Odette Chef Rethinks Korean Cuisine With a New Concept in Hong Kong
Chef Gwanju Kim’s goal is to spotlight the ingredients Koreans often take for granted and introduce them to a global audience.
East meets West in this Jeju abalone dish.
Photographer: Stella Ko/BloombergTucked away on the fifth floor of a building on Lyndhurst Terrace, newly opened Sol offers a refreshing take on Korean cuisine, one that’s deeply rooted in tradition but elegantly dressed in French technique.
That’s due in large part to the creative energy of head chef Gwanju Kim, formerly of Singapore’s three-Michelin-starred Odette and Seoul's one-starred L’Amant Secret. Although chef Kim’s journey began in French kitchens, his heart was always drawn to the richness of Korean produce. “We used a lot of Japanese ingredients and techniques at Odette,” he says. “And I used to envy that because Korea has so many incredible ingredients too.”