By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Chef Kim So-hyi has come to Seoul, flying all the way from Vienna, Austria, to share her secrets of how to stimulate taste buds around the world with Korean food.
Kim is considered one of the world's most prominent chefs for introducing Korean cuisine to the world.
She said a good dish can be one that looks and tastes good, but a great dish needs one more thing ― health benefits.
``You don't eat simply to survive. Many chefs try to serve dishes that look and taste great. But I think great dishes should also make you healthier,'' Kim said.
Her faith comes from her long exploration of Korean cuisine, which traditionally emphasizes a balanced diet and nutritional functions of each ingredient.
But to appeal to Western palates, she chose to make fusion dishes that keeps the core quality of Korean recipes. ``Traditional Korean dishes tend to be too spicy and quite strong for Westerners, using a lot of garlic. They need adjustment,'' she said.
Her fusion dishes can be seen as bizarre or random if diners simply look at dishes on the menu, such as a salad with smoked Korean pig hock.
But in her fusion recipes, she emphasizes the harmony of each ingredient based on Oriental medical botany.
``Traditionally, Koreans tried to combat disease with food. Each ingredient has its own characteristic of being hot, cold, easy on the stomach and so on. You should be very careful when combining them,'' she said.
Kim's philosophy and passion for cooking as well as her unique culinary style have bore fruit. Her restaurant Kim Kocht is recognized as one of the top Asian eateries in Vienna. Her success has also allowed her to publish four cookbooks and appear on Austrian TV shows.
Like her fusion dishes, Kim's life story is a mixture of adventure and unique experiences.
She first worked as a fashion designer after studying in Vienna in the 1980s. One day, she quit her job and decided to open a restaurant, even though she had never fried an egg in her life.
``I decided to open a sushi restaurant as a joke or something. I was bored by what I was doing and cooking seemed a bit easy. But I was totally wrong,'' she said in a thick Busan accent.
Her stubborn personality, however, did not allow her to simply give up. Born in South Korea's largest port city, she seems to carry the typical characteristics of a Busan native ― decisiveness and drive. ``Once I make a decision, I don't usually look back and just go for it.''
Kim began her cooking career after firing a chef at her restaurant. She practiced making sushi with 60 pieces of five to six kilogram salmon for eight or nine hours daily for months.
To expand her business and try new things, she traveled all over the world to sample the best dishes. In 2001, she opened Kim Kocht and received rave reviews form guests and food critics.
She said she improved because she enjoys what she does. ``When I do what I enjoy, it's fun, not work. That's what made me what I am today.''
Kim will take part in the Seoul Food Festival Aug. 22-31 with her specialties. She will also work at The Westin Chosun Seoul as guest chef of the hotel's buffet restaurant Aria Aug. 18-31. For more information, call the hotel at (02) 317-0357.