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]
Chef Kang Min-chul is a tall and sturdy person with sharp eyes, who might come across as a tough guy or a macho at first glance. However, when he talks about food, his demeanor completely changes. He speaks passionately about the menus he creates and the food culture he envisions, and constantly smiles as if he’s talking about his first love.
Kang considers himself a fortunate chef, and for good reason. He is one of the few chefs in the country who has been mentored by world-renowned French masters such as Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, and Pierre Gagnaire. According to Kang, “Being trained by such masters doesn’t just involve learning special cooking techniques or skills. What they emphasize the most is the dedication to cooking.”
Kang’s honesty and dedication to creating the best dishes possible have made him quite popular. He has even put his ‘Min-chul Kimchi’ on the menu of Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurant, making it the first time a dish associated with kimchi has appeared in a Michelin 3-star restaurant in France.
Kang does not shy away from the stubborn path of creating ‘the best plate’ possible. Since the top-quality ingredients available change daily, so does the course menu prepared for that day. Simply put, a dish served yesterday may not be available today. He says, “I am running the restaurant having my name on it, and I always want to offer the best food possible.”
To focus on providing the best food, the number of tables inside Kang’s restaurant is very limited, only three. Consequently, reservations to taste Kang’s cuisine are fully booked for months. Kang said “Actually, we’ve significantly increased the number of tables now,” he said with a smile. “Originally, we only operated one table, but we increased it for our guests.”
Kang does not want his restaurant to be defined by a single genre. Although he incorporates French culinary techniques with ingredients from Korea, he wants to reinvigorate them in ‘Kang Min-chul’s’ own style. He wishes, “Just as composers have their signature sound, I hope that when guests take a bite of the food, they think, ‘Ah, this is a creation of Kang Min-chul’.”
Tell us about your background before opening your restaurant.
“I studied cooking in Korea up to university level and then went to the United States at the age of 24. Initially, I worked in hotels but later decided to dive deeper into more profound and nuanced cooking, so I joined restaurants. I worked at places like Plumed Horse (a Michelin 1-star) in California before moving to France. I spent a total of 13 years abroad, and during this time, I faced challenges such as racial discrimination. However, I cannot deny that this period shaped me into who I am today.”
How did Kang Min-chul’s restaurant start?
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, I decided to return to S. Korea and start my own restaurant. Initially, it was a small place with only one table and four staff members, but now it has grown to have four tables and ten employees. My restaurant also serves as my personal food laboratory and development center, and I adopt an atelier style.”
What is the charm of French cuisine?
“I believe that the essence of French cuisine lies in the sauce. In France, there are so many different types of sauces that there are even cookbooks about sauces as thick as encyclopedias. While every country has its unique dishes, France takes sauces so seriously that it has become an integral part of their cooking culture.”
What is the charm of sauces?
“The sauce is often considered the finishing touch, serving as the pièce de résistance of a dish. It completes the flavor of a plate and can have a significant impact on the overall taste experience, despite being a relatively small component of the dish.”
Isn’t it burdensome to run a restaurant under your name?
“As a matter of fact, it is (laughs). Initially, I named my restaurant without giving it much thought. However, as time passed by, I realized that the feedback provided by my customers directly reflects on me. After hearing comments like ‘Kang Min-chul was good or bad’ a few times, I felt the urge to improve and do better.”
Your restaurant is famous for not having a menu.
“If you want to run a restaurant efficiently, having a fixed menu may seem convenient. However, I believe in using the freshest and highest quality ingredients available each day to make the best food. That’s why we don’t have a fixed menu. If the sea bass is in good condition, we’ll use it; if not, we won’t. The same goes for red snapper. The finest dishes can only be created with the best ingredients to support them.”
Isn’t it tiring to change the menu all the time?
“That’s why I always feel on edge. I’m constantly thinking about the menu from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. However, it’s worth the fatigue because it leads to more magnificent menus.”
Changing the menu constantly must be tiring for the staff as well.
“In return, they learn a lot. Working in renowned restaurants involves starting from the bottom and engaging in various tasks. Washing dishes is usually the starting point, and then gradually progressing to preparing ingredients and other duties.
However, at our restaurant, we might assign the task of grilling steaks to our staff within their first year. If they lack experience, I do not hesitate to offer my help. My goal is to teach them not only the cooking techniques but also the level of commitment and dedication required in the profession.”
What can only be experienced at Kang Min-chul’s restaurant?
“I aim to provide excellent service and delicious food to my guests. I want them to feel like they are the main characters in a movie. To achieve this, we have chosen to use round tables so that everyone feels like they are sitting at the head of the table. Additionally, we are happy to accommodate any specific food preferences that our guests may have. Our ability to customize our offerings to meet the needs of our customers is one of our strengths.”
What is your next challenge?
“I’m currently working on a fairly large restaurant in Hannam-dong, which I plan to open next year. Through it, I want to create the best restaurant not just in Asia but in the world. I’m working hard to ensure it’s something I won’t be ashamed of having my name on, so please look forward to it.”
