Every city has its bevy of culinary stars, stars whose gastronomic talents spawn vast restaurant empires, cookbooks and television shows. In fact, the celebrity chef has become something of a staple of the global dining scene, something verging on a brand in itself.

The era of the chef -- not as someone relegated to the kitchen, but as someone who can be vaunted as a poster boy or girl of epic dining -- is upon us. In truth, it has been upon us for quite some time now, in practically every nook and cranny of the world, and right here in Korea, too. 

Here, in this very city, in fact, several chefs have turned their name into a symbol of fine dining, and have managed to put out -- with or without the help of investors or partners -- a cluster of restaurants, get steady airtime, print books and bask, or shy away from, the continual attention of the press.

So, who are they and what’s on their agenda?

A trio of prominent and enterprising chefs dish out the details on what it is like to come out of the kitchen and into the spotlight.



Edward Kwon, from the Burj to stardom

 
Hours after courting the press at his newly-minted The SPICE, managing chef Edward Kwon -- right-hand man and executive chef Darren Vaughan in tow -- slides into the boudoir-esque booth seating, a broad Cheshire Cat grin on his face.

This is the very same grin that went nationwide via SBS’ “Showdown! Star Chef” -- a reality cooking show that aired from June to September -- and that adorned the cover of his autobiographical book in 2008. In short, Kwon is your typical celebrity chef, even more so, now that his name fronts three dining establishments in Korea: Eddy’s Cafe in Gangnam and Jukjeon, and The SPICE in Hannam-dong.

“We are going to have another Eddy’s Cafe,” said the 39-year-old chef unveiling his plans. “The third Eddy’s Cafe will be coming in August.”

Though he is not the owner of this burgeoning empire -- Kwon has a business partner -- it is his face, his name, and his culinary worth that stands front-and-center.

Kwon is not scared of the limelight. In fact, he seems to enjoy it, shrugging his shoulders to those who might label his enterprise a “star chef brand business.”

“My answer is, ‘Why not?’” The former “seven star” Burj Al Arab hotel head chef said.

Why not, indeed? After all, this is the man who envisions a business that will encompass a total of eight Eddy’s Cafes and up to 10 restaurants that run under the reasonably-priced yet upscale concept of The SPICE. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Kwon plans on going global and reveals that he has already received offers from investors in America, Australia and Japan.

“We are focusing on Korea at the moment but eventually within one year we are going to have one or two restaurants outside the country, that’s for sure,” he said.

In Kwon’s mind, a chef is more than just the epitome of culinary genius. A chef is not someone whose sole purpose is to constantly dream up mind-blowing concoctions in the kitchen. For him, a chef also needs to know the business side of things.

“There are a lot of good cooks,” he elaborated. “But it’s very hard to find good chefs. A good chef has to be managing, monitoring, training.”

Kwon’s outlook is best reflected in his latest enterprise, The SPICE. This is a place that marries practicality with moderate luxury. In other words, this is a place that caters more to the masses by serving up European-style course meals at consumer-friendly prices.

“People think great food should be expensive,” said Kwon, expressing his frustration at the Korean dining market. “No, it’s not.”

“I would say in Korea, especially Seoul, the market is overpriced,” Kwon said, before adding. “For example, like spaghetti, how come it’s $25? I’m sorry, did they put diamond powder inside?”

So, then, just how successful is The SPICE at tamping down prices while still tickling the palate?

A sampling of the establishment’s Lunch Prestige set -- to the blaring sound of what seemed to be house music in the background -- proved satisfactory, especially because of the 33,500 won price tag.

Small chunks of pan-fried foie gras, crowned with dried strawberry slices and what they call a strawberry reduction, but what seemed more like strawberry jam, was not new to the palate. But the ensuing porcini mushroom veloute with eggplant caviar made up for it.

With a dash of panache, the well-trained wait staff poured the foamy soup over the little round of cumin-spiced, tomato-tinged eggplant, a precursor to the light, fragrant, silken play of creamy mushroom, sweet tomato, and nutty eggplant that followed.

Then came the duck confit. The portion was spot-on, just filling enough to leave room for pastry chef Chad Yamagata’s dessert.

The leg of duck had an excellent crisp, glazed skin. The meat was tender and not gamy, complemented by a bed of slightly lumpy mashed potatoes and duck liver sauce.

A sliver of cinnamon dusted chocolate tart, pistachio cream and coffee rounded out the meal. The dark chocolate ganache was rich, almost bitter, enhanced by the cinnamon. The pistachio cream seemed like an unnecessary afterthought, just the gorgeous chocolate and coffee, sans sugar, were all that were needed.



