korean food / seoul / Episode 3. I left an IT company and became a “Japanese chef.” – 1251

Every person I meet brings the news that spring has arrived, and the chilly temperatures in the morning and evening only make me cringe. When I look up because I want to see the blue sky, I often just cough from my throat, which is rather dry due to fine dust and yellow dust from China. Maybe if these times continue, when our children color the sky, they will pick up yellow crayfish instead of blue?

“Above all else, you should pay attention to your health”

Even the daily weather reports end with a message urging people to take care of their health. The number of sick people is constantly increasing because the air is not good and there is a lot of dust. Even though I'm not a mine worker, I jokingly say that you have to eat pork belly to wash away the dust. Those of us who dream of a healthy life where we eat well and sleep well are not allowed to breathe at ease these days.

If you look at countries with high average life expectancy, such as France and Japan, there are plenty of places to eat. It literally means “food is a supplement.” There are sufficient conditions for steel materials to grow, even vast plains, seas, and sun-drenched ground.

In fact, food cooked with fresh ingredients is appealing enough on its own without adding irritating condiments or condiments. Therefore, the higher the average life expectancy, the more places that are rumored to be gourmet countries.

Among them, Japan is a country leading the way in eco-friendly cuisine using natural ingredients, and today I'd like to introduce “Hakata September,” a Japanese kaiseki cuisine specialty store.

Chef Kim Young-min, who is the CEO and owner-chef of Hakata September, responded to the interview. Let's meet the chef who unraveled the history of food and the compatibility of ingredients as if they were watching the “Japan” side of a distant neighboring country.

Hakata September

View of the Hakata September store

Q. Please give us a brief introduction about Hakata September.

A. Hakata September is a place that serves traditional Japanese “kaiseki” cuisine. Kaiseki cuisine is a banquet dish derived from Japanese aristocratic culture, and it means a course meal made using five recipes (raw, steamed, grilled, fried, and stewed dishes) and five colors and five flavors.

This month's April theme is cherry blossoms. It's already the 61st “dish of the month” after opening the restaurant's doors.

Q. Your history as a chef is unique, but what led you to leave the company?

A. I think this is an official question from the interviewees. It's a question that came up 5 years ago when I first started a restaurant, but I left after working in an IT company for 15 to 16 years. Originally, I loved cooking, so I learned as a hobby, made, and cooked when I had time.

Then, by chance, I became a cooking instructor, and when I was preparing cooking ingredients for the class, I suddenly realized it. Unlike meat and vegetables, there aren't many people who prepare fish professionally. After learning how to care for fish, I took the Nakamuri 1st year expert course, and after studying in Japan for about a year, I went back to Korea and opened a restaurant.

Kitchen academy

Q. If you listen to the chef's history, I think his relationships with kitchen members are unique.

A. We jokingly call our kitchen a “military academy.” The cooking industry itself has a very high turnover rate, and I still have many friends among the members who opened the restaurant for the first time. By the way, the youngest children changed more than 10 people, but the moment they left, they definitely decided on their career path.

I didn't quit because my restaurant didn't fit, but I was split up with friends who said, “Ah, cooking isn't my path,” and left to find another job or to study in a wider world.

Also, I don't have much experience working with Japanese kitchen appliances, so I feel more comfortable working with kitchen staff who have higher careers than me.