Celebrity Life

Due to recent travel restrictions happening around the world, the eighth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants was not held in the Saga Prefecture of Japan, where the awards were originally to be hosted.

Instead, they were announced virtually on Facebook. The virtual edition of the prestigious awards ceremony, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was the first of its kind in the history of 50 Best and as always, were put forward to recognise the achievements of chefs and their teams over the last 12 months.

This year, 7 new entries and 1 re-entry appeared on the list and awarded restaurants across 10 countries. Here in Hong Kong, 8 restaurants were awarded a place on Asia's 50 Best list, while 2 restaurants from Macau were recognised as well. At the top of the list and awarded both Singapore's and Asia's Best Restaurant for a second year is Odette. Helmed by Chef-Owner Julien Royer, the modern French restaurant, inspired by his grandmother, won the hearts of many once more.

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Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Cantonese restaurant The Chairman jumped from 11th place to 2nd place -- taking the award for the best restaurant in China. The restaurant, loved by many in this city, takes on the traditional flavours of Chinese cuisine and celebrates it simply yet gloriously. Here, Chef-Owner Danny Yip looks to local suppliers and fishermen for their ingredients while ensuring as much organic produce as possible.

[caption id="attachment_199192" align="alignnone" width="938"] Flower Crab, The Chairman[/caption]

Other Hong Kong restaurants on the list include neo-Parisian bistro Belon which, under the culinary direction of Chef Daniel Calvert, jumped from 15th to 4th place; modern Asian-inspired French restaurant VEA, helmed by Chef Vicky Cheng, also made a giant leap taking them from 34th to 12th on the list;  David Lai's Neighborhood climbed up to 19th place; while Chinese restaurants Seventh Son and Lung King Heen, and Chef Umberto Bombana's 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana were amongst the top 50 restaurants, too.

A special sustainable mention was given to Amber which, thanks to Chef Richard Ekkebus' innovative culinary endeavours, presented them with the Sustainable Restaurant Award this year. Having reopened in May 2019 after a four-month hiatus, Ekkebus took out the heft in fine dining and replaced dairy, while cutting down on sugar and salt, with seasonal, sustainable produce and clean cooking.

[caption id="attachment_199210" align="alignnone" width="1140"] Kombu-cured horse mackerel with celtuce, seaweed, cucumber and wheatgrass sauce, Amber[/caption]

Additional awards featured the Miele One to Watch, which was presented to Chef Prateek Sadh of Masque in Mumbai, India. Considered the country's most experimental kitchen, Masque is changing the perception of Indian food, plate by plate; The American Express Icon award was deservedly presented to famed kaiseki chef and author Yoshihiro Murata of Kikunoi Restaurant in Gion, Kyoto; The Inedit Damm Chef's Choice award was voted by his peers and presented to Yusuke Takada of Osaka's La Cime for all his good work; Asia's Best Pastry Chef crowned the lovely Natsuko Shoji of Été who continues to create her sweet cakes inspired by the world of fashion; and Asia's Best Female Chef spotlighted Cho Hee-sook of Seoul's Hansikgonggan for all her work in preserving traditional Korean cuisine.

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The full list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants of 2020:

1. Odette -- Singapore (Best Restaurant in Singapore and Asia)
2. The Chairman -- Hong Kong (Best Restaurant in China)
3. Den - Tokyo, Japan (Best Restaurant in Japan)
4. Belon -- Hong Kong
5. Burnt Ends -- Singapore
6. Sühring -- Bangkok, Thailand (Best restaurant in Thailand)
7. Florilege -- Tokyo, Japan
8. Le Du -- Bangkok, Thailand
9. Narisawa -- Tokyo, Japan
10. La Cime -- Osaka, Japan
11. Les Amis -- Singapore (Gin Mare's Art of Hospitality Award)
12. VEA -- Hong Kong
13. Indian Accent -- New Delhi, India (Best Restaurant in India)
14. Mingles -- Seoul, South Korea (Best Restaurant in Korea)
15. Gaa -- Bangkok, Thailand
16. Sorn -- Bangkok, Thailand (Highest Climber Award)
17. Il Ristorante Luca Fantin – Tokyo, Japan
18. Mume -- Taipei, Taiwan
19. Neighborhood -- Hong Kong
20. Fu He Hui -- Shanghai, China
21. Jaan by Kirk Westaway -- Singapore
22. Wing Lei Palace -- Macau
23. Sichuan Moon -- Macau (Highest New Entry)
24. Nihonryori RyuGin -- Tokyo, Japan
25. Seventh Son -- Hong Kong
26. JL Studio -- Taichung, Taiwan (New Entry)
27. TocToc -- Seoul, South Korea
28. Zén -- Singapore (New Entry)
29. Sazenka -- Tokyo, Japan
30. Ministry of Crab -- Colombo, Sri Lanka
31. Amber -- Hong Kong
32. 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana – Hong Kong
33. Lung King Heen -- Hong Kong
34. Hansikgonggan -- Seoul, South Korea (New Entry)
35. Ode -- Tokyo, Japan (New Entry)
36. Raw -- Taipei, Taiwan
37. Locavore -- Bali, Indonesia (Best Restaurant in Indonesia)
38. Paste -- Bangkok, Thailand
39. Bo.Lan -- Bangkok, Thailand
40. La Maison de la Nature Goh -- Fukuoka, Japan
41. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet -- Shanghai, China
42. Corner House -- Singapore
43. Shoun RyuGin -- Taipei, Taiwan
44. Toyo Eatery -- Manila, Philippines (Best Restaurant in Philippines)
45. Bukhara -- New Delhi, India (Re-entry)
46. Sushi Saito -- Tokyo, Japan
47. 80/20 -- Bangkok, Thailand (New Entry)
48.  L'Effervescence -- Tokyo, Japan
49. Inua -- Tokyo, Japan (New Entry)
50. Nouri -- Singapore

The post Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2020: The Results Are In appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Known as the Godmother of Korean cuisine, you could say that chef Cho Hee-sook is something of an authority when it comes to Korean gastronomy.

