Chef Kim Seong-woon, who has been at the helm of the kitchen for 29 years, still enjoys taking on new challenges.
Having earned a Michelin star and established himself as a leading chef in Korea’s fine dining scene, he chose to make another change last year by relocating his restaurant, Table Four Four, to Hannam-dong. His goal in this new space is to source better ingredients, refine each dish, and offer guests a more profound dining experience.
While countless chefs talk about flashy techniques and creativity, he still considers the “basics” to be the most important. This involves sourcing quality ingredients, tasting dishes countless times, and paying attention to even the smallest details. This is also why he has been able to hold his own in the kitchen for nearly 30 years.
“Good cooking starts with the basics.”
Chef Kim Seong-woon didn’t originally dream of becoming a chef. As a child, he was very interested in sports. However, after stepping into the kitchen by chance, the course of his life changed completely.
“I guess I just kept going and ended up here.”
Although he said it with a smile, those words encapsulate 29 years of experience. He has spent a long time in the kitchen, going through countless trials and errors, and in the process, he has developed his own culinary philosophy.
There was no special secret. Rather, he said that sticking to the basics was the most important thing: understanding the ingredients, checking the flavors, and constantly thinking about what kind of experience the guests will have. These are the things Chef Kim Seong-woon continues to do every day.
After all, a chef’s most important tool is his teeth.
Over the course of decades of cooking, there is one thing that Chef Kim Seong-hoon has come to value above all else: dental health.
“We have to keep chewing and tasting it, right?”
For a chef who must taste and evaluate countless ingredients—from meat and fish to vegetables—teeth are not merely bodily organs but essential tools. Chef Kim Seong-woon had consistently taken such good care of his teeth that he had virtually no cavities, and he was confident in his dental health. Nevertheless, his teeth, which had been in use for so long, were gradually beginning to show signs of wear.
“When the wind blew, it felt a little chilly.”
Although it wasn’t particularly bothersome, given the nature of his job—which required him to taste food frequently—it wasn’t something he could simply ignore. This experience led him to try Minish.
What surprised me most was how natural the change was—more so than I had expected.
“I’ve heard so many people say that my appearance has improved now that my teeth are cleaner.”
People around him commented that his face looked so radiant, they thought he must have had a skin treatment. But there was something else he was even more pleased about: as the discomfort he usually felt subsided, the process of tasting and evaluating food became much more enjoyable.
My goal that I still want to achieve is
Chef Kim Seong-woon is still striving toward a new goal: to serve even better cuisine at Table Four Four, which has relocated to Hannam-dong, and to earn another Michelin star.
“My goal is to reach the stars again.”
It was just a brief remark, but it conveyed his pride and sense of responsibility as a chef.
His goals don’t end there. Chef Kim Seong-woon said he hopes to return to his hometown of Taean someday and run his own farm-to-table restaurant. It has long been his dream to create a space where he can incorporate the stories of the producers and the environment in which high-quality ingredients are grown into his dishes.
The chef, who has been on this path for 29 years, still asks himself the same question.
“How can I make this taste even better?”
As long as that question remains, Chef Kim Seong-woon’s challenge will continue.
