Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
Mondrian Seoul Itaewon offers Mediterranean culinary journey at Cleo
Mondrian Seoul Itaewon's contemporary Mediterranean restaurant, Cleo / Courtesy of Mondrian Seoul Itaewon
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
Mondrian Seoul Itaewon invites foodies on a Mediterranean culinary journey at its Cleo restaurant, where chef Jake Lim serves healthy and tasty Mediterranean dishes.
At the contemporary Mediterranean restaurant, fresh flavors and exotic foods are on offer. Its signature menu, including a trio of dips with house-baked jou jou bread, kingfish ceviche, chicken shish kebab and lamb kebab, offers vibrant flavors with an emphasis on lemon, Greek yogurt and feta cheese.
Since the opening of the restaurant, the freshly house-baked jou jou bread, with three dips of baba ganoush, hummus and labneh, has become guests' favorite meal, offering a flavorful gluten-free option.
Chef Jake Lim / Courtesy of Mondrian Seoul Itaewon
“Mediterranean food is largely focused on a healthy menu utilizing fresh ingredients, adding citric acid notes from lemon and lime, while quality olive oil enhances the ingredients' natural flavors without requiring any additional condiments,” Lim said. “In Korea, Mediterranean food is gaining popularity because of its exotic acidic flavor and freshness.”
Chef and writer Samin Nosrat explains in her book, “Salt, fat, acid and heat brighten food and create contrast. Most importantly, acid does the necessary job of balancing flavors,” highlighting the importance of acidic tastes.
For those who want to try cooking Mediterranean food on their own to enjoy it at home, chef Lim recommends the eggplant fatteh recipe, adapted to air-fryer cooking, to create a Mediterranean-inspired dinner. This Middle Eastern classic dish can be a perfect choice for a home party or vegetarian diet.
While baking small pieces of pita bread in an air fryer, after tossing them with olive oil and cumin powder, a Greek yogurt sauce is prepared with minced garlic and lemon juice. Cut into small cubes, eggplant is tossed with olive oil and paprika powder, then cooked in the air fryer for 25 minutes. The menu is completed with pita bread layers as the base, garnished with eggplant and yogurt.
“Greek and Mediterranean dishes are considered as healthy options overseas, and are often favored by vegetarians,” Lim said. “With olive oil extracted from the first harvested olives of Spain, and fresh lemon and lime juice, along with in-house hand-made labneh, Mediterranean flavors can be enjoyed here in Korea, at Cleo.”
This spring, Cleo introduces a new menu reinterpreting Korean ingredients with a Mediterranean twist.
Korean seafood and Middle Eastern spices are put together to bring dishes to life, such as the grilled Korean rock octopus and assorted seafood platters.
Before joining Mondrian Seoul Itaewon's team, chef Lim developed his career at the Rockpool Dining Group in Australia and the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.