What do “stars” really mean to them?
The Feb. 12 episode of SBS’s "The Korean Chef" tracked how different chefs look at the Michelin stars they’re chasing.
Chef Kang Min-goo of Mingles, the only Michelin 3-star restaurant in Korea, earned his first 3 stars last year.
The Michelin Guide, the world’s most influential restaurant guide, rates with stars. Three stars―its highest rating―mean a restaurant is worth a special trip for its outstanding cuisine. As of now, only 157 restaurants worldwide hold 3 stars.
Kang’s restaurant, which carved out its own genre to win stars, has been running for 13 years. It’s a place that doesn’t allow even a 1 mm margin of error. With a motto of precision and speed, his kitchen enforces strict standards so guests have a great experience no matter what happens.
“There are things in this world you can’t buy, no matter how much money you spend,” Kang said. “Expressing myself isn’t something money can solve. Pouring my experiences into the restaurant―maybe that’s the biggest motivation for chefs in fine dining.”
While studying culinary arts at a Korean university, Kang worked in a wine bar kitchen, saving money and learning to cook. He headed overseas, worked at a luxury hotel restaurant in the U.S., then built his foundation at a Michelin 3-star restaurant in Spain.
In 2010, he was offered the role of executive chef for an overseas location of a famed fine-dining brand backed by actor Robert De Niro. That marked his first real step into fine dining―experience that now runs through his restaurant.
Kang first served dishes that layered Korean elements over Western basics. It felt lacking. Seeking answers, he looked outward and learned from Venerable Jeong Kwan and Chef Cho Hee-sook―from Korean fundamentals to how to use seasonal ingredients and capture them in a dish. He also learned how a cook should treat ingredients. A decade ago, he gave up his only day off to focus on learning Korean cuisine, and eventually defined a firm genre of his own.
Without outside investment, Kang earned 2 Michelin stars―and two years later, he reached 3. Grateful to the staff who believed in him, he said, “There may not be a happier day in life than this.”
French chef Lim Ki-hak―seen as a classic French icon and a craftsman in the industry―said about Michelin stars, “Of course I wanted them. I thought I could get them. At first I felt frustrated, and I even went abroad because I didn’t want to hear about someone else getting Michelin stars.”
Contrary to expectations, he still hasn’t earned a star. Since the Michelin Guide began in France, the bar can feel even higher for French restaurants.
He chose to follow his own philosophy instead of chasing stars. He’s now fully committed to traditional French cuisine in his own way.
After an elite vocal music path, he followed his dream, finished culinary school, and volunteered to work unpaid at a New York French restaurant. He eventually became an intern. There, he learned not only cooking but a chef’s mindset―and began a new challenge.
He relocated his long-standing restaurant and prepared a new charcuterie menu. Fellow chefs cheered him on as he moved for the first time in 13 years.
Chef Kang Min-goo’s 3-star restaurant has even become a reason some tourists visit Korea.
But Michelin stars can disappear with a single mistake. Last year, a restaurant that held 3 stars for 14 years was demoted to 2. The news shocked the industry―and Kang as well.
“Part of me thought, ‘Could this happen to me someday?’ It was complicated,” he said.
Chefs must face judgment at every moment. Kang shares that pressure with his team. Because the achievement belongs to the team, so does the weight of the stars. He knows a star never shines alone.
Kang and Lim, who have known each other for 14 years, politely declined to appear on the cooking survival show "Culinary Class Wars," but they feel its impact on the industry.
Still without stars, Lim felt sorrier for his team than for himself. “My staff are people for whom a star wouldn’t be out of place. I feel a sense of loss, and I’m sure they do, too. That’s why I’m even more sorry,” he said, drawing attention.
He added, “Michelin matters, and everything matters―but I think education matters most. If those of us on the front lines don’t teach, our work could disappear.” Kang also expressed his desire to create better conditions for the next generation.
Despite rising interest, fine dining remains tough to run. Young chefs are looking for other paths.
Chef Lee Yong-woo has centered his menu on wine pairings and found satisfying financial results. But his restaurant will soon close.
He’s choosing to push past the concern and open a fine-dining restaurant. “I don’t like getting comfortable. I think now is my time to go,” Lee said.
“My goal is a Michelin 1 star. I want to share my life through dining―communicate it, and show it,” he added, firming up his resolve to start in fine dining.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)
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