceptional cuisine. Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, is now gaining recognition as one of the world’s premier travel destinations, beyond Asia. K-food, which stands for Korean cuisine, is also rising in popularity, aligned with K-pop and K-culture. ChosunBiz aims to introduce Michelin-starred restaurants in Seoul that offer a modern twist on traditional Korean cuisine. [Editor’s note]
As you walk along the street of Hyoja-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, you may come across a modern building next to Deoksugung Palace. Although it may look like an art museum at first glance, it is actually the Onjium Culture Research Center, which is dedicated to studying traditional Korean culture.
The center focuses on researching the culture of South Korea that has been passed down from the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties and reinterpreting it for the current era. It is operated as a non-profit organization by the Joongang Hwadong Foundation. Onjium is not only focused on preserving Korea’s clothing, food, and shelter traditions but also on modernizing them to create the heritage of tomorrow.
Therefore, the center has dedicated workshops for clothing, food, and shelter, each considering the past, present, and future of Korea. The center also houses a restaurant, Onjium, which is the same name as the center, that serves traditional Korean cuisine based on the center’s research.
Chefs Cho Eun-hee and Park Sung-bae lead the restaurant. They believe that the charm of Korean cuisine lies in its consistency and novelty. Although it might seem ironic, Korean cuisine has been a part of our food culture for a long time and will continue to be so in the future.
Another important aspect of Korean cuisine they focus on is its healthiness. Cho, who is a national intangible cultural heritage and a successor of Joseon dynasty royal cuisine, started with royal cuisine in her 20s. She explains that Korean food culture includes many ways to cook vegetables, such as fermenting them for a long time.
Meanwhile, Park has worked in various countries including Japan and the United States before joining Onjium. The combination of the two chefs results in a balanced taste of the past and present.
Park’s philosophy on Korean cuisine values harmony expressed through the Eastern philosophy of yin-yang and the Five Elements. He believes that food must maintain a sense of balance, stating that “the charm of Korean cuisine lies in its balance and harmony.”
ChosunBiz met Cho and Park, who are responsible for Onjium’s today and tomorrow, at Onjium Restaurant.
Can you explain what Onjium is?
Park: “Onjium was launched in May 2013 as a center for studying and reinterpreting Korea’s clothing, food, and shelter culture to fit in modern times, with ‘to create in a right way’ as its meaning.”
What is the kind of cuisine that Onjium pursues?
Park: “We strive for simplicity. There is an old saying that goes, ‘what tastes good at the first few bites is easily fed up with’. We aim to consistently deliver through simplicity.”
Cho: “My personal goal is to continuously show the uniqueness of Korean cuisine through Onjium.”
What is the charm of Korean cuisine?
Cho: “I’ve been thinking lately, and it seems the charm of Korean cuisine is its healthiness. If you look at Korean food culture, there are many ways to cook vegetables. As seen with kimchi, a representative Korean food, there’s also a culture of eating fermented foods over a long period. The fact that it’s not greasy and can be comfortably enjoyed is charming.”
Park: “I believe that Korean cuisine is particularly beautiful because it’s not perfect. Mothers usually use a bit of ingredients by eye measurement, rather than heavily seasoning. The food is simple, yet it has a comforting taste, which I think is the charm of Korean cuisine.”
What do you think is the most important element that makes a good food?
Cho: “In fact, ingredients are important in any food. Fresh and high-quality ingredients are essential for good food. That’s why we strive to find the best-tasting ingredients each season. It’s also important to marinate according to the ingredients.”
Can this be applied to Korean cuisine as well?
Cho: “Of course. Since Korean cuisine does not heavily depend on sauce, the ingredients’ quality determines the food’s taste. It’s also important to season to maximize the taste of those ingredients. Properly seasoning is one of the keys to Korean cuisine.”
Park: “I agree. Seasoning is one of the important parts of Korean cuisine. More broadly, it’s important to bring out the umami taste. Sometimes, paradoxically, there are some Korean dishes wherein no seasoning is the right seasoning. Capturing this subtlety is one of the keys to Korean cuisine.”
Do you have a philosophy when it comes to making food?
Park: “The interaction between the chef and the customers is important. Guests can feel the maker’s sincerity, and the chef can receive the guests’ gratitude. For example, careful consideration, like chopping ingredients finer for older guests, makes the food culture more beautiful.”
Tell us more about Onjium’s workshop that researches Korean food.
Cho: “Although Korean cuisine is trendy now, there were hardly any chefs doing Korean cuisine even just ten years ago. I felt it was a shame that the preciousness of our food was disappearing. I wanted to establish a research institute where one could properly learn and create Korean food. The goal is to nurture about 100 chefs to develop Korean cuisine. (laughs)”
What makes Onjium special?
Cho: “The fact that we make some of the ingredients ourselves. The ingredients we make, such as gochujang (red chilli paste), soy sauce, and doenjang (soybean paste), exceed ten types. We also collaborate with local masters and artisans to procure the best ingredients.”
Park: “Because we have a research institute, we are reviving old foods that are being forgotten. For example, porridge made with ginkgo nuts is mentioned in old books but is not familiar to people today. Through such research and contemplation, we are broadly covering our food culture.”
Is there any food you would recommend to foreigners who are new to Korean cuisine?
Park: “I’d like to recommend a dish called Baekhwaban. There is a representative Korean dish called Bibimbap. Hwaban means Bibimbap. Baek means white. In Korea, white root vegetables are produced in the fall, and Baekhwaban is made by making Bibimbap with these vegetables. Also, since it’s hard not to like meat dishes, I would recommend Neobiani (grilled sliced beef), which is one of the traditional dishes.”
Cho: “There are so many foods I’d like to recommend, but if I had to choose one, it would be Namul (Korean seasoned vegetable dishes). Especially old Namul is a unique culture only seen in Korea.
The interesting thing about Namul dishes is that different vegetables require different seasonings when making Namul, but when eaten together, they should be harmonious. I think this is very Korean. If you come to Onjium, you can try not only representative Korean dishes but also foods that reinterpret Korean cuisine in a new way.”
