London & Paris Restaurant Tips From A Foodie Legend
I moved to Paris to study when I was 17. That was when I had my first crêpe. I was genuinely surprised. It seemed like such a simple dish, yet the flavour was incredibly deep. The nuttiness of the buckwheat galette, combined with the richness of French cheese and good ham and eggs, was astonishing to me: something so minimal could be so satisfying. That moment stayed with me. It made me realise that, east or west, people are drawn to the same things. We all love pancakes in one form or another. I think that was the first time I truly felt how food connects cultures in such a universal, instinctive way.
Kimchi fried rice is real soul food for Koreans. But it’s not something you’re formally taught how to make. Kimchi is always in the house, rice is always there, and eggs are always there too. Because of that, it’s a dish that has been part of my everyday life from a very young age. Looking back, kimchi fried rice was probably the first dish I ever made on my own. It came before any idea of ‘learning to cook’. It was simply something that felt instinctive.
The restaurant I revisit most often is The Dover, Martin Kucznarski’s New York-Italian restaurant on Dover Street. I just love everything about it – the beautiful design, the vibes, the easy, enjoyable food. The bar feels like New York, with white-jacketed bartenders making perfect martinis in frozen glasses.
I loved a recent dinner at Martino’s. It’s one of Martin Kuczmarski’s two new openings, alongside Dover Street Counter. The vibe is similar to The Dover, but it’s open all day, which is great because I can eat the food I love whenever I feel like it. And I’m looking forward to visiting Legado, Nieves Barragan Mohacho’s new venture in Shoreditch. I love her food at Sabor, so I’m very happy that she has opened in east London, nearer to where I live, in De Beauvoir.
Without a doubt, my favourite chef is Tomos Parry, of Brat and Mountain. When I first went back to Korea and talked about how exceptional London’s food scene is – how strong the restaurant culture is, how refined the food, service and interiors are – people didn’t immediately relate. At that time, even Korean chefs still tended to have far greater respect for French cuisine than for London’s food culture. What Tomos did with Brat changed that perception. By cooking over wood fire and presenting food that felt deeply personal yet perfectly in tune with the times, he showed a different side of London cuisine, one that was confident, contemporary and rooted in its own identity. For many people in Korea, that became a moment of realisation: London’s restaurant culture is not only mature, it also deserves genuine respect. Because of that, I think he is an extraordinary chef. I truly admire him – not just for his food, but for how he helped redefine how London cuisine is seen and understood beyond the UK.
My perfect Sunday would involve waking up late and having a good English breakfast. I love an English breakfast so much that I built a whole restaurant concept around it, Approach, which I opened first in Seoul before taking it to Paris. Then I’ll go to Columbia Road Market for plants and flowers. At 2pm every Sunday, I go to church, then I’ll finish the day with an early dinner with my husband. Restaurants tend to be quiet on Sunday evenings, so it’s a great time to try that usually hard-to-book place you’ve been wanting to get into.
My ultimate Sunday lunch is a toss-up between a classic Sunday roast or a long, relaxed dim sum session with friends. But if I’m in Paris, it has to be brunch at Approach. I designed it to be the exact kind of place I’d want to spend my Sundays: great food, great atmosphere and the perfect ‘approach’ to a slow weekend.
After a long, late shift, my go-to is ramyun instant noodles. I add egg, dried seaweed, spring onion and dried pollock from a Korean market. Ramyun are incredibly popular in South Korea; everyone eats them. In the west, instant food tends to be looked down on. In Seoul, we eat ramyun as street food; you’ll find it on the menu at On The Bab in London and at Mari Mari, my kimbap Korean handroll restaurant in Paris. For a speedy mid-week meal, I’ll go for mandu, Korean filled dumplings, which I make myself. They’re similar to gyoza, but typically have more robust fillings. I like mine with pork and prawn.
I love shopping at Oseyo, a chain of Korean supermarkets. They’re really good for finding authentic, fresh and dried Korean ingredients. I also depend on The De Beauvoir Deli near my London home for the best artisan pickles and other fresh ingredients, and I get my bread and pastries from The Dusty Knuckle bakery in Dalston.
My most-used ingredient is jang. Traditional fermented sauces like gochujang, ssamjang and doenjang are the building blocks of most Korean dishes. They can be an ingredient, a seasoning, a dip – everything is transformed by jang. I’d almost say they’re the salt and pepper of Korean cuisine.
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My favourite dining companions are my dear friends Hugh Smithson-Wright, who is my London PR, and Adam Hyman, publisher of The Good Food Guide. I have known them both for many years and always love eating with them, particularly when we try new restaurants together. They’re both extremely knowledgeable and passionate about food and hospitality, so as well as enjoying a meal with friends, it’s a chance to catch up on what’s going on in the industry.
If I’m entertaining at home, my signature dish is a kimchi and pork stew called jim. It’s a classic dish, easy to make and it’s generous and easy to share. I much prefer to make something communal like that, which everyone can share, rather than doing something complicated, which means I spend more time in the kitchen than talking to my guests.
My dream dinner guest would be the restaurateur Jeremy King. Alongside Tomos Parry, I think Jeremy has made the biggest contribution to the UK’s dining culture. I would love to talk to him about his career. I love his restaurants – I always have breakfast at The Park and dinner at Arlington, and I’m very excited about Simpson’s In The Strand, which he’s relaunching later this month.
For me, the secret to a good dinner party isn’t perfection, it’s making people feel comfortable. When a host tries to do too much, that tension is felt by everyone. I prefer to prepare dishes that can be made in advance, so once guests arrive, I can be present with them rather than disappearing into the kitchen. The atmosphere matters just as much as the food. Good music, soft lighting and a table that invites conversation make a huge difference. And I always like to include at least one comforting dish, something familiar that puts people at ease. In the end, a good dinner party isn’t about impressing your guests; it’s about making them feel like they’ve genuinely had a good time.
If I’m cooking at home, The River Café cookbooks are my eternal favourites for their simplicity. From Korea, I always return to Jung-wook Woo’s cookbooks for authentic, soulful inspiration.
If I’m grabbing something on the go, I love a banh mi from Keu, either with pâté or pork belly, with lots of spring onion and chilli. I don’t have a huge appetite, so one banh mi can make two meals for me. I wish they did a half portion!
Crab toast is the one dish I always order if I see it on the menu. I love that this has become fashionable, as I think it’s so delicious. I like both white and brown crab meat, and I enjoy seeing how different chefs prepare this dish. Max de Nahlik does an incredible spiced version at The Holland in Kensington, served on sourdough they make in-house. There’s one with mussels at Camille in Borough, and I’m keen to try the crab toast with bisque at The Wellington, a new pub and restaurant in Margate that lots of people are raving about.
The most decadent meal I’ve ever had was a dinner at Plénitude, the restaurant at Cheval Blanc Paris, last year. With three Michelin stars, the kitchen’s mastery of sauces and the sheer elegance of the experience made it the height of decadence.
I don’t have a death-row meal. I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy so many incredible meals throughout my life that I’d be happy to leave it at that. I’d rather go with a peaceful heart than a full stomach.
I can't stand gimmicky food. The kind you see in viral videos like 12-layer greasy cheeseburgers or doughnuts loaded with extreme toppings. To me, that’s not cooking, it’s a waste of ingredients.
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