'It's time to spread Asian cuisine'

Chef Shinobu Namae of L’Effervescence in Tokyo Courtesy of La Main

Japanese chef visits Seoul to create Korea-inspired cuisine

By Yun Suh-young

When asked what the most influential cuisine in the world is, most people would unhesitatingly say, "French."

It is unlikely that someone will pick a country in Asia as the most influential.

Japanese chef Shinobu Namae would like to change that.

A globally renowned chef, Namae hopes to bring the reputation of Asian cuisine to the top.

Namae served as sous-chef for culinary guru Michael Bras in France and also worked at chef Hester Blumenthal's restaurant The Fat Duck in London before opening his own restaurant in 2010. He now runs L'Effervescence in Tokyo, which has earned two Michelin stars and was ranked 12th on this year's list of Asia's 50 best restaurants.

Namae will be cooking a collaboration dinner with Korean chef Kang Min-goo of Mingles on Nov. 21 as part of the Gourmet Series organized by dining magazine La Main. He will be presenting his style of Korea-inspired dishes prepared using French techniques at Mingles.

"My joining of this event is to promote Asian cuisine higher in the world. After World War II, cultures became globalized and controlled by big countries. The domination of French cuisine killed diversity," said Namae during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul on Oct. 13, before heading off to Baekyang Temple in South Jeolla Province with chef Kang for a couple days to learn about Korean temple cuisine from monk Jeonggwan. They plan to incorporate their inspirations and lessons from the temple into their collaboration dinner.

"Asian restaurants are underrated. I traveled to 12 different countries and I noticed that our techniques and quality are not as low as perceived. We need a balance of cuisine power. The Nordic and South American cuisines are going up but still Asian is underrated," he said.

"I think it's a good idea for Asian chefs to get together, to unite. I don't like competition but it's good in a way because we can disperse diverse food cultures and create a good balance (in culinary power). Otherwise the world is controlled by big powers."

Namae runs a Japanese-French restaurant serving Japan-inspired cuisine using local Japanese ingredients but prepared using French techniques.

He says his perceptions of Korean food have changed since he came to Korea.

"I thought Korean food was mostly dominated by spiciness. But dining at Kang's restaurant changed my mind. It was subtle and diverse. His way of building each plate was really harmonized with all ingredients. It's very clear and straight to the taste and the mind and soul," said Namae.

"I realized Korean food is not just about kimchi or spicy things. I believe there's more to learn and I'd like to discover more. I can’t wait to collaborate with him."

The event began with Indian chef Gaggan Anand, who topped Asia's 50 best restaurants list, coming to Seoul on Oct. 8. It continues with Andre Chiang and Lee Jun's collaboration dinner on Nov. 6 followed by Namae and Kang’s dinner on Nov. 21. La Main says it purposefully invited foreign chefs from the list of Asia's 50 best restaurants as a means to expand knowledge about Korean cuisine among top-ranking chefs in Asia.

Namae will be using Korean ingredients such as ginger root and Korean angelica root, to name a few, for the dinner inspired by temple food.

"The essence of temple food is that it makes us calmer and more peaceful. When I visited a Japanese temple, a young monk chef there told me that the basic idea of temple cuisine is to appreciate everyday life," he said.

"This time, I'm looking forward to what I can learn in Korean temples."

Namae is an avid learner, full of curiosity. He will visit anywhere and everywhere to learn more about diverse cuisines and find inspiration.

"I researched Japanese food and I learned that it originated from Korea and China. I'm interested in finding the true original shape of Japanese food culture and finding the connection, similarities and differences between Japanese and Korean cultures," said Namae.

Namae seemed frustrated by the status of Asian cuisine globally, despite Japanese cuisine being quite well-known compared to others.

"When people dine in New York and pay $300, would they pay the same price for Asian cuisine? No, because our Asian cuisine is really underrated. The French government has successfully promoted their cuisine to be the top of the world. It's time for us to spread the word so that Asian cuisine is more appreciated," he said.

"Because I travel a lot, I see Asia from the outside. Sometimes I was discriminated against. I think the balance of human beings is strange nowadays. That's what I'd like to change a little bit. It might take 100 years, maybe three generations. But I can spread the seeds for the next generations and they will be harvesting that. If no one starts, nothing happens," said Namae.

"I hope this gourmet series can help promote Korean cuisine, but it's not confined to only Korea. I want the Asian value to be widespread to the world. Perhaps in the future, five Asian chefs can get together to create five different dishes for an all-Asian course menu."