i. Biography
Gastronomy in Kwon Woo-joong’s work is treated as lineage rather than theme: roots and techniques, rare ingredients and seasonal materials, and dishes carrying cultural memory without leaning on nostalgia. The cooking works from inherited foodways, then sets them in the present with restraint, polish, and contemporary clarity.
Coming Up
Culinary study at Kyung Hee University gave Kwon Woo-joong a formal base for work defined by precision, rootedness, and attention to the structures beneath flavor. In this register, ingredients are not just products to be plated; they carry place, season, and cultural memory, and the cooking depends on recognizing that before composition begins. Restaurant identity at Kwonsooksoo has been built around seriousness and elegance, with Kwon Woo-joong serving as owner and head chef since 2015. The work keeps essential materials legible inside a refined tasting-menu format: contemporary in presentation, but anchored in deep roots rather than ornament.
Today
“At Kwonsooksoo, we present genuine Korean food to the world, in a way that reflects contemporary Korean society.” The idea of authenticity at Kwonsooksoo is carried through ingredients with clear character and historical resonance, handled with a composed modern hand. Bellflower root kimchi appears on the restaurant’s seasonal tasting menu, putting the specificity of a local ingredient inside a sequence built for careful pacing and refinement. Bream sashimi with dandelion leaves is also listed among the seasonal dishes, as is sea bream sashimi with dandelion leaf. The pairing turns on clean fish and a bitter green note, with balance doing more work than excess. Delicacy, edge, freshness, and restraint sit in the same frame. Inherited technique and present-tense form continue through Fried courgetti blossom stuffed with shrimp and pine nut sauce, where delicacy, stuffing, and nut-based richness are held in one composition. Raw beef topped with oscietra caviar places this gastronomy in dialogue with a luxury ingredient, while keeping attention on preparation and pairing. Across these dishes, the working principle is not spectacle. Roots are returned to, selected, and arranged with contemporary clarity: seasonal, precise, and attentive to memory without turning memory into decoration.
Signature
Signature dishes include Bellflower root kimchi, Bream sashimi with dandelion leaves, and Sea bream sashimi with dandelion leaf.
Accolades
Recognition for this Korean gastronomy includes Two Michelin stars for Kwonsooksoo (2017).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Kwon
What is Kwon Woo-joong's day job?
Kwon Woo-joong is chef at Kwonsooksoo — Korean.
Where did Kwon Woo-joong train or study?
Kwon Woo-joong trained at Kyung Hee University.
What recognition has Kwon Woo-joong received?
Two Michelin stars for Kwonsooksoo (2017).
