Ambassador Sung Kim’s term has ended and the new Ambassador is Mark Lippert, who is now the youngest to the achieve that position.
His first official event at the residence was a lunch event for 12 reporters in an “off the record” press event.
The menu:
“Seared Beef Short Rib w/ Spicy Hoisin Glaze”
“Potato & Leek Soup w/ Parmesan”
“Pan Roasted Salmon w/ Wasabi Potato Purée & Asparagus”
“Baby Caprese w/ Aged Balsamic & Extra Virgin Olive Oil”
“Yogurt Pie w/ Blueberry Sauce”
FUJIFILM X100, 23MM, F2, 1/320, ISO 800
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1, 45MM, F4, 1/100, ISO 400
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1, 45MM, F1.8, 1/400, ISO 200
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1, 45MM, F1.8, 1/320, ISO 200
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1, 45MM, F1.8, 1/400, ISO 200
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1, 45MM, F2, 1/250, ISO 200
Every Chef within the past 20 years has done a seared tuna dish with wasabi aioli, me included.
This is my latest iteration of the dish, “Dijon Seared Ahi Tuna w/ Pickled Cucumber & Wasabi Aioli”. The first time I prepared a dish similar to this was when I worked for Chef Laurent Tourondel of Cello and BLT fame.
So why do something that’s been done and done to death? For the same reason why coq au vin and beef wellington are still relevant and done to this day. Yes, there are mundane versions being served in thousands of restaurants on a daily basis, but when done right these are classics although in this case, a modern classic.
When one can get very fresh tuna, whether it be blue fin, bigeye or yellowfin. When one can make a proper aioli that’s been whipped so that it’s airy and light instead of some heavy and lumpy flavored mayo. And in this case, when the cucumber has been sliced thin and delicately marinated in a rice wine vinegar that’s been seasoned so that there’s a nice balance of sweet and savory, the combination of flavors just works. In other words, it’s a dish that works on all levels of flavor, provided the execution is done properly on all levels.
As a Chef, I always strive to work with the freshest of ingredients and on occasion, it dictates the way I cook. With great ingredients, you don’t always need to fuss over seasonings, marinades, sauces, etc…
With this dish, I wanted to keep it simple and allow the ingredients to speak for themselves. Just precise cooking technique and clean presentation was the goal. With simple cooking like this, the ingredients as well as cooking technique must be spot on, otherwise the dish just becomes lackluster.
As a side note, with my current job as the Private Executive Chef for the U.S. Ambassador, I try and do at least 90% of the shopping myself or sometimes with my assistant. It’s the first time in my career that affords me the opportunity to go shopping and select my own ingredients whether it be at the Noryangjin fish market, meat market, local vegetable and farmer’s markets as well as the Commissary at the U.S. Army Base in Yongsan for general produce. Fortunately, I have access to a driver and a Chevy Tahoe SUV that takes me anywhere I want to go.
The salmon was generously seasoned with coarse sea salt and pan roasted to achieve a nice crust while keeping the inside moist and tender to provide a nice contrast in texture.
“Salt Seared Salmon w/ Lime Avocado Purée, Aged Balsamic and Pesto Oil”
I had the pleasure and great opportunity of cooking for Caroline Kennedy, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Japan and daughter of President John F. Kennedy on January 27, 2014. Actually, it was threefold, since she would be the guest of honor for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
At the end of dinner, I was introduced to her and she was every bit as charming and lovely as one would expect.
These are some of the courses that I was able to photograph from the dinner event.
Hors D’Oeuvre: Filet Mignon On Buttered Crostini w/ Peppered Horseradish
Pan Roasted Lobster w/ Wild Mushroom & Saffron Lobster Broth
Roasted Filet Mignon w/ Duet Of Potato, Asparagus, Carrot & Wild Mushroom
Asian Noodle Salad
The latest incarnation of my audio system adds a Mytek 192 DSD DAC, HiFiMAN HE-500 headphones and a pair of Oyaide Firewire and USB cables.
The Mytek is a marvel of a DAC at it’s price and shows more than just a glimpse of the very best DACs available. Compared to the very best, it strays from utter accuracy with a slight warmth and has just a hint of grain. Again, this is in comparison with the very best which also comes at prices far beyond the Mytek. Compared to most DACs in the under $2k category, the Mytek is simply astounding in terms of sonics and feature set which includes native 64x and 128x DSD support as well as Firewire connectivity on top of the usual USB, SPDIF and Toslink connections. Listened to on it’s own merit and for the price, it’s a DAC that I could live with for a very long time.
