i. Biography
The Path
Training at Jaehyun High School and Shinhan University gave Seongjun Kwon the kind of base that matters in a professional kitchen: repetition, pace, and the ability to keep refining the same work until it holds up under service. That discipline now sits behind his role as Executive Chef of L'Arbre Vert, where the title reads less as decoration than as proof of what sustained study can produce. The work suggests a chef built through method, not haste.
The Work Today
Korean-Alsatian village-cooking is a deliberate hybrid, not a loose fusion label. In Seongjun Kwon’s kitchen, the phrase signals two traditions kept distinct enough to remain legible, while still being worked into the same plate. It is a practical way of cooking across inheritance and place, without forcing either side to flatten the other. The setting in Berrwiller, France, gives that approach its local frame. For Seongjun Kwon, the restaurant is not just where the food is served; it is part of how the food is understood. Village life, in this context, is not an aesthetic backdrop but the working environment that grounds the restaurant’s language and keeps the idea of village-cooking tied to actual place. What holds the work together is balance. Seongjun Kwon’s cooking does not ask the kitchen to choose between background and present location. It keeps both in play, letting them sit alongside each other until a clear style appears: restrained, site-aware, and built from careful adjustment rather than declaration.
Acclaim
Seongjun's honors include Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024).
Profile updated August 2026
FAQ
Asked of Seongjun
What is Seongjun Kwon's current role?
As of 2026, Seongjun Kwon is Executive Chef.
Where did Seongjun Kwon train or study?
Seongjun Kwon trained at Jaehyun High School and Shinhan University.
What recognition has Seongjun Kwon received?
Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024).
