A taste of home with Chef Mo-a
Chef Kim Mo-a of French bistro Comme Moa cuts into her grilled brie cheese served with blueberry compote. The restaurant in Haebangchon serves pastry-covered beef called beef Wellington, left, and tourte, also a dish of mixed meat covered in pastry. [PARK SANG-MOON, COMME MOA]
Some come with their new partners to celebrate the start of their relationships, while some come alone to get drinks and talk about their broken hearts with the chef. Some rent out the entire restaurant to have gatherings with co-workers and friends, and recently, a French couple living in Seoul threw a surprise birthday party for their son visiting from France.
“This isn’t just a restaurant where you eat and go,” said Kim, “I want this space for me, the staff who works here, and the guests, so that this can be a place for all, regardless of ages and social background, and where people just come and eat as they come home and eat dinner after a day of work.”
Walking into the restaurant does feel a lot like walking into a friend’s dining room. Photos cover one wall and some have curved edges. The down-to-earth atmosphere makes one feel like they can just be themselves without needing to put on a fancy outfit just because it is French food.
As many Europeans and locals often stop by, about 50 percent of diners each day are returning customers, while the other 50 percent are newcomers who were recommended to visit by a regular patron.
The strong base of regulars didn’t just happen overnight, of course. For the three years she has been in the kitchen, the shy chef and her guests couldn’t help but get to know about each other.
Usually the start of the conversation comes from the wall covered with printed photos Kim took during her travels before she opened the restaurant. Some start by saying it’s nice to be reminded of their travels, while others say the photos inspire them to want to go on a trip. All the talk of international experience always comes back to Kim, who now has limited chances to go away for a long time.
“I get to have many compressed files of sorts on all kinds of experiences that my guests have had, and my capacity to save them continuously expands,” said Kim, adding that such vicarious experiences often brings her ideas for new dishes. The experiences don’t necessary come from trips to France but all across the Europe and the world.
The French technique she mastered after her 10 years spent in France while studying and working allows her to execute dishes developed by ideas from many different guests as well as chefs, who often gather at the restaurant to get late night food and drinks after they are done for the day. Comme Moa is open until 1 a.m. every day except Monday.
Beef Wellington, one of the most popular dishes at the bistro, made it onto her regular menu thanks to one of her guests, who wanted to have his father try the dish. She added a layer of ham and mushroom called duxelle to balance the meat and pastry. Some guests said they want souffle as dessert, so Kim made her own version, and put it on the regular menu.
“There is a daily menu created from ingredients that happen to be fresh that day at the market or with [dishes] I wanted to try out before [adding them to] the regular menu,” said Kim, explaining how she can be more lenient in cooking dishes with different influences and inspirations.
As she cooks and runs the hall at the same time as much as she can, she remembers details of who prefers what and who has a penchant for seafood or meat. Using her memory, she sometimes changes the small details in the same dish on the menu, or recommends either a glass or bottle of drinks she has ready at the restaurant. The constant effort to accommodate returning diners comes from her fear of being forgotten and of not being able to continue what she loves doing.
“People are sensitive to trends,” said Kim. “People might come now because they love this now, but who knows what’s going to change.”
“I have changed from someone shy to someone more open, and I want to continue this by sharing more with guests, so that one day I may sit down by the table with them and eat.”
She speaks French and Korean, but isn’t afraid of speaking English even though she’s not perfect. Guests from North America don’t often find their way to the restaurant, she said, but she hopes to get new influences to gain more inspiration for her dishes in the future. The little fear the chef has will be the greatest inspiration for her to mix what’s new and classic for those who always want to come back and get a home-cooked meal at their second home in Haebangchon.
BY LEE SUN-MIN [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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