Sun Kim

Sun Kim is chef-owner of Meta in Singapore, where Contemporary Korean cooking is built from a Korean base and shaped through Japanese technique, Western schooling, and seasonal produce. The result is a controlled and precise style in which Korean flavour remains central, technique sharpens the edges, and produce sets the pace. Dishes such as Jeju abalone with kamtae and lily bulb, hamaguri clam under a scallop sheet, and fennel cream sharpened with preserved yuzu chilli, fennel confit, Japanese micro-chives, and lemon zest show how that approach balances richness, acidity, delicacy, and depth while keeping the food legible. Sun Kim studied at Le Cordon Bleu before working in Italian restaurants in Seoul, South Korea. That early formation placed French schooling beside Italian restaurant discipline and created a basis for structure, pacing, and translation across culinary traditions. Precision and restraint became more explicit in Sydney, Australia, where Sun worked as junior sous chef at Tetsuya’s until 2010. From 2010, he continued in Singapore as junior sous chef at Waku Ghin, extending a practice already moving across countries and cuisines before taking shape at Meta. At Meta, evolution and metamorphosis are part of the restaurant’s name and also its method. Korean cuisine remains the root, but it is reinterpreted in a contemporary and personal way rather than preserved as nostalgia. The kitchen brings Korean heritage together with Japanese culinary techniques, Western culinary training, and seasonal produce. Its dishes have been described as elegant and creative while retaining classic and familiar elements. The cooking often transforms known references into new forms, using contemporary plating without making the food abstract. In this framework, Jeju abalone with kamtae and lily bulb stands as a signature expression of Sun Kim’s approach, keeping the abalone central while using seaweed and lily bulb for texture and aromatic range. Hamaguri clam blanketed by a scallop sheet uses spiced fennel cream made with preserved yuzu chilli and fennel confit, finished with Japanese micro-chives and lemon zest. At The High Table collaboration at HighHouse in Singapore, his Steak Bibimbap was described as steak-topped bibimbap and a meticulous expression of his craft, taking a familiar Korean reference into a more precise restaurant format. Contemporary Korean cuisine at Meta is not treated as a closed category. Korean flavours form the base, while French-inspired techniques and Modern Asian fusion provide the architecture. That structure allows the food to move across references while keeping the centre clear. Asked what keeps him moving in the kitchen, Sun Kim said it is his team and the chance to showcase his food to customers, placing the work in daily service, repetition, and appreciation rather than in individual mythology. Meta has received Two MICHELIN Stars, One MICHELIN Star, and the American Express One To Watch Award.