Cho Hee-sook named Asia’s Best Female Chef
Chef Cho Hee-sook [Asia’s 50 best restaurant]
William Reed Business Media, which releases the annual best restaurant lists around the world highlights one female chef every year to celebrate their contribution to the culinary industry, including gender diversity. Cho will be honored on stage for her win on March 24 in Japan’s Saga Prefecture alongside chefs whose restaurants are part of this year’s top 50 list.
“Described as the godmother of Korean cuisine, chef Cho has spent knowledge of Korean cooking with young chefs, ensuring her country’s unique culinary traditions and recipes are passed onto future generations,” said William Reed Business Media in its release.
The chef, who acquired the restaurant Hansikgonggan in October after years of consulting, has often been referred to as Chefs’ Teacher because of her passion for sharing traditional Korean recipes and cooking skills she acquired over nearly four decades in the food industry. She previously worked at major hotels in Korea and taught at schools as well.
Chef Kang Min-goo of Mingles, Shin Chang-ho of Joo Ok and many other internationally renowned chefs in Korea have taken private cooking classes with Cho and often ask her for tips. About a dozen chefs at restaurants from overseas, including Vea in Hong Kong and La Cime in Japan, took time to learn about Korea’s daily food culture with Cho in December, and some of them even took time to dine at her restaurant as well.
“I can’t even imagine what more can be possible and what more can happen,” Cho said in a phone interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily. “I thought my time in the culinary scene was nearing its last chapter, but a new door has opened.”
After spending the past few years interacting with chefs, she learned that “What’s Korean is international.”
“Now spreading the word about hansik [Korean food] as we know it to an international crowd is possible,” she said.
Read more about Cho in a previous interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily
Traditional Korean for a new age
Read more about Cho in Korean in a previous interview with JoongAng Sunday
“한식 파인다이닝의 비결? 익숙한 것에서 새로운 맛 찾기”
BY LEE SUN-MIN [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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