This treasured building houses the restaurant Le Cochon, meaning “pig” in French. Opening in 2010, the restaurant offers gratifying stories between dishes, delivering an interesting narrative for a unique experience. But, most importantly, this place is part of the story of Culture Executive Chef Jeong Sang-won (‘97, Division of Life Sciences), who is considered one of the best traditional French chefs in South Korea. In fact, his restaurant was listed in 2018 in the Michelin Guide and Blue Ribbon Survey, two important culinary publications that highlight food worth traveling for.

Chef Jeong’s achievements are remarkable – not only is his restaurant featured in the Seoul Michelin Guide, but he has also attended the Goût de France in Seoul every single year since 2015. Internationally, the Goût de France is the largest conference and exhibition in the world celebrating French gastronomy. He has been invited by the French government to show off his skills to the world, which in turn generates pride for any South Korean pursuing European cooking as their personal culinary specialty. Chef Jeong is also the author of the famous culinary book Food Lover Essays - A Guide to Exploring the World of the Gourmet. Many critics have praised this book as a great guide for South Koreans in showcasing European culture and the history behind food.

Early Years at KU and a Passion for Cooking

Although Chef Jeong studied at Korea University (KU) in the Division of Life Sciences, majoring in genetic engineering, he focused more on cooking than his studies. He stated that his major provided him with new types of knowledge, even though he did not he did not like studying very much. By studying the chemical reactions in food, Chef Jeong was able to develop new methods of cooking. On one occasion, these chemical reactions included the study of taste and how temperature can affect the tenderness of meat. Furthermore, according to an interview with KU, cooking was his passion, and he was “drawn to new types of food thanks to school and later discovered their aesthetic dimension.”

Besides cooking, Chef Jeong was also quite an active student. He was on the student council and the captain of the college basketball club. Academically, he developed a deep understanding of the humanities, with music, history, and philosophy leaving a deep mark on his career as a chef. After graduating from KU, his interest in French cuisine grew, yet it was difficult to learn this when the number of authentic French restaurants in Korea in the 2000s was scarce. This led to Chef Jeong wanting to pursue a graduate degree in genetic or food engineering in France, but he eventually gave that up to become a chef – a transition he struggled with to a great extent.

Trial and Error until Reaching Success

Chef Jeong opened the restaurant Le Cochon in 2010 in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, after learning about the different kinds of French cuisine that exist around the world. Initially, he faced challenges, especially regarding temperature breaking down proteins. But through these and other mistakes, such as struggling to manage a restaurant, he was able to correct and learn from them.

Last year, the restaurant moved to a building that the Space Group used to own, also in Samcheong-dong. The building is a showcase for famous Korean architect Kim Swoo-geun, featuring well-designed glass panels and beautiful wooden structures. But the unique thing about the restaurant is not the general design of the building but the interior. Chef Jeong chose to add zigzag and triangle-shaped tables to the restaurant, which he calls “mokno,” meaning “a large wooden table for group dining” and “hard work overcomes hardships in all ways.”

Title as Culture Executive Chef

Chef Jeong sometimes prefers to use a formal title known as “Culture Executive Chef.” The title is in reference to the cultural experience that Le Cochon offers to its customers. It also refers to his desire to make his ideas shine so that the dining experience itself is more memorable. For example, the food helps some customers to reminisce about their past trips to France, or couples to talk in-depth about romantic movies. By sharing cultural experiences through food, Chef Jeong likes to consider himself a “Cultural Executive Chef” and not just a simple chef.

The definition of a cultural experience may vary between people but, Chef Jeong offers different themes for every season. In particular, current theme of the restaurant is “La Palette,” which is storytelling through colors. Another theme, “Chef with a Clapper,” was modeled on the clapperboard. The menu and food were presented to customers one by one with a thrilling surprise by the waitresses just like how movie scenes start rolling individually when the clapperboard makes a sound. The chef also mentions how the “importance of themes lies in the customers’ immersive experience, to which their experiences enthusiastically create new ideas.”

Overall, Chef Jeong’s tale of opening an authentic French restaurant in Seoul is a story of success. It should encourage students to continue their culinary dreams even if they face many challenges on the path to their goals. Even if someone specializes in a specific major, there will always be different career opportunities available, so it is important never to give up.