InterviewKorean beef sizzles in Dubai's fine dining scene

Hanu's hanwoo barbecue meal in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates / Courtesy of Gaon Society

Korean fine dining restaurant Hanu in Dubai is now seeing rising demand for hanwoo, Korean beef livestock, over Japanese wagyu.

The growing popularity of Korean beef is generating buzz not only for its distinctive taste but also for helping redefine hansik, or traditional Korean cuisine, in one of the Middle East’s major economies.

For the past five years, Hanu chef Moon Kyung-soo has worked to secure halal certification for imported hanwoo from Korea, which is now the most popular meat selection at the establishment.

“Hanwoo is not as fatty as wagyu. Hanwoo’s real flavor is in its juice and aroma. Our patrons at first doubted hanwoo but they love it now. A table once ordered 25 servings of hanwoo in a single meal,” Moon said in an interview with The Korea Times on Monday.

“More than 90 percent of our guests prefer hanwoo over wagyu. As our consumption of wagyu has declined so sharply, our wagyu suppliers complained about the slowdown.”

Hanu sources its hanwoo from a slaughterhouse in Hoengseong County, Gangwon Province, the only meat processor in Korea with halal certification. The meats are shipped by air and, because consumption volume is not yet large enough, supply is order-based, not contract-based.

Compared to hanwoo, wagyu enjoys strong supply chains in Dubai, according to Moon. It is shipped by sea after being flash frozen to minus 80 degree Celsius. The broader distribution channels and larger market presence gave wagyu a price competitiveness over hanwoo. Hanu uses only A++ grade hanwoo, the highest quality in Korea, contributing to its relatively high price. Moon said hanwoo’s current market position in Dubai is still five to six years behind that of wagyu.

“I was initially skeptical about hanwoo myself. Australia has a chart with 15 sources of allergy. So I introduced hanwoo. It appears similar to Australian beef and is not as concerned about marbling as wagyu," Moon said.

Hanu chef Moon Kyung-soo speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Gaon Society

“While other Korean restaurants in Dubai import frozen hanwoo, we stick to fresh hanwoo to preserve our premium identity. Hanwoo is now a bestseller among our patrons who are 20 percent local United Arab Emirates citizens and 70 percent foreigners and tourists. Uzbek, Kazakh and Russians comprise a major portion of our patrons. We first ordered 500 kilograms of hanwoo and was sold out in just 15 days. We then started ordering higher volumes.”

Moon, who serves as group culinary director at Dubai-based Sunset Hospitality Group, which operates Hanu, believes restaurants have the power to shape local culture. For him, hansik is more than cuisine. At Hanu, hanwoo has emerged as a key vehicle for introducing and promoting Korean food culture to diners in Dubai.

“While Koreans sell products, they often forget about culture," Moon said.

"If certain products began representing Korea, hansik would be framed within limited sets of ideas like ‘spicy,’ ‘bulgogi,’ ‘tteokbokki’ or Buldak. There is way more diversity to hansik than those in terms of ingredients and recipes. ‘Culinary Class Wars’ on Netflix did well to spread hansik’s authentic colors to the world."

Moon said he expects Hanu to be included in the Michelin Guide when its next edition is released in October. It would be the first time a hansik restaurant claims a spot in the Middle East's fine dining landscape.

“In over 50 years of history of Dubai, there has never been a Michelin category for hansik. Indian and Chinese restaurants have their high-end sectors but only Korean restaurants still remain in a lower class.”

Following the interview, Moon co-hosted a collaborative tasting event with Bicena, the fine-dining restaurant located in Seoul's Lotte World Tower and operated by Gaon Society.

The special course menu showcased the culinary philosophies of both restaurants, highlighting the diversity and sophistication of contemporary hansik.

Hwayo Group, a parent company of Gaon Society, has begun exporting its premium distilled soju brand Hwayo to Hanu. The collaboration celebrated the partnership that has begun supplying the liquor brand to the Middle Eastern city, where alcohol is highly regulated.