I am an engineer, farmer, hand baller, poet and a foodie. This article is based on a recent dinner at Jeong in Chicago during a trip in early June. Although it does not fit the exact NY Seoul theme, the head chef is Korean and this meal blew the roof off the place. In short, the experience was very memorable. Due to some scheduling constraints, this interview was conducted by email between myself, and the owners David Park (Chef) and Jennifer Tran (Front End Manger). Responses to the questions were by David.
Meal
The evening started with me using my NYC street parking skills to the fullest in order to get a great spot on the side street next to the restaurant. Because of this, I was a few minutes early. Jennifer asked if I was alright sitting in the waiting area until my table was ready and then checked back on me. I enjoyed the space so much, I decided to just have the meal there and she was very accommodating.
Although they had an incredible wine menu and pairings, I started off with the wild foraged hydrangea leaf tea which is naturally sweet. It is one of my favorite Korean teas and a wonderful start to the evening.
The first course was just beautiful and a succulent flavor explosion. I inhaled it like a vacuum cleaner in one bite chewing slowly with conviction, and yes, I slurped!!!
The second course was a salmon tartar with excellent flavor profile and texture.
The third course was the scallop; cooked to perfection and well balanced flavors.
The pork cheek with sweet and spicy vinaigrette, baby lettuce, daikon (purée) was hearty silky, and rich.
The last course was beef, egg omelet, ssam jang, shiitake, arugula. I rarely eat red meat and did not enjoy this dish, but Jennifer (Jen) picked up on this and brought me another salmon tartare without asking. Much appreciated and thank you!
There were two desserts; the first a delicious palate cleanser and the finale a slam dunk with a finger roll all in one.
The interior décor was stunning; crisp lines, traditional Korean windows, colorful ceilings, cool furniture and dinner ware. My meal and the service from start to finish was one of the best in many years. I applaud the staff, teamwork, quality of food and artistry. Come visit!! Upon leaving, I thanked Jen and got her business card for this interview.
Interview with David Park
I asked how are things going these days. David replied that things are busier which has been great for business. "A big struggle we have is finding staff to support the extra customers which is an issue the whole industry is struggling with."
David grew up in Korea until the age of 8. He then moved to Queens (New York) for a year and then Bergen County, NJ until college where his family still resides. Korean and Japanese food stuck with him as he has gotten older; specifically, tteokbokki (떡볶이), yukgaejang (육개장), gamjatang (감자탕), jjolmyun (쫄면) and soon du bu (순두부).
David graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY) with Jennifer in 2009. I was curious as to the mix of science and art. He noted that at the time there was not a science program yet; it was purely food and hospitality. Could have fooled me! I find most of the innovative chefs these days combine science and art in the dishes and how served.
Being a small restaurant with these two CIA chefs (and others), I was curious on their roles. David said "Our roles are distinct, where I am in the kitchen and Jen handles the front. We consult each other for opinions on a lot of things but typically the roles are distinct."
Regarding “innovation”, David stated "We are open to innovation but will not seek it out. We will embrace it if it helps us without compromising our food; such as using a chocolate that will have stabilizers that can withstand humidity in a kitchen, so it does not bloom (i.e., make chocolate have white spots).
I learned that they do not leverage with other small businesses for buying power and just act independently. They buy different things than most restaurants in the area, which complicates the coordination. "We do not want to burden others. Sometimes if a chef needs something we have, then we will happily help them source it."
Regarding developing the menu at Jeong, David typically starts a dish by a food memory or flavor and then uses local resources to build it. "For example, the hwe dish we currently have was stemmed by jjangachi. We make a traditional jjangachi (pickles in soy sauce), turn it into relish and turn the pickling liquid into a broth to pair with our kanpachi."
Many things in life are all about timing. The pace of the dishes at Jeong were exactly as I wished; quick and on point. I recently ate at a highly regarded new restaurant in Brooklyn with my wife and the six courses took over 3 hours. To me, that is extremely slow and adversely impacted our experience. I shared this with David and he replied that they try to pace the meals specifically per guest. "If we notice that the guest is eating slower or faster, then the kitchen is alerted to anticipate the pace."
l mentioned to David that I have been eating Korean food for almost 25 years and am seeing more restaurants popping up in various cities like Charlotte where I met one of the owners at a new restaurant. He recently drove to NJ and hired his head chef from Palisades Park, and discussed how K Pop and K Drama are making people more interested in K Food all over. David said "That is really awesome! The demographic of our customers does not seem to watch K dramas or listen to K pop so it doesn’t impact us. However, we have seen other casual Korean restaurant do some “Parasite” specials like jjapagucuri."
David is very much into tennis and plays a few hours every day when off. He and Jen also spend a lot of time with their 2 dogs. He likes to eat Asian comfort foods when not working including mom and pop Korean restaurants, noodle shops, dim sum or just cooking at home.
Lastly his favorite types of kimchi are cucumber ( 오이) kimchi and chonggak (총각) kimchi.
So pick up what I'm puttin' down; check out this fantastic restaurant and support a small business. Thank you.
Written by: Vincent L. Apa III
July 26, 2021