Seoul Food

Dining

Seoul food Chef Mingoo Kang brings a new kind of Korean cuisine to Hong Kong with the opening of Hansik Goo. By Apple Lee

When Korean-born chef Mingoo Kang started cooking overseas more than 10 years ago, he found that the cuisine of his home country was relatively unknown in other parts of the world.

“I had a vision to introduce a new kind of Korean cuisine abroad – one that highlights the essence of traditional Korean food and that both Koreans and foreigners would enjoy,” says Kang.

In his years of working abroad, Kang went on to become the youngest-ever head chef at Nobu Bahama when he was still in his early 30s. He also trained under the tutelage of renowned Spanish chef Martin Berasategui, who is known as one of the leading figures of modern Basque cuisine.

Despite having amassed a wealth of culinary knowledge from his globetrotting stints, Kang thought his understanding of Korean cuisine was not as deep and thorough as he wanted it to be.

The chef decided to return to his native country to learn the basics of Korean cooking. He sought the guidance of Buddhist priest and chef Jeong Kwan and Cho Hee-sook, who was awarded Asia’s Best Female Chef by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Through apprenticing under the two culinary heavyweights, Kang gained a new perspective on traditional Korean cuisine, which he took to synergise with his own experience from cooking abroad.

In 2014, he opened his first restaurant Mingles in Seoul to showcase Korean fusion food. The restaurant melds traditional Korean culinary traditions with influences from Japanese, Spanish and French cuisines to create innovative dishes.

Kang’s avant-garde concept has proven to be successful and welcomed by critics. Mingles debuted as No.15 and the highest new entry on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2016. In the same year, it was awarded one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide’s inaugural edition in Seoul and moved up to two stars in 2019.

Earlier this June, Kang finally took the first step in realising his decade-long dream and opened his first overseas restaurant in Hong Kong. Created in collaboration with ZS Hospitality Group, Hansik Goo offers an eight-course tasting menu featuring traditional Korean ingredients and fermented sauces.

“Hong Kong’s food culture is among the best in the world. The city is home to many welltravelled and knowledgeable diners who already have a deep understanding of Korean food, which is why I wanted to start realising my vision here,” says Kang.

Hansik Goo is located at 2/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace Central. To make a reservation, call 2798 8768. Bookings are required. For more

information, visit hansikgoo.hk