Special course includes wild lobster cooked just before the service with mimolette and potato gratin
It was said that 'Fine Dining', which refers to luxurious restaurants, must be equipped with various luxurious produce, creative cooking method, beautiful plating, as well as sophisticated restaurant interior, cutlery, and detailed service and thus was considered something that only belonged to the upper-class and the gourmets. It was perceived as something difficult and distant to the general public until now, but this isn’t what fine dining is all about.
Fine dining ON, selected by Hyundai Card My Menu, has a pleasant warmth to it. We met with ON’s owner chef Kim Jun Hyung and listened to his philosophy on fine dining ON, surrounded by the private and considerate atmosphere of the venue.
Taking a step from Siot Seoul to ON
We were reborn as ‘ON’ to encompass the warm philosophy of food we have
Trend exists everywhere. Fine dining restaurants also strive hard to make use of trendy produce and taste in their own unique way. But Restaurant ON’s dishes contain something far more important than trend. Owner chef Kim Jun Hyung describes himself as someone who’s very far from the trend. He says he wishes to create comfortable food that conveys warmth. That’s why he changed the name of his restaurant from Siot Seoul to ‘ON’.
“My cooking is ironical - one takes notice because I don’t really do much with it. Rather than to focus on glamorous decoration, I try hard to put the dish out at the right time, when the customer can feel 100% of the dish I create.”
Fine Dining Courses which are like a performance!
The cozy interior was designed to allow the customers to solely focus on their food.
“If the kitchen is comfortable, customers will eat bad food”; Chef Kim Jun Hyung’s kitchen is cut-throat fierce. It’s because he’s in charge of everything - from grocery shopping, cooking, boulangerie(baking) and patissier. He takes care of every part of the course menu like an orchestra conductor or a theater producer. This is the reason why he wishes his customers to consider his fine dining, his creations, as they would watch a play on stage.
A relaxed mind and the will to enjoy the food are what’s required to make the best of your fine dining experience
“The difference between a regular restaurant and fine dining is that the customer is able to make adjustments with the chef. You can share what you feel about the food with the chef to find out whether this place is right for you in detail. I think that’s an advantage of fine dining.”
Owner chef Kim Jun Hyung says he’s happiest when he’s talking to his customers about food
The chef once said in an interview, “I love cooking because I can focus on just a few customers”. This philosophy comes from his teacher, chef Seo Seung Ho, one of the 1st generation French chefs in Korea. This is the reason why chef Kim keeps ON a three-table private fine dining place. “If I wanted to, I could take on more customers, but for now, I think this is the right size for me to operate while sticking to my principles.”
Endeavor to create the ‘taste’ that resonates
ON’s signature vegetable dish, with 1 or 2 types of oven dry tomatoes and ruby grapefruit
Upon your visit to restaurant ON, you will find A, B, and a special C course which uses luxurious ingredients. All courses include a bread basket, vegetable soup, vegetable plate and dessert and coffee but have different details to the composition of each plate. A course is consisted of 5 dishes with the main dish of Korean beef tenderloin with potato puree; B course is consisted of 6 dishes, which adds drumstick with endives dish added to the A course. Lobster in the special C course best shows off chef Kim Jun Hyung and restaurant ON’s philosophy.
ON’s signature vegetable dish is the oven dry tomatoes and ruby grapefruit, which is included in all courses. It cleanses your palate before you dive into the main dish. It’s also seasonal as it includes seasonal fruit, etc.
Oven dry cooking tomatoes - regular and truss - that have different texture and taste for 2 hours will bring out their sweet and sour taste to the fullest. Regular tomato will even get that chewiness as well. On top of that it goes in spicy Nasturtium leaves, sour red sorrel, seasonal fruit and mango sauce. A dish with such variety of rich flavors will make you feel you’ve just drank a glass of refreshing fruit ade.
Lobster for the special course is cooked 1 hour before the service
Lobster for the special course is not cooked or touched beforehand. Everything is done 1 hour before it is served to the customer to deliver the ingredient’s natural taste to the fullest. After it has been cleaned and cut, it is blanched in CourtBouillon, pan-fried and torched before it makes it on to the plate. But if it is overcooked, the unique chewy fresh texture of the lobster will get lost, so he has to pay a great attention throughout the cooking process.
When complete, lobster is served with new potato puree covered with mimolette cheese, dill, chive and sauce. Looking back on the cooking process, you cannot help but wonder if all that was necessary, but take a bite and you will understand - the toasty and yet soft, fresh texture and flavor all blended into a wonderful harmony inside your mouth will give you a sensation you have never felt before.
Unpretentious Dessert
Creme brulee, which was made even more famous with the movie ‘Little Forest’, is ON’s signature dessert.
Dessert contains as much seasonal flavor as the vegetable dish. In summer, ON brings out sherbets or fruit consomme, and chocolate is a popular winter ingredient. When asked what his basic and signature dessert is, chef answers it’s creme brulee. This dish was made famous with the movie ‘Little Forest’ and does not involve many ingredients - fresh cream, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla bean are all you need.
It may seem quite simple to make, but it involves many steps that can lead to total failure. From boiling the cream to baking it just before the custard turns into jelly, caramelizing the sugar before it burns,… all involves great attention and care. Owner chef Kim says this particular dessert takes after ON, which sticks to the basics in an unpretentious manner.
What chef Kim Jun Hyung believes is most important in food is not compromising. This is a principle that is applied to everything ON is about, from its ingredients to operating the business. The strictly picked out ingredients and private management of the restaurant greatly contributed to its selection of ‘2019 Michelin the Plate’.
ON is creating a firm place of its own amidst the glamorous contemporary dining scene in Cheongdam-dong with its warm, pleasant, considerate nature. How about visiting the restaurant ‘ON’ in the month of family and spending valuable time with people you care about?
