From October 15 to 31, 2022, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi will host Korean Cuisine Week, offering diners a culinary experience that returns to nature by “philosopher chef” Jeong Kwan - a famous vegetarian monk/chef honored in the Icon Award Asia in the list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and Netflix star in the series Chef's Table.
Chef Jeong Kwan's menu is inspired by Zen cuisine, using Buddhist principles.
The Korean Food Week will kick off from 11am to 2pm on Saturday, October 15. This is the third time the Metropole Hanoi has hosted the Korean Food Week, spanning two weeks with à la carte menus and five-course set menus for lunch and dinner at Le Club Bar, alongside Korean products on sale at L'Epicerie du Metropole.
Chef Jeong Kwan's menu is inspired by Zen cuisine, using Buddhist principles and the finest ingredients from Korea.
The food week menu includes: Black Sesame Porridge (black sesame porridge with salted tomatoes braised in oil), Paprika Stuffed Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms (tofu stuffed in bell peppers cooked with shiitake mushrooms and traditional Korean rice syrup), Jang Ddeok and Persimmon Salad (traditional Korean pancakes with Gochujang and Doenjang chili paste, dried persimmons and sweet sauce), Namul Bibimbap (with 3 types of mountain herbs, Jeong Kwan's secret Pakpakjang sauce, sweet and sour vegetables and mushrooms) and Korean Milk Grapes Braised in Tomato Syrup (served with seaweed and crispy potato slices).
Jeong Kwan's profound culinary philosophy comes from applying the cycle of body, mind and nature.
“When I think about cooking, I usually empty myself first to understand the essence of the ingredients and share my mind with nature,” chef Jeong Kwan shares.
Most of Jeong Kwan’s recipes use plants and herbs that are native to Korea. She does not use garlic or onions (which are believed by most Buddhists to be unhelpful for spiritual cultivation) in her cooking, in keeping with the spirit of veganism and meditation.
Jeong Kwan has never worked in a restaurant or had any formal culinary training. Her profound culinary philosophy comes from applying the cycle of body, mind, and nature. She advocates Korean temple cuisine with one fundamental and core principle: cooking is to nourish the body but also to help people attain enlightenment.
When French gastronomist Eric Ripert visited Baekyangsa, the 7th-century temple in Naejangsan National Park that chef Jeong Kwan calls “home,” he called her “Philosopher Chef” and praised chef Jeong Kwan’s food as “the most exquisite food in the world.”
