Melbourne’s first city-based Korean chef’s table
RŌNIN
Writing about @ronin_omakase made me reflect on the current state of Korean fine dining or tasting menus in Australia. The advent of this particular cuisine in the country has come far, spearheaded by pioneer and arguably “GOAT” Chae in Cockatoo. I also happened to spend some years living in Sydney, where I got to witness Chef Jacob Lee push through with his Korean omakase “Kobo”, followed by “Matkim”. He did it with remarkable resilience and determination, and I was impressed with his efforts. Then in came ex-Jungsik Seoul head chef Jungsu Chang who now runs Allta. I’ve lost touch with Sydney’s that scene but coming back to Melbourne, we had for a fleeting moment the brilliance of Sangsu Kim at James. But now we have Changhoon Kim and Suhyun Kim, and Mika Chae, respectively flying the flag for this movement at their casual yet fine restaurants Sogumm and Doju. There could be more, and I apologise in advance for any oversight.
All of that is not to take away from the focus of this post though, which is to let you know that the first proper Korean chef’s table has truly and finally arrived in Melbourne CBD. @liam6176 has taken over at the 2yo restaurant serving a 10-course menu for $195 per person. He plays with doenjang and gochujang, pinenuts and kimchis, but in the context of his culinary experiences. I particularly enjoyed the melding of his time at Italian restaurant Studio Amaro with his Korean roots, serving a homemade spinach kalguksu (that looked like and tasted like fettuccine) in a deeply flavourful broth made of fresh and dried seafood. This highly contemporary interpretation of Korean flavours reminded me of dining experiences at modern establishments in Seoul.
Liam is only just starting off. I’m so excited to see what he will bring to the dining scene once he digs his heels deep into the ground. I think if you want a dining experience that frees you from the fuss of choosing from a menu, curated based on seasonal produce and Korean sensibilities, Rōnin is a great option.
#wolf_melbourne #wolf_australia #koreanfood #kfood #melbournerestaurant #한식
