logo
6 top Korean chefs' favourite comfort foods and where to eat them in Seoul

6 top Korean chefs' favourite comfort foods and where to eat them in Seoul

Seoul is a city where Michelin-star restaurants and age-old culinary traditions exist side by side.
Advertisement
Comfort food here is more than just nourishment – it embodies the warmth of home and memories of childhood, and pays tribute to Korea's rich heritage.
For South Korea's leading chefs, humble staples shape their approach to contemporary cuisine. From noodles to nourishing broths, these dishes lay the foundation for the country's culinary identity.
Six chefs from
Seoul and beyond lift the lid on the comfort foods closest to their hearts and the best places to enjoy them. You may be surprised to read that there is not a barbecue or bibimbap in sight.
Mingoo Kang of Mingles, a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Seoul, says kalguksu noodles and jeon pan-fried fritters are his favourite comfort foods. Photo: Mingles
1. Kang Mingoo, Mingles (Seoul)
'Kalguksu [knife-cut noodles in a starchy soup] and jeon [pan-fried fritters] are my favourite comfort foods,' says Mingoo Kang, chef-owner of
three-Michelin-star Mingles
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Red Hot Chef: on Hong Kong's take on Culinary Class Wars, 8 finalists gear up to impress the judges
Red Hot Chef: on Hong Kong's take on Culinary Class Wars, 8 finalists gear up to impress the judges

South China Morning Post

time3 days ago

  • South China Morning Post

Red Hot Chef: on Hong Kong's take on Culinary Class Wars, 8 finalists gear up to impress the judges

Last year, Korean reality show Culinary Class Wars captivated audiences around the world, sparking global interest in Korean cuisine and proving that cooking competitions can be just as thrilling as any K-drama. Looking to capitalise on the popularity of Culinary Class Wars, which has a second season on the way soon, Hong Kong has launched its very own version: Red Hot Chef. This new reality series features an impressive lineup of culinary talent. Chef Anh Sung-jae – a judge from Culinary Class Wars, the first Korean chef to earn three Michelin stars in Seoul, and the founder of Mosu Hong Kong – hosts the show. He's joined by two giants of Cantonese cuisine: chef Tam Kwok-fung, of Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau, and chef Vicky Cheng, of Vea and Wing fame, who serve as judges. Out of over 100 chefs who auditioned across the city, only eight finalists made the cut, gracing our screens when the first episode of the series dropped on July 19. These culinary hopefuls, ranging from seasoned industry veterans to dynamic rising stars, are now ready to ignite Hong Kong's most anticipated cooking competition. So who will succeed, and who will get eliminated? We'll just have to see what happens in the following episodes. Frankie Wong – Ankôma The winner of Michelin's Hong Kong & Macau Young Chef Award 2025, chef Frankie Wong from Ankôma. Photo: Handout At just 30, chef Frankie Wong has made a name for himself on the city's fine dining scene, recently taking home the 2025 Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau Young Chef Award. After sweating in top kitchens like Zest by Konishi, and Écriture under chef Maxime Gilbert, Wong opened Ankôma in 2022 to express his own take on French-Japanese cuisine and modern fine dining. Run by a team who are all under 30, Ankôma boasts youthful energy, and serves up exquisite, vibrant dishes such as lava stone-grilled lobster tail, roasted three yellow chicken and Racan pigeon. Deng Hua-dong – Deng G (Tsim Sha Tsui) Chef Deng Hua-dong, Master Chef at Deng G, making dan dan noodles at his restaurant. Photo: Nora Tam For almost half a century, chef Deng Hua-dong has devoted himself to mastering the intricate art of Sichuan cuisine and its philosophy of 100 dishes, 100 flavours. At his restaurant, Deng G, he shows that true innovation lies not in reinvention, but in refining the classics rooted in centuries of tradition. With a strong focus on balance and precision, Deng pairs high-quality seasonal products with exacting techniques, allowing bold, robust spices to amplify rather than overpower the natural umami of principal ingredients. In Deng's hands, flavours are precisely executed and everyday classics become extraordinary. Lau Ka-wing – Hau Tak Restaurant Lau Ka-wing is the executive head chef of Hau Tak Restaurant in Causeway Bay. Photo: handout In a city saturated with Cantonese eateries, Hau Tak Restaurant stands out as a hidden gem that stays true to the roots of traditional Cantonese cuisine. At the helm is chef Lau Ka-wing, who spent years at the famed 'tycoons' canteen' Fook Lam Moon before leading Hau Tak for the past 17 years.

Hong Kong's latest openings, from chicken ramen to ultra-long tteokbokki
Hong Kong's latest openings, from chicken ramen to ultra-long tteokbokki

South China Morning Post

time5 days ago

  • South China Morning Post

Hong Kong's latest openings, from chicken ramen to ultra-long tteokbokki

Ginza Kagari Ginza Kagari's tori paitan ramen. Photo: courtesy Ginza Kagari This Michelin-recommended Tokyo spot has arrived in Hong Kong, bringing its viral tori paitan ramen to K11 Art Mall. The broth is the star of the show and is made by simmering chicken carcasses for several hours to create a creamy, rich base packed with collagen. Aside from the original flavour, diners can also opt for truffle, shoyu and matcha versions. Shop B232, B2/F, K11 Art Mall, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Ramen Samurai Ramen Samurai is housed in a grade-three listed shophouse. Photo: courtesy Ramen Samurai Housed in a 90-year-old, grade-three-listed shophouse in Kowloon, this viral ramen spot draws on Japan's bushido culture (bushido, or 'way of the warrior', is the guiding principle of the samurai). Expect dishes such as aged chicken Niboshi ramen, where diners can customise the ratio of the soup base, and what's billed as the world's first chicken soup pudding, a savoury dessert made with rich chicken broth in place of milk, topped with an aged mirin-based sauce. G/F, 3 Playing Field Road, Prince Edward Young Dabang Young Dabang's ultra-long tteokbokki. Photo: Young Dabang

What is cheung fun? The different types of Chinese rice noodle rolls, and how to make them
What is cheung fun? The different types of Chinese rice noodle rolls, and how to make them

South China Morning Post

time17-07-2025

  • South China Morning Post

What is cheung fun? The different types of Chinese rice noodle rolls, and how to make them

Silky, slippery cheung fun, also known as steamed rice noodle rolls, have long been a staple dish at Hong Kong's dim sum restaurants and street food stalls. Whether served with barbecue pork, shrimp or beef inside, or simply rolled into thick noodles and topped with soy, hoisin and peanut sauces, it is a dish that has cemented its status over the years as a beloved breakfast food and Cantonese snack There is no definitive date for when cheung fun came to be, but some believe these rolls date back to the Tang dynasty (618-907), when people in southern China began soaking rice in water and grinding it into a batter for dishes. Some cookbooks trace the origins of modern cheung fun to the 1930s in Guangdong province. Fast forward to today and cheung fun is immensely popular in Hong Kong and beyond, served at restaurants, hawker stalls and food carts around the world. Barbecued pork cheung fun. Photo: Shutterstock It is not an easy dish to make and requires many technical skills. Chefs mix rice flour and water, and sometimes wheat starch or tapioca flour, to make a thin, milky batter. Higher-end restaurants will sometimes grind their own rice, as is the case for Man Wah, a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong hotel.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store