The HiFiMAN HE-500 is an orthodynamic headphone or otherwise known as a planar magnetic headphone that is just awe inspiring to listen to. It’s sonic signature is voiced so right that it begs for all night listening sessions that wind up into the wee hours of the morning. Like the Mytek, it’s sonic signature leans ever slightly to the warm and romantic side without sounding slow or muddy. Dynamics are outstanding, transients are lightning quick and there’s a high level of detail without a trace of glare or brightness than can lead to listener fatigue.
One of the challenges I face as a Chef is handling dietary restrictions and allergies with my guests. As the Private Executive Chef for the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, most of the times these restrictions are given to me in advance by way of a memo from the Embassy so that I can create menus around them or to simply create a special menu for that guest in the case of vegetarians or vegans.
However, on certain occasions, I’m notified verbally at the last minute. Such was the occasion not too long ago where a personal guest had a wheat allergy. The “amuse bouche” or “small bite” that started off the dinner was planned as a “Blue Crab Cake Croquette” but since the outer coating was panko bread crumbs that contain wheat, I had to work around it and create a one-off dish for that guest.
“Blue Crab Cake Croquette w/ Wasabi Aioli”
Not having time to prepare something time consuming, the last minute decision was made to just take the fresh claw meat and make a terrine like tower with precise cut claws.
“Blue Crab Claws w/ Wasabi Aioli”
LeeSsang “리쌍” is a Korean hip-hop act consisting of members Kang Hee Gun “강희건” aka “Gary” and Gil Seong Joon “길성준” aka “Gil”.
They performed at the Best Buy Theater which is located near Time Square. One of their more popular songs and one of my favorites, “Rush” off of their debut album was performed that night.
Jang Soo Bo Ssam “장수보쌈” • Joong-Gu, Bang San Dong 84-1, Seoul, Korea • 02-2272-2971
Category: Korean
Rating: (4)
Jang Soo Bo Ssam “장수보쌈” is a tiny “hole in the wall” type of restaurant specializing in Bo Ssam “보쌈” which is essentially braised pork belly. For those who live in New York City, Chef David Chang has been wildly successful with his restaurant Ssäm Bar where he does a play on the traditional Korean Bo Ssam “보쌈” but instead of using braised pork belly, Chef David Chang instead uses slow roasted pork shoulder. Where Ssäm Bar is casual hip, Jang Soo Bo Ssam “장수보쌈” looks like a makeshift restaurant from hell that would instantly be shut down by NYC Health Department standards. But then again, this is Seoul, Korea and here in Korea, a place like this screams “great food is served here”!
Jang Soo Bo Ssam “장수보쌈” is run by two grandmothers, one serving and one cooking although I have the strong impression that they are fully capable of switching roles. Once we entered thru the sliding front doors, we were brusquely told to sit anywhere we wanted. Not much of a choice since there are only five tables and three of them were occupied.
We ended up ordering Bo Ssam “보쌈” and Kimchi Jjigae “김치찌개” and both were quite delicious, some of the best I’ve had in Seoul. The kimchi that is served with the Bo Ssam “보쌈” is outrageously good.
This is the type of restaurant that caters to local middle aged patrons who don’t care about decor or even general cleanliness but just want great food. In some ways it’s a shame that many people will pass this restaurant by just based on outward appearances because the food itself is really, really good.
It’s been awhile since my last entry and I do apologize to readers of this blog for not having any new content in recent months.
I’ve been quite busy over the past six months, having moved to Seoul, Korea from New York and it’s been hectic getting adjusted here, especially with a new job. I acquired the post of Private Executive Chef for the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Sung Kim. It’s an interesting position and one that is very different than being a restaurant chef. In many ways, it’s a combination of being a catering/banquet chef, restaurant chef and home cook and requires a lot of flexibility with scheduling and cooking, in terms of styles and timing of service.
I’ve already had the honor of cooking for many VIP guests and dignitaries such as Senator John McCain (2008 Presidential nominee), the CEO’s of LG (Koo Bon Moo “구본무”) as well as DooSan “두산” (Yongmaan Park “박용만”), the Japanese Ambassador to Korea (Koro Bessho), U.S. 4-Star Generals James Thurman and Curtis Scaparrotti, as well as others.
Some photos from the DooSan dinner event for 12 guests which consisted of five courses although I only had time to photograph three of them:
Honey Roasted Figs w/ Feta Cheese & Balsamic Reduction
Cioppino w/ Olive & Herb Toast
“Surf & Turf”: Wine Braised Short Ribs & Pan Seared Jumbo Shrimp
hamatama 