Chef’s formula for success is passion, devotion and skill

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Chef’s formula for success is passion, devotion and skill

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Wang Sung-chul Executive chef Imperial Palace Hotel

Living a passionate life is easier said than done. In many cases, you are forced to the edge of a cliff to give up your own desires for what society requires of you.

Wang Sung-chul, executive chef at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, however, has always been a man who follows his heart. For the 27 years he has been a chef, Wang says he has always put his full effort into making each dish.

“The acclaimed French chef Alain Ducasse once said that the most basic characteristics of a quality chef are passion and skill,” he said, noting that the two elements are what he has been trying to achieve in his career.

“When I started out as a professional chef, I was required to make a continuous effort to immerse myself in the culinary world,” Wang said. “For example, I had to study both French and English, since most industry words are in those two languages.”

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A hot bowl of gukbap (rice in soup). Provided by Sinnae Seoul Haejangguk

Through his hard work and experience, Wang found his own formula for success. The best food, he says, should be made with a combination of high-quality ingredients and the devotion of a good chef.

“In the past, food was merely a means of satisfying hunger whereas now, it’s more than that,” Wang said. “Today, people focus more on the taste and quality of the food and its presentation.”

To create dishes that will be appealing to a wide variety of people, Wang often visits other restaurants to experience new tastes.

One restaurant he often visits is Sinnae Seoul Haejangguk (031) 424-9992, a gukbapjip in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi. Gukbap is rice mixed in hot soup with vegetables and meat. Guk means soup in Korean; bap is rice; and jip is a house or restaurant.

He says the restaurant may not have an elegant interior, but he recommends it those who enjoy a folksy atmosphere. And when the weather is as frigid as it has been in recent days, there is nothing better than a bowl of hot soup to keep the stomach warm.

Wang has become a passionate advocate for Korean food, and his hotel is currently serving 20 different Korean dishes at its Club Imperial Lounge.

“There are endless possibilities for the ways hansik [Korean food] could be made to attract foreigners,” he said. “The government should find ways to invest in and support the globalization of Korean food.”


By Lee Eun-joo [angie@joongang.co.kr]
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