Yim Jung-sik, from Seoul to New York



At the other end of the price spectrum stands owner-chef Yim Jung-sik. A spry 32 year old, this Culinary Institute of America alumni made waves when he opened Jung Sik Dang last year, wowing gourmands with his innovative take on Korean cuisine.

His prix fixe prices range from 40,000 won to 70,000 won for lunch, and from 100,000 won to 120,000 won for dinner, a stark contrast to The SPICE’s 27,500 won to 57,500 won pricing.

Like Kwon, he also has a lower-end establishment in Jung Sik Dang -- ANZU, a Korean-style pub by night and casual lunch spot by day.

Now, he is looking to branch out into New York.

Why?

“Because you can advertise to the whole world,” Yim, looking tuckered out from his near two month long trip to New York, explained. “I am not just looking at New York.”

Back from scouting out the location for his new enterprise, Yim divulged plans to open up his restaurant in TriBeCa. He is in talks with an architect and wants to open in December, “but the people who are doing the construction are shaking their heads.”

The concept will stay true to his Seoul-based Jung Sik Dang -- fine dining that serves up Yim’s trademark “New Korean” cuisine. His “Five-Taste Bossam,” a staple of his restaurant, may garner him comparison to Momofuku’s David Chang. But Yim does not see top chef Chang as his biggest competition. In fact, he strives for even greater heights, scoffing -- in jest, perhaps -- at a mention of star chef Daniel Boulud as a potential role model.

“I need to be greater than that,” he said, stressing his desire to reach beyond New York and to cities like Tokyo, Shanghai and Paris.

For now, however, he is staying focused on his two restaurants and his upcoming establishment. Not an easy task when it involves biking back and forth between his two Sinsa-dong spots two to three times a day and fielding around two interviews a week.

Despite all the fame and business, Yim is still very much a hands-on chef, developing menus for both ANZU and Jung Sik Dang, trotting about in his neon green Crocs and his chef’s shirt. He is a little bit hollow around the cheeks but still has the sparkle in his eye.

“I believe a chef needs to be as skilled at management as he is at cooking,” the culinary savant said. “Because this business is to make money, it isn’t to display your art like an artist.”



Santino Sortino, from Itaewon to Gangnam


On a balmy spring day, executive chef Santino Sortino strides around his brand new restaurant. It is hours before they will hold their pre-opening party. Tables are being moved around. Chefs bustle about in the kitchen.

This is Sortino’s fourth Italian restaurant. The remaining three, which opened between 2006 and 2008 in Itaewon, are within walking distance of each other. This new one, in Sinsa-dong, represents a new endeavor for the seasoned owner-chef.

It is his first time opening on Gangnam turf, and Grano, his new modern-rustic Italian establishment, is backed by a different set of investors than his other three.

“I wanted to give Gangnam a chance,” the 41-year-old Canadian native with Sicilian heritage explained. “In terms of not just being the chef that cooks for foreigners but to be a chef that cooks for, especially Koreans, because we’re in Korea.”

Sortino took a multi-faceted and successful approach to his restaurant business, starting out with the casual and traditional Sortino’s in 2006 before going upscale with Villa Sortino about a year later. He then opened up the delectable dessert-oriented La Bocca in 2008. Now he is aiming for something between Sortino’s low key and Villa Sortino’s fine dining vibe with Grano.

“I don’t want to be like a franchisor that opens up one style of restaurant but twenty times,” he said. “I want to open up different-themed restaurants.”

“If I want to open up a steak house, it will just be great steak. It won’t be trying to do the same thing in 20 different locations.”

The tack is in keeping with the current global trend among owner-chefs to mix things up with a diverse restaurant portfolio, and it is a trend that Sortino sees happening in Korea too.

“I think that’s the next trend,” he said, contrasting the phenomenon of owner-chefs using their star power to open various establishments to franchises. “People do want to have more of a personal dining experience where they can talk to the chef.”

Personal is precisely what Grano seems ready to offer up. A pebbled terrace framed by potted orange and violet flowers invites diners into a terracotta-tiled, open kitchen dining area. The menu, says Sortino, will include everything from a duck confit and potato pizza to an asparagus-based carbonara pasta made from homemade tagliatelle.

So what’s next on Sortino’s to-do list?

“I want to open up a really good seafood restaurant in Busan,” he said, before revealing plans to go outside of Korea.

“It’s a plan in action already. It’s going to happen soon.”

By Jean Oh  (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)