Korean chef wins one Michelin star in London

The Guardian reported Sunday that Sollip, a London-based restaurant run by a Korean couple, has been awarded a Michelin star in the Michelin Guide 2022. This is the first time that a Korean chef has earned a Michelin star in the U.K.

According to the “2022 UK·Ireland Michelin Guide'' that was announced on Feb. 14, a total of 164 restaurants won one Michelin star, including Sollip, which is run by Korean chef Park Woong-cheol and his patissier wife Ki Bo-mee. The Michelin Guide described the food at Sollip as “cooking that really feels it comes from the heart; it’s not showy or complicated, just polished and poised.”

The couple first met in 2010 at Le Cordon Bleu London Campus before getting married in 2013. They had planned to open up their London restaurant in March 2020, but it was delayed to August due to the pandemic.

Located in an alley near the London Bridge, Sollip offers various cuisines combining Western food with Korean ingredients. Their signature menus include many fusion recipes such as sandwiches made of sea trumpet and salads with perilla oil from Cheonan of South Chungcheong Province, Korea.

“Compared to other big cities such as New York, London doesn’t have many Korean chefs,” Park said. “I’d like to introduce much more Korean food and culture to the Londoners.”


abro@donga.com