Chef Jae Jung Wows A NYC Audience With A “Harmony of the 8 Provinces” Menu Showcasing Korean Cuisine’s Pleasures

Top Right: Karen Page, Chef Jae Jung, and Andrew Dornenburg, at a December 10th dinner hosted by the Korean Cultural Center at Glasshouse Chelsea in New York City

It’s always a pleasure to taste the work of a rising star chef with great talent. It makes us excited about the future of cuisine.

And that’s exactly what happened last night when the Korean Cultural Center of New York hosted Chef Jae Jung to create a menu around the Eight Provinces of both North Korea and South Korea.

Chef Jae moved to New York City in 2009 to attend the Culinary Institute of America, and has since cooked at such stellar restaurants as Le Bernardin and Cafe Boulud, where she rose to the position of sous chef.

Middle Left: Poached Korean pears are torched for a heavenly dessert combining them with omija and honey, omija and rosemary granita, soy-caramelized walnuts, and whipped creme fraiche; Bottom Right: Cured and charred Spanish mackerel was brushed with coriander oil and served with a spicy fresh cilantro salad

So it’s hardly a surprise that she’s developed an expert palate, and mastered technique and seasoning.  However, the extraordinary banquet that she was able to prepare last night for dozens of guests out of an event space without a full working kitchen was nothing short of amazing.

Be prepared to hear more about Chef Jae Jung — and her very special touch with balancing the acidity and heat of Korean seasoning — in the years ahead.