CHEFS
Choonghu Lee is the youngest Korean chef to earn a Michelin star.
FESTA by Choonghu at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, he presents a bold new dining philosophy called ‘Innovative Sense Dining’, blending refined French techniques with his own creative perspective.
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Paris in 2009, Chef Lee trained in some of Paris’s most acclaimed kitchens, including Michel Rostang, Le Chateaubriand, and Le Dauphin, where he developed a deep foundation in classical French cuisine.
In 2013, he returned to Korea and opened Zero Complex, a pioneering restaurant that helped define modern, independent French dining in Seoul. In April 2025, he embarked on a new journey as Executive Chef of FESTA, continuing his exploration of flavor, form, and emotion.
Chef Lee’s approach is defined by curiosity and a desire to challenge culinary norms.He strives to create not just delicious dishes, but memorable experiences that stay with guests long after the meal ends.
FESTA by Choonghu at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, he presents a bold new dining philosophy called ‘Innovative Sense Dining’, blending refined French techniques with his own creative perspective.
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Paris in 2009, Chef Lee trained in some of Paris’s most acclaimed kitchens, including Michel Rostang, Le Chateaubriand, and Le Dauphin, where he developed a deep foundation in classical French cuisine.
In 2013, he returned to Korea and opened Zero Complex, a pioneering restaurant that helped define modern, independent French dining in Seoul. In April 2025, he embarked on a new journey as Executive Chef of FESTA, continuing his exploration of flavor, form, and emotion.
Chef Lee’s approach is defined by curiosity and a desire to challenge culinary norms.He