A Michelin 3-Star Korean Chef's Secrets for Better Korean Food at Home

Chef Kim Byung-jin has a simple piece of advice for anyone who finds Korean food intimidating: stop overthinking it. "Korean cuisine isn't difficult," he says. "Start by asking how you can make the food you already eat every day just a little more delicious, that's enough."

It's a disarmingly modest outlook from someone who spent years at the top of Korea's fine dining world. As the chef behind Gaon, Kim held the Michelin Guide Seoul's coveted three-star rating for seven consecutive years from 2017 to 2023, an achievement that placed the restaurant at the absolute pinnacle of Korean gastronomy. Now, as vice president of Gaon Society, he's taking his expertise beyond the white-tablecloth world and into online cooking classes, where he teaches seasonal Korean home cooking to a broad public audience.

His philosophy is rooted in restraint. "Modern food often layers on bold, stimulating flavors or dresses things up elaborately," he says. "But the real appeal of Korean cuisine lies in its unassuming quality, finding the pure, inherent flavor hidden within simplicity. The essence of hansik is not about artificially coating ingredients with taste, but about letting their natural power shine."

That philosophy shows up in the practical details. When making hwangtae-guk (dried pollack soup), for instance, Kim recommends adding the broth in small increments while continuously stir-frying the fish, almost as if agitating it. Done right, he says, a rich, milky liquid emerges that rivals the depth of bone broth.

For anchovy-based broths, he emphasizes low heat and patience: bring the liquid to a boil, then immediately reduce the flame and let it steep gently for about 20 minutes. A rolling boil drives off the delicate umami and brings out bitterness; a slow simmer coaxes out every bit of savory depth.

On the subject of radish, Kim draws a distinction most home cooks might not consider. The upper part of a mu (Korean radish) is sweet and best suited to fresh dishes, while the lower white section, slightly sharp and bitter, is what you want for broth, giving soups a clean, refreshing finish.

Fermented shrimp paste (saeujeot), he explains, is far more than just a seasoning. Its naturally occurring digestive enzymes break down meat proteins, resulting in a noticeably tender texture. Paired with pork fat in particular, it amplifies a mild, nutty richness that simple salt cannot replicate. His tip for handling meat: skip the long soak to draw out blood, and instead rinse briefly in clean water, then pat thoroughly dry to preserve the natural meat flavor.

For bulgogi and other marinated meats, Kim makes his own flavored soy sauce (mat-ganjang) by simmering soy sauce with mirin, rice syrup, pear, and onion, but with one twist: he chars the vegetables over an open flame first. The smoky sweetness that results, combined with the natural sugar of the pear, produces a layered depth that's rich without being sharp. A preliminary soak in pear juice before marinating further tenderizes the meat and neutralizes any gamey notes.

When pickling vegetables for jangajji (Korean pickles), Kim cuts through a common debate simply: "There's actually no difference in flavor between pouring hot brine and cooled brine. It comes down to timing." Hot brine speeds up the pickling process for those who want to eat soon; cooled brine is better for long-term storage. For anything meant to keep, he recommends draining and re-boiling the brine after about three days, letting it cool, then pouring it back over the vegetables, this counteracts the dilution that happens as moisture is drawn out, keeping the salt level stable.

His advice for geotjeori (fresh kimchi salad) is equally precise. Use only the white, lower stalk of green onions, the green tops contain a resinous sap that can turn bitter. And add a small spoonful of gochujang (Korean chili paste) to the seasoning mix: it acts as a binding agent, helping the sauce cling to the ingredients rather than slipping off.

Off the stove, Kim describes himself as "an ordinary husband at home." Every year on his wife's birthday, he prepares a modest spread of miyeokguk (seaweed soup), bulgogi, and grilled hairtail fish. For him, cooking has never been about technical virtuosity, it's about communicating warmth.

"Cooking is not technique; it's heart," he says. "I hope everyone can experience in their daily lives the comfort that a warm, home-cooked meal can bring."

Kim Byung-jin is currently teaching Hansik-ui Jeongseok (The Essentials of Korean Cuisine), an online course through the Jigeuljigeu Club platform, covering everything from hwangtae-guk and miyeokguk to braised spare ribs, beef dishes, sea bream rice, and fresh kimchi.