Tucked behind a modest façade in Seoul’s upscale Gangnam district lies Y’east, a one-MICHELIN-star restaurant where each dish unfolds like a sensory riddle. True to its name, Y’east is layered with meaning — personal, philosophical, and technical — each strand woven into the identity of owner-chef Cho Young-dong’s distinctive culinary vision.
The name itself is a triple entendre: a nod to Young-dong's own name, a reflection of the restaurant’s creative reinterpretation of East Asian food culture, and a clever reference to yeast — an agent of fermentation, transformation, and depth.
“The name came naturally,” says Young-dong. “In Korean, ‘Dong’ refers to the East, and it fit with our culinary direction. And while ‘yeast’ literally means a fermenting agent, to me it symbolizes the invisible forces that create richness and possibility.”
A longtime admirer of the MICHELIN Guide, Young-dong’s culinary path began at a hotel kitchen in Korea before he ventured overseas in search of broader horizons. His worldview shifted dramatically at Australia’s acclaimed Momofuku Seiobo restaurant, where he first encountered how fine dining could blend Asian influences with creative freedom. Later, he refined his technical finesse in Copenhagen at Restaurant 108, during the peak of the Nordic cuisine movement between 2016 and 2017.
“Working overseas, I was surrounded by chefs who had trained at top restaurants in Portugal, France, and Spain,” he recalls.
Rather than discouraging him, this realization became fuel. “I was the only East Asian in some kitchens,” he adds, “But I felt the culinary traditions I came from were just as deep, if not deeper. I knew that if I could fuse their techniques with my culture, something remarkable could emerge.”
An evolving reinterpretation of East Asian cuisine defines Y'east’s singular style — what Cho Young-dong calls “distinctively East, but distinctly ours.”
This drive to transcend limits runs deep in Young-dong’s work. Even now, he remains in close touch with his former mentor, Chef Kristian Baumann of two-MICHELIN-star Koan in Copenhagen, who continues to offer insights on restaurant philosophy and execution.
For Young-dong, cooking is a process of exploration and expression. Each dish at Y’east carries his evolving thoughts — familiar yet unfamiliar, bold yet grounded. It’s this evolving reinterpretation of East Asian cuisine that defines the restaurant’s singular style — what Young-dong calls “distinctively East, but distinctly ours.”
Rooted in culture, shaped by creativity
Nowhere is this philosophy more vividly expressed than in his signature dish, Galbi Stone. At first glance, it resembles a polished art object — smooth, sculptural, and enigmatic. Inspired by European oxtail stews and the minimalist plating aesthetics he encountered in Japan, Young-dong set out to reinterpret Korean galbijjim (braised short ribs) through a new visual and textural lens.
The result is a glossy, pebble-shaped creation with a crisp exterior and a layered center that catches diners off guard. “It wasn’t perfect at first,” he admits. “But after nearly four years of revisions, I’m finally proud to serve it.”

Another standout at Y’east is the Zhima Jiang Egg Noodles, a dish sparked by Young-dong’s visit to an 80-year-old sesame noodle house in Shanghai.
“The flavor was unlike anything I’d had before,” he says. Reimagined through his own lens, the dish pairs the French sabayon technique with zhima jiang (roasted sesame paste), and uses black trumpet mushrooms, a favorite from his time in Denmark, to create a richly aromatic broth. “Those mushrooms used to be hard to source in Korea, but now that they’re available again, I’m thrilled to be using them,” he adds.
Rather than focusing on simply modernizing Korean or French cuisine, Young-dong’s goal is to explore the depths of East Asian culinary heritage and reframe it through a contemporary, creative lens.
“Fun and delicious — that’s what I aim for,” he says. “But above all, I want to offer something guests haven’t seen or tasted before. Taste is the baseline, but when you add story, innovation, and perspective, that’s when the experience becomes unforgettable.”

Exploring without pause: A journey in motion
To Young-dong, earning a MICHELIN Star is not the final destination, but a meaningful milestone along an ever-evolving path.
“What matters most is crafting an experience you can only find at Y’east,” he says. “I want our identity to be unmistakably distinct — rich in depth and clear in tone.”
This philosophy of continual exploration and layered expression echoes the design ethos of Genesis, the Korean luxury carmaker.
In a recently released short film, In Pursuit of Northern Lights, Genesis follows polar landscape and aurora photographer Virgil Reglioni as he journeys through Tromsø, a city in northern Norway, in search of the elusive aurora borealis. Driving the redesigned GV60 through Arctic terrain, Reglioni’s path reflects a shared spirit of discovery — a pursuit of beauty in unfamiliar places, and the harmony between vision and performance.
The GV60’s new exterior color, “Tromsø Green”, draws inspiration from the northern night sky. Positioned between green and blue, this iridescent hue evokes the shimmering aurora, offering a bold yet understated presence. The color was the result of years of research, designed not just to impress, but to evoke a quiet sense of awe.
Inside, the vehicle continues this narrative with a focus on authentic materials and cohesive, tactile design elements that, like a thoughtful dish, rely on nuance, restraint, and intention.
At its heart, the film tells a story of venturing beyond the familiar to discover something meaningful. It’s a theme that resonates with Young-dong's own culinary journey, where every dish, like every destination, invites a deeper exploration.
Constantly evolving, always unmistakable
Just as Genesis crafts vehicles with multiple layers of aesthetic and emotional resonance, Y’east presents dishes that reveal new facets depending on the perspective. Both are rooted in curiosity, craftsmanship, and the pursuit of something singular. The approach is iconically luxurious, yet quietly understated, defined by precision rather than extravagance.
Y’east is ever-shifting — an ever-evolving constellation of flavors, meanings, and stories. And with each new dish, Young-dong continues his exploration of East Asian cuisine, boldly illuminating new paths ahead.

