What did you cook while growing up
in South Korea?Naengmyun (Korean
cold noodles). My mother kept some
packaged versions for me to make in
her absence. I remember my first attempt
being very challenging – far from the
familiar technique of making packaged
ramen. I had underestimated the
intricacies of cooking.
Tell us about the illustrated menu cards
at your New York restaurant, Atomix.We
thought dining experiences as an artform
was rather too fleeting. Food – once
consumed and digested – is gone. But
when you have something tangible like
our menu cards, it becomes a memento.
The cards also convey a lot about
Korean food, right?We like to detail
things: a Korean cooking technique,
a brief history lesson on Korean cuisine,
or even a crash course in a Korean
translation of widely known foods.
What inspired you to polish rice yourself
at Atomix?We wanted to show that
we have paid attention to literally the
smallest details. Polishing in-houseHAVE DOG,
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You used to work in Melbourne, under
Andrew McConnell. What was it like?
We never expected Cumulus Inc to be
such a smash hit from the get-go. We
had really long days – 9am-1.30am –
with most days filled with careful time
management between prepping, service,
break-down, and trying to squeeze in
little breaks as much as possible.
What will you be doing at Melbourne
Food and Wine Festival?A collaboration
dinner with chef Peter Jo (Restaurant
Shik). I’m excited to work with yabby; it’s
impossible to find it here in the States.
What are you fermenting currently?We
have a ramp (wild leek) kimchi that has
been fermenting for over a year. It’s really
interesting to see the different flavours
and textures that one extremely seasonal
vegetable can take on solely with time.
Junghyun Park appears at Restaurant Shik,
at Melbourne Food and Wine Festival on
12 March, melbournefoodandwine.com.auJunghyun Park
ATOMIX, NEW YORK
ON THE PASSVietnamese chicken
coleslaw, updated
Greek salad and
bibimbap with kimchi
dressing are some
recipes you’ll find
in this time-saving
book.The 5-Minute
Salad Lunchbox
by Alexander Hart
(Smith Street Books,
$24.99, pbk)GOURMET TRAVELLER 19PHOTOGRAPHY MARCEL AUCAR (THE PROVINCIAL HOTEL), TEAGAN GLENANE (PORTRAIT, THE PROVINCIAL HOTEL), CHRIS MIDDLETON (
THE 5-MINUTE
SALAD LUNCHBOX) & EVAN SUNG (JUNGHYUN PARK). STYLING DEBORAH KALOPER (THE 5-MINUTE SALAD LUNCHBOX).