Cheong Wa Dae should lead hansik globalization
Korean food evangelist Cho believes going high-end is royal road
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff reporter
The globalization of hansik (Korean cuisine) is one of the government's main initiatives, but businessman Cho Tae-kwon believes it will take more than just lip service and money to get solid results. Korean cuisine and crafts should be showcased in the dining halls of power, starting with Cheong Wa Dae.
``The country is very serious about this issue but what they have to do is not just pour money into organizations to pursue this issue. What they have to do is really to make Cheong Wa Dae a showcase of Korean crafts... Let's have Cheong Wa Dae represent our food to all the visitors going there, and the ambassadors' residences abroad, where they are entertaining the VIPs of the country. We have to show them first and let them experience Korean cuisine,'' Cho told The Korea Times, in an interview at his office in Yangjae-dong, Wednesday.
Cho, CEO of local ceramic ware maker KwangJuYo, is known as an outspoken advocate for the globalization of Korean food in recent years. Aside from KwangJuYo's exquisite hand-made ceramics, Cho's businesses also include Hwayo, a distiller of soju, and a Korean-style pub Knock Knock.
Cho has been steadfast in his belief that the only way to pursue the globalization of Korean cuisine is to start with the high-end. And once high-end Korean cuisine is accepted overseas, it is expected to lead to the mushrooming of mid- and low-priced Korean restaurants.
``Why am I really trying to be a top-class restaurant serving the best food and the best spirits? It's because nobody has done it and we don't have a successful case yet. To be successful, someone has to recognize it. Culture flows from the top to the bottom,'' he said.
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to the globalization of Korean cuisine just might be the Korean people's low regard for food and reluctance to pay more for Korean haute cuisine.
``If you look at Korean restaurants, they are all at the low-end. But one thing that I find really funny is you can find people from the bottom to the top level of society in these restaurants. Around 95 percent of the market's price range is from 3,500 to 7,000 won. Why? For Koreans, food is just something they just need to survive,'' he said.
To better promote Korean cuisine overseas, he envisioned a high-end Korean restaurant that serves only the best food and liquor on beautiful ceramic dishes, with a luxurious atmosphere.
Putting his money where his mouth is, Cho decided to open an ambitious fine dining Korean restaurant called the Gaon in Apgujeong in 2003. The menu featured modern reinterpretations of traditional Korean dishes, using only high quality organic ingredients. Unlike traditional Korean hanjeongsik where all the dishes are served on the table at the same time, Gaon adopted a Western-style multi-course meal.
Cho sought to bring together the elements of food, liquor, interior design, architecture, ceramics and costumes in the restaurant. ``I'm like an editor of Korean culture. Everything should be balanced and harmonized. If I'm drinking $100 liquor, I should be eating $100 food. I have to consider the tableware, silverware, atmosphere of the place... All of our history and civilization is in the table of food,'' he added.
However, due to various reasons, the restaurant was shuttered in late 2008. ``Everyone said I failed. If I was making products, yes, you could say I failed. But it's not products. This is culture and culture never disappears. It accumulates and becomes invisible assets of Korean culture,'' Cho said.
Still, Gaon made its mark by introducing the concept of excellent, fine dining Korean cuisine. Even though Gaon was not exactly a success, this hasn't stopped others from trying to replicate its concept. Cho's daughter Lucy, who is also a budding chef, has noticed a domino effect, with several new restaurants attempting the same thing as Gaon. It might only be a matter of time before a restaurant succeeds.
``If that becomes successful, then everybody will follow. Because no one has been successful yet that's why people are afraid to do it,'' Cho said.
Cho hopes that local conglomerates will become more involved in the globalization of hansik.
``I really hope I can make a coalition with them. It can be done in a year. I'm pretty sure that they're not interested, and that's the problem, but one day they will, because this is the only way we can improve ourselves in order to be an advanced country,'' he said.