And rightly so. In her endeavour to honour and preserve the culinary traditions, she has shared her depth of knowledge and research, while mentoring the new generations of Korean cooks to ensure that it will not be lost. In doing so, she has now been recognised as Asia's Best Female Chef in 2020. We sat down with the Korean chef to find out more about her Seoul-based restaurant Hansikgonggan and how she plans on preserving the traditions of her native cuisine with modernity.

Congratulations on becoming the winner of the Asia’s Best Female Chef Award 2020. What does this award mean to you?

For my entire career, I did what I did without watching the clock. This career could have just been lost in the midst of time. But I’m blessed with this award, it’s more than what I deserve. I wish my senior female chef counterparts who have worked constantly can be awarded with me.

Can you tell me a bit more about your restaurant Hansikgonggan?

Hansikgonggan is a restaurant that preserves the foundation of Korean culture by serving refined traditional Korean food. It’s also a space where I can reflect on various experiences working with Korean cuisine for the past 40 years. We are using as many traditional cooking techniques as possible while also researching ways people today can enjoy these foods together. A clear view of Changdeokgung Palace, which is next to the restaurant, is something that only Hansikgonggan guests can find. Our food, along with the scenery, is offered in a space where you can experience Korean tastes and charm together.

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Did you encounter any challenges when you opened the restaurant?

Running a restaurant is not only about cooking food. It’s also about managing the workforce and [things like] tax. When I was working for hotels, all I needed to do was cook. Compared to my long career as a chef, managing a business is new to me. And I’m learning new 
things every day.

What was it like to be a young chef rising through the ranks of Seoul’s hotel kitchens?

I was lucky enough to become a head chef only a few years after I started my career. About 5 years after I started working in a hotel kitchen, I was in charge of a newly opened Korean restaurant. As a leader, it was not easy to lead other male chefs who were older, had longer careers, and were going towards the same direction as me.

Fast forward to today, how are you hoping to preserve Korean culture and the culinary traditions that come with it?

I preserve traditional Korean flavours through seasoning and cooking techniques, while also incorporating new ingredients. I also show Korean style and nuances through plating and presentation, converging all these details and coming up with new dishes. That’s how I built my own style. That’s why at Hansikgonggan, we serve traditional recipes in a modern setting, while using modern presentation and plating to evoke a modern day feel to the food.

[caption id="attachment_198510" align="alignnone" width="1009"] Asia’s Best Female Chef 2020 Cho Hee-sook of Hansikgonggan in Seoul[/caption]

You've researched Korean cuisine and local ingredients extensively, can you give me an example of something you use in your cooking?

It would be great if we can always eat the freshest seasonal local ingredients at any time. But in Korea, because of our brutal winters, we use a lot of preservation techniques in our cooking. We harvest the best ingredients when it’s in season and store them. One example would be Bugak, our signature menu from Hansikgongga. Bugak is made by thinly slicing vegetables or seaweed coated in a glutinous rice paste. It has to be dried for 1 to 3 days and then deep-fried before serving. I use the phrase “food encasing seasons”, because just like traditional Korean jang (sauces), kimchi and jang-a-chi (pickled food), it preserves seasonal ingredients for a long time. These are techniques that were passed down by our wise ancestors.

Much like Chinese cuisine, Korean food is still not considered as high end enough. Why do you think this is the case with Asian cuisines, especially when compared to western counterparts like Italian or French?

In my opinion, there is a myriad of stereotypes that surround Asian cuisine and the global knowledge and awareness of these cuisines are still very little. For example, people tend to think that Korean food is mostly spicy and salty. Only very few dishes, like Korean barbecue, kimchi [fermented cabbage] and bibimbap [rice topped with sautéed vegetables and meat] are known globally. Many foreign guests are surprised by my food. They ask me if it’s really Korean food. This is because the culture is not well known and the global knowledge about the culture is fragmentary -- people do not know the background.

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What do you think of fine dining today?

The fine dining scene in Korea has been changed according to the guests’ lifestyles. Every time I try to come up with new dishes to surprise my guests, I ask myself what’s the end goal? What makes it the best and does it even exist? My Asia’s Best Female Chef win doesn’t make me the best female chef who cooks the absolute best in Asia. I’m worried about society exhausting themselves and competing for endless supremacy. My opinion of fine dining has changed as I've gotten older. These days, I think real fine dining is what makes my guests feel relaxed and comforted.

Where do you see Korean cuisine going in the future?

At the beginning of my career, it was very difficult to try new things – breaking away from tradition was discouraged. But as time went on, Korean food started to fuse with Western ingredients, and modern Korean cuisine started to rapidly spread, led by the globalisation of Korean gastronomy. Now we see various food cultures combining with Korean, and the refining of traditional Korean flavours with modern touches taking place -- this can be considered modern Korean cuisine. This movement will keep changing according to the diners’ demands. To all chefs, cooking can no longer be defined and categorised by cuisine. It’s about cooking in their own style and the value of the food will be only determined by the market.

What’s next for you?

Personally, I would like to put all my experiences and knowledge together. So, it will be helpful to someone who needs it. But my top priority right now is Hansikgonggan to become the best Korean restaurant.

The post Asia’s Best Female Chef Cho Hee-sook Preserves Traditional Korean Food with Modernity appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Fine dining chefs in Seoul are taking classic cuisine to modern heights.

The post Where to eat in Seoul: the city’s new wave of contemporary cuisine appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Fine dining chefs in Seoul are taking classic cuisine to modern heights.

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