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]
Jungsik Seoul, located near bustling Apgujeong Rodeo Station, is considered the pioneer of Korean fine dining. Although its exterior design may seem far from traditional Korean cuisine, Jungsik has been receiving acclaim from all generations for over a decade.
Jungsik Seoul is one of Seoul’s oldest Michelin two-star restaurants. Chef Yim Jung-sik, who leads the restaurant, is not afraid of change in today’s rapidly evolving society where food trends are constantly shifting. Yim is creating a new culture of Korean cuisine by combining his diverse culinary experiences in Spain, the United States, and elsewhere with Korean cuisine.
However, Yim does not compromise on the quality of food and excellent service. He understands that while people’s tastes may change, the pursuit of good food and service remains constant. Yim said, “To survive in a tough market, one cannot stay idle. It’s important to develop new things and improve cooking techniques, but maintaining quality is also crucial.”
Yim has a unique approach to developing the menu at Jungsik. He likes to add a fresh twist to familiar cultural elements in Korean cuisine, making the dishes fun and exciting. This is how the restaurant’s signature dish, ‘Gimbap’, was created. Yim uses only the finest ingredients and his own touch to make Jungsik Seoul’s Gimbap different from traditional Gimbap.
According to Yim, his inspiration comes from everyday life, and he wants to elevate familiar dishes like Gimbap to make them more delicious. Jungsik restaurant is being operated not only in Seoul but also in New York.
Yim is currently contemplating how to develop Korea’s unique ‘Banchan’, a culture of side dishes. He believes that each side dish can become a gourmet dish.
Yim stated, “It’s undoubtedly challenging, but I am contemplating how to evolve the side dish culture. I want to continue contributing to the advancement of Korean cuisine culture in the future.”
Can you briefly introduce Jungsik Seoul?
“Jungsik Seoul opened on Jan. 14, 2009. It’s been 15 years since then. Jungsik Seoul is a restaurant that aims to offer creative interpretations of everyday dishes that are familiar to Koreans.”
What motivated you to open a fine dining restaurant?
“Before opening Jungsik Seoul, I worked in fine dining restaurants in the U.S. and Spain. In Spain, in particular, I was exposed to new culinary techniques, including molecular gastronomy (progressive cuisine).
Reflecting back, there was a trend in Spain to reinterpret traditional Spanish cuisine in a new way, known as ‘New Spanish’. Suddenly, I felt compelled to open a ‘New Korean’ restaurant in Korea, similar with the concept. The motto, direction, and operational approach of Jungsik Seoul were all determined quite quickly, within about 10 minutes.”
Did you face any difficulties running your first fine-dining restaurant?
“When I first opened my restaurant, I faced many challenges. I wanted to present traditional Korean food in a sophisticated, fun and innovative way, but the global financial crisis caused by the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers made things difficult.”
Nevertheless, I could tell that I was also lucky. At the time, the Korean government was supporting various initiatives to globalize Korean food, and there was a lot of media interest in Korean food. Shortly after opening, we received a great deal of media attention, which helped us establish a strong presence.”
I heard you also have a branch in New York.
“Yes. The restaurant is called Jungsik New York, and it faced various challenges during its initial days. The Lehman Brothers’ crisis had caused a financial freeze, and visa issues prevented me from entering the U.S. for six months after the restaurant’s opening. Moreover, the restaurant was not warmly welcomed initially. The situation was further complicated by events such as Hurricane Katrina, which caused severe flooding in the restaurant.”
How did you overcome the challenges?
“Despite various challenges, we were able to overcome them with a great kitchen team. With the head chef, my good friend, and my business partner, I worked tirelessly and received the first Michelin star within a year. Gradually, the situation improved; we were awarded two stars and ranked as the highest in Korea on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. My friend, the head chef, is still working with us at the restaurant. (Laughs)”
What kind of Korean cuisine does Jungsik Seoul pursue?
“We try to highlight the characteristics of each menu. We aim to provide a unique experience by adding elements of luxury and fun to our menu. Our signature dish, ‘Gimbap,’ was born out of this approach.
Normally, Gimbap becomes soft if it is prepared in advance. I thought, what if it could be crunchy? Visual elements are also important in food, so we paid close attention to its presentation. That’s how our signature menu, ‘Gimbap’ was born.
Our version of ‘Gimbap’ could captivate people’s palates not only because it is delicious but also because it touches on a shared emotion among Koreans.”
Why is it important to know customer’s culture or daily life when cooking?
“Because it creates a connection with the customers. The dessert inspired by Jeju’s Dolharubang (large rock statue found on Jeju Island) is an example. For Koreans, Jeju is a holiday destination for Koreans, and to a lot of Koreans, Dolharubang is a symbol of Jeju. Koreans think of Jeju when they see Dolharubang.
I once bought a small Dolharubang miniature in Jeju and thought about creating a dessert based on it. It turned out quite cute. The customers reacted positively. The lesson here is that people appreciate familiar food presented in a new way. It’s important to understand the sentiments people hold.”
Aside from gimbap, what item are you trying to develop?
“I tried to re-interpret dumplings. I haven’t found the right approach yet. (Therefore,) Dumplings might not be the next menu item. There are already excellent commercial dumpling products on the market. (Laughs)”
What do you think is the unique charm of Korean cuisine?
“I believe each country’s food culture has its own unique beauty. A distinctive charm of Korean cuisine is that the final touch to the food is often left to the customers themselves.
In Western cuisine, dishes are usually served on a single plate, but in Korea, even if you order one main dish, it comes with several side dishes. The customer chooses which side dishes to pair with the main dish and how much of each to consume. It might be one of the few food cultures in the world wherein customers are actively involved in creating the flavors they want.”
How do you view the current status of Korean cuisine?
“I believe Korean food has significantly improved compared to ten years ago. When I opened a restaurant in the U.S. 13 years ago, it was difficult to find Korean restaurants. Now, Korean cuisine is easily accessible in New York.
I think the success of K-food is just beginning. There are still many Korean dishes that have not been introduced abroad. For K-food to grow further, not only Jungsik but also other chefs need to make efforts to introduce Korean cuisine overseas.”
Jungsik received a Michelin two-star rating again this year. How do you feel about that?
“I am grateful that the restaurant is still operating. I am thankful that we have been able to maintain our place amidst the rapid changes in Korea’s food culture over the past 15 years. I consider myself very fortunate to lead such excellent staff and to be loved by our customers. Of course, there’s also the pride of starting something that didn’t exist in the country - a fine dining restaurant.”
