While walking through 7th Door’s long hallway, diners can see a variety of ingredients aging, including bamboo shoots, anchovies, and blue tangerines, which elevates the expectation of how fermentation will feature in the cuisine on your table. With just 14 seats and an open kitchen that serves as the stage for the chefs’ performances, 7th Door has been recognized with a One MICHELIN Star distinction in the most recent MICHELIN Guide Seoul 2021.
Chef Kim Dae-chun of 7th Door, with over 20 years’ experience, has been steadily attracting gourmets, both local and international, by creatively linking the fermentation and aging of Korean food to recipes and ingredients from all over the world. We asked chef Kim about his interpretation of the DNA of Korean gastronomy, and how he felt when he first received the MICHELIN Star.
What’s your cuisine philosophy at 7th Door?
7th Door's cuisine is based on fermentation and aging. We prepare a variety of ingredients to showcase the dynamic four seasons of our country, from fresh to fermented, so that the diners can fully feel the unique taste of those ingredients. And we add our brand of humor so that our guests can enjoy the meal for three hours without losing interest.
After cooking for more than 20 years as a vocation, it is rather difficult to define what “good food” is. Inspired by what I ate and felt, my recipes and the character of our dishes are developed by using fermentation with good ingredients.
Also as a chef of MICHELIN Plate Toc Toc (link: https://guide.michelin.com/kr/en/seoul-capital-area/kr-seoul/restaurant/toc-toc) for the past eight years, I have used all the best ingredients available in Korea. Here at 7th Door, I summarize this experience and add the theme of fermentation and aging to further draw out the essence of the ingredients. In the end, ‘a very fine ingredient’ itself is extremely important to surprise people beyond being familiar with all the dishes. Even though the recipe is the same, the result varies depending on what ingredients you use. For example, gejang is a famous category of salted fermented seafood in Korean cuisine, which is made by marinating fresh raw crabs in ganjang (soy sauce). If you use Dokdo prawn (Trachysalambria curvirostris) instead of regular blue crab, the flavor is even more impressive.
What is one of 7th Door’s signature dishes?
Shark’s fin spring roll might look very simple, but it takes a long time and a lot of effort. This extravagant ingredient – shark’s fin – is often enjoyed on a large plate in a luxurious way, but we wanted to show our guests a simplified form of fried finger-food. The preparation process is complex. We make the chicken stock for the shark's fin with Volvic, a volcanic spring water from Auvergne Regional Park in France, instead of tap water. If you boil 5kg of chicken in this mineral-rich water, you'll get 2 liters of strong-flavored stock. The texture and rich taste of the cooked shark's fin is hidden under the crispy spring roll.
As such, we pursue a simple format with ironically rich and deep flavor. I think it's fun to enjoy high-end food in the form of snacks, like tteokbokki in truffle sauce as well as the shark’s fin spring roll.
What was your first encounter with the MICHELIN Guide?
In 2005, when I was studying in Japan, I went to the library and read an interview with Alain Ducasse, about the chef who received the most MICHELIN stars in the world. I was really impressed by his quote that "More than 70% of the food is determined by the ingredients." There was an intuitive echo in my mind. From then on, I became obsessed with ingredients and also had a vague dream for a MICHELIN star.
And then when I was working in Japan, the MICHELIN Guide was launched there, causing excitement in the restaurant industry. It made me dream of getting a star when the Guide came to Korea someday.
What was it like when your restaurant received a MICHELIN star for the first time?
It was Sunday. I heard that some chefs had gotten a call from the Guide, but I didn't. In my mind, I was resigned and told myself I should work harder this year and look forward to the future. I was sharpening my knife while cleaning up the kitchen, and suddenly the whetstone broke. The phone rang at that exact moment like a scene from a movie – I was told that I got a MICHELIN star.
For about two days, it didn't feel real. Rather, I couldn't get my hands to focus on my work. I received the MICHELIN star that I had been hoping for so much, but my heart was heavy rather than celebrating with joy. It seemed burdensome, and I became more critical about my cooking. As time went by, my stress gradually decreased with a calm mind, and I was able to concentrate fully with a more comfortable mind to get back to work.
What was the first thing you did when you received the news?
I called my wife. The first person in my mind was my wife – the one who raises our son, takes care of our family, helps me concentrate on my work, and is always giving me strength and support. I cried a lot on the phone. I didn't learn how to cook under a MICHELIN star chef at a fancy restaurant; I worked my way here from the very beginning. Such memories instantly flooded my mind and my emotions were overwhelmed.
How did you celebrate?
Our crew from all the other restaurants in this building – not only 7th Door, but also Toc Toc, Tenjimon and Corte – celebrated together, sharing food and drinks. I think this amazing result was made possible because everyone did one’s best.
As a chef, what does having a MICHELIN star mean to you?
Not all chefs work to get MICHELIN stars – but wouldn't a chef have that dream at least once? I'm so honored that 7th Door is selected as a MICHELIN star restaurant.
I think I've made a mark in my career as a chef, now that my restaurant has been recognized by the world's best gastronomic guide. I didn't have a fancy resume with experiences in fancy fine-dining restaurants, but I think I've been recognized for my potential to believe in my direction, cook and pioneer the way. Now, I want to develop and cultivate my junior chefs and create more possibilities with them.
Do you have any advice for young chefs aiming for MICHELIN stars?
You can't achieve it unless you dedicate your soul to it. You can accomplish something only with dedicating your complete commitment to it, whether that is a MICHELIN Guide recognition, your restaurant, your career, and anything else. Many chefs want to be an owner chef. If you have the same dream, then you have to practice constantly and devote yourself to that work – no matter what you are doing right now. Even if you're the youngest of your team, do not draw boundaries around your work. Being fully committed to your work and always aiming for more is a powerful weapon that can make any dream come true.
Hero Image: Chef Kim Dae-chun, courtesy of Julia LEE
This article was originally written in Korean by Julia Lee and edited in English by June Lee.
