Korean chef leads restaurants at Park Hyatt Seoul

Back Young-min, executive chef of the Park Hyatt Seoul / Courtesy of the Park Hyatt Seoul

By Jun Ji-hye

Chef Back Young-min has been appointed recently as the executive chef of the Park Hyatt Seoul, in a rare move for a Hyatt hotel in Korea, as they normally bring in executive chefs from overseas.

Back has become the second Korean executive chef at a Hyatt hotel here since the brand entered the country.

“I've been appointed as a Korean executive chef at a time when targeting Korean customers has become an important strategy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which I think is in recognition of my ability to quickly understand the Korean restaurant market,” Back said in an interview with The Korea Times. “I'm excited to have this opportunity to make the most of my capabilities.”

He said having the experience of having worked both in Korea and abroad is one of his main assets, as he has experienced diverse culinary cultures and trends while working with chefs from around the world in a variety of countries.

“That gave me an ability to adapt quickly and adopt new styles amid ongoing changes,” he said. “I will lead by being the first to propose new trends that will appeal to Korean and non-Korean diners alike, based on the experience I've acquired so far.”

When deciding on and developing a concept for a dish, the chef, with his 17 years of experience, said he devotes the greatest amount of attention to telling stories through food, as he believes that food with stories is the best for making a mental impression on customers.

The chef cited one example ― the “Botanic Garden Afternoon Tea,” a botanic-garden inspired spread that the luxury hotel is serving this summer in its 24th-floor lounge.

“When you hear the term 'botanic garden,' you think of 'fresh,' 'green nature' and 'health,'” he said. “In line with this concept, we created a three-tier tray full of vegan savory items and gluten-free desserts for customers to enjoy both sweetness and healthiness at the same time, without worrying about the consequences.”

Park Hyatt Seoul's “Botanic Garden Afternoon Tea” / Courtesy of the Park Hyatt Seoul

Back picked fermented ingredients as his favorite to work with, saying that the longer the fermentation process is, the more beneficial organisms develop, and the stronger the flavors become. Using fermented ingredients results in cuisine that lays the foundations for better health, he said.

When asked about what has been the most fulfilling moment in his career as a chef, he said it was when guests at his previous place of work told him that they had come to the hotel especially to try the food that he had made.

“That moment gave me pride and motivation to be a good leader for my team from now on, since as executive chef in charge of all hotel restaurants, I will soon become a guarantor of all the tastes we offer,” he said.

The chef stressed that hygiene is an area where there can be no compromise, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that he and other chefs manage hygiene strictly in the hotel's restaurants, kitchens and all other spaces.

“Key measures include the wearing of food hygiene gloves by our cooking staff at all times, the use of QR code menus to minimize contact, the laminating and disinfecting of menus and the use of adenosine triphosphate once every two weeks to test for microorganisms and organic matter,” he said.