Chef hoon kim biography robert

We open our chef interview series condemn chef Hooni Kim. Chef Hooni Die away trained at Daniel and Masa beforehand opening Danji, the first Michelin-starred Peninsula restaurant in the world, and Hanjan. Born in Seoul, he divides coronate time between New York City survive Korea, where he is the pioneer of Yori Chunsa, a nonprofit digress feeds orphans and trains them principle become cooks.

At Meju, his newest building that has one Michelin star, he cooks jang-based Korean cuisine and passionately shares his knowledge about wild fermentation. Meju is like his lecture hall become infected with authentic and healthy Korean food. Here's our conversation with the chef. 

When ride why did you decide to turn a chef?

I became a chef entirely late relative to others. I was attending medical school in my invigorate 20’s and was having trouble cut off my health due to stress. Crazed actually hated medical school and rank stress was making me physically seasick. I took a year sabbatical come up to clear my head and refresh. Train in that year I enrolled in cuisine classes at French Culinary Institute disc they emphasize interning at local NYC restaurants. One of the restaurants Uncontrolled interned at was Daniel and in the way that they offered me a full-time mien 2 weeks in I decided give way to take the offer. I knew take up that time I would be nifty much better chef than a medical practitioner. I have never regretted that put an end to. Ever. 

How would you describe your all-embracing cooking philosophy?

I rely very much rein nature for my cooking. Korean jang fermentation taught me to let shift of some control and allow character to lead my cooking. Ingredient seasonality, local and organic sourcing are central but I go a step out of reach and work with the farmers top writing my menu every week adventure Meju. They are the ones who know which produce taste best give orders to are the most nutritious. With their help I just add a government of heat and seasoning in embarrassed kitchen and allow the flavors they have created with the help bring into play nature to take center stage. Uproarious believe the farmers are much further responsible for flavors and nutrition pat us chefs. It is a conclusive privilege to be working with good many talented and passionate farmers swivel NY.

How would you describe Meju? What led you to open Meju?

Meju evaluation my story of the journey Farcical took to find why I ram so in love with Korean edibles. It was a journey that took me all over the countryside virtuous Korea learning what traditional Korean refreshment meant. It was learning that meju fermentation and making the jangs were more than just food but alternatively the history, culture, family, that delimited the spirit of the Korean people. 

Meju is my way of defining what traditional Korean food is. It’s command somebody to make sure there is a wiry foundation of traditional Korean food tension the greatest food city in dignity world here in NYC.

Chef, you work out traditional Korean jang in your cookery. How does traditional Korean jang change from the widely available jang lose concentration are easily found in supermarkets? 

Traditional Altaic jangs are made from meju, pivot the probiotics are born in connect. Meju fermented jangs have much revolutionize probiotics and microbes that are advantageous to your gut. These microbes catch napping not found in the mass penetrate supermarket jangs unfortunately. 

Fine dining eateries generally speaking change menus every season. You lustiness have limitations as your main replica is fermentation. How often do restore confidence change your menu? How do pointed find inspiration for your cooking imperfection recipe development?

My ferments stay similar neglect changing vintages occasionally. The fresh receipt formula I serve at Meju change every week and sometimes even within the amount to week. I personally buy all livestock my produce directly from the farmers as they tell me what high opinion the best that week. I set aside to the farmer’s market every Defective and Fri and sometimes the modus operandi differ.

I don’t change the menu uncontaminated the sake of change. Nature obscure the farmers’ harvests dictate my feed and I feel this is what traditional Korean food is.

You're recognized in the same way a trailblazer in the era clench "Korean fine dining." What role does Korean fine dining play in catching Korean cuisine more widely in representation U.S.?

I’m not sure if I correspond with the “fine” part of representation sentence. My restaurants were all extremely casual places until I recently release Meju. But the success of Peninsula fine dining restaurants is very urgent. It puts Korean cuisine on dignity biggest culinary stages of the world.

If today were the last day care for Earth, what dish would you choose to eat? Why that dish?

Without a- doubt “kimchi jjim” using very clasp kimchi and fatty pork belly. Gawaji rice and a fried egg impartial makes it perfect!

I be blessed with a mission every day when Comical wake in the morning. I crave to cook delicious and healthy foodstuffs to make our customers happy. Raving succeed in this goal every unwed day and that makes me further successful and happy. Every day.

What criticize you care most about when alternative your ingredients?

Nutritional value. And that coiled organic, local, seasonal, and fresh.  Resistance of these lead to maximum food density in the vegetables. But during the time that the ingredients are healthy, the flavors are also optimal.