Siwoo Sung

Coming Up

Childhood familiarity with plants became the basis for Siwoo Sung’s work at Légume in Seoul, where plant-based Korean vegetarian cuisine is treated as a defined practice rather than a side path. The cooking reads as a methodical use of vegetables: placed at the center, handled with precision, and kept under calm control. For vegetable-led cooking, the point is often not substitution but structure. In Sung’s work, the plate is organized so that plants carry the weight of the meal, and the result suggests how much depth and satisfaction can be built from that choice without overstatement. The restaurant’s ownership is part of the same plainspoken approach. The line states the role without ornament, and it frames the restaurant as a project defined by its work in public rather than by claims around it.

Where They Are Now

At Légume in Seoul, Siwoo Sung’s current focus is plant-based cuisine and Korean vegetarian cuisine. The dishes are shaped by restraint: each element is set to do a clear job, and the final plate relies on balance rather than excess. Mushroom steak, gnocchi and cauliflower steak sit in the restaurant’s signature repertoire. Treated as main courses rather than supporting parts, they show how vegetables can be given weight, texture and finish through technique, while staying within the logic of the ingredient. That approach now reads as a settled position rather than an experiment. Vegetables lead, technique follows their terms, and the meal is built to communicate through flavour and texture. The result is a tasting menu in Seoul that keeps the focus on what plants can carry when the kitchen gives them room.

Signature

Siwoo's signature dishes include mushroom steak, gnocchi, and cauliflower steak. Together, they show a practice built around earthy ingredients, composed plating, and the handling of simple produce so it reads as complete.

In Their Words “Our journey began with the simple belief that it’s meaningful when people share their thoughts on a vegan diet, whether embraced or challenged.”

Honors

Siwoo Sung has received Michelin — one star (2024). Siwoo's honors include Michelin one star (2024), 5 Radishes, and #52 ranking (2025).