Michelin chef helps introduce the real side of 'hansik'
Published on | Source
By Ines Min
Staff reporter
Making a name for hansik, or Korean cuisine, within the international food scene will be an ongoing, long-term endeavor ― but it doesn't hurt to have three-star Michelin chefs to help it along.
The renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and his wife, Marja Vongerichten, are taking to the road to explore the local grub in a television series to be aired by the U.S. Public Broadcasting system (PBS) next year. The documentary project will be produced by Frappe Inc., known for their food travel series on Spain, and is working in collaboration with the Visit Korea Committee and the Korean Food Foundation.
Thirteen half-hour episodes of "Stop and Bap Korea" (a provisional title) will lead the uninitiated into the world of hansik through the eyes of Korean-American Marja, who hopes to reunite with the culture of her motherland by introducing its food customs to her husband, a celebrated chef with restaurants from Shanghai to Paris.
The show covers a variety of regional and traditional foods, visiting restaurants with an established history and strong character. So far, the couple has experienced the tastes of temple-cuisine restaurant Sanchon and Sook Hee Lee's Doorei, where Sook Hee enchanted the crew with her cooking and beautiful singing voice.
Shooting locations have included a range of regional giants, from Jeju Island to Chuncheon, Sokcho to Andong. Though filming wraps up in a couple of weeks, the crew will return to Korea in the fall, when different seasonal dishes are better enjoyed.
Chef Vongerichten, who lived in Southeast Asia for five years and whose food is a tribute to Asian influences, has wholly enjoyed the experience. "The country offers a lot of complex foods", he said in a press conference in central Seoul, Wednesday. "I've been inspired for new combinations from what I have seen here".
And as for staying true to the reality of Korean cuisine? The producers and cast agreed that there's nothing to worry about.
"I will try my best to represent Korean dishes the way they should be represented", Marja said. "Korean cuisine has not been shown in a very basic, traditional way", she said, adding that the documentary avoids fusion dishes that cater to Western palates.
"I think it's a mistake if you don't do the true flavors", Vongerichten said. "Nobody should alter the traditions of their food", for the sake of globalization.
Guest celebrities will join the two hosts on various episodes, though director Charlie Pinsky's lips are sealed, revealing only that there would be a Korean singer-performer and a Korean golfer. "Celebrities are important because they make headlines, but it's more about the real people", he said.
"Stop and Bap Korea" is in production and will begin airing in January 2011 on PBS. The series will be released on DVD and a related Web will feature recipes for those interested in cooking any of the dishes presented on the show.
Staff reporter
Making a name for hansik, or Korean cuisine, within the international food scene will be an ongoing, long-term endeavor ― but it doesn't hurt to have three-star Michelin chefs to help it along.
The renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and his wife, Marja Vongerichten, are taking to the road to explore the local grub in a television series to be aired by the U.S. Public Broadcasting system (PBS) next year. The documentary project will be produced by Frappe Inc., known for their food travel series on Spain, and is working in collaboration with the Visit Korea Committee and the Korean Food Foundation.
Thirteen half-hour episodes of "Stop and Bap Korea" (a provisional title) will lead the uninitiated into the world of hansik through the eyes of Korean-American Marja, who hopes to reunite with the culture of her motherland by introducing its food customs to her husband, a celebrated chef with restaurants from Shanghai to Paris.
The show covers a variety of regional and traditional foods, visiting restaurants with an established history and strong character. So far, the couple has experienced the tastes of temple-cuisine restaurant Sanchon and Sook Hee Lee's Doorei, where Sook Hee enchanted the crew with her cooking and beautiful singing voice.
Shooting locations have included a range of regional giants, from Jeju Island to Chuncheon, Sokcho to Andong. Though filming wraps up in a couple of weeks, the crew will return to Korea in the fall, when different seasonal dishes are better enjoyed.
Chef Vongerichten, who lived in Southeast Asia for five years and whose food is a tribute to Asian influences, has wholly enjoyed the experience. "The country offers a lot of complex foods", he said in a press conference in central Seoul, Wednesday. "I've been inspired for new combinations from what I have seen here".
And as for staying true to the reality of Korean cuisine? The producers and cast agreed that there's nothing to worry about.
"I will try my best to represent Korean dishes the way they should be represented", Marja said. "Korean cuisine has not been shown in a very basic, traditional way", she said, adding that the documentary avoids fusion dishes that cater to Western palates.
"I think it's a mistake if you don't do the true flavors", Vongerichten said. "Nobody should alter the traditions of their food", for the sake of globalization.
Guest celebrities will join the two hosts on various episodes, though director Charlie Pinsky's lips are sealed, revealing only that there would be a Korean singer-performer and a Korean golfer. "Celebrities are important because they make headlines, but it's more about the real people", he said.
"Stop and Bap Korea" is in production and will begin airing in January 2011 on PBS. The series will be released on DVD and a related Web will feature recipes for those interested in cooking any of the dishes presented on the show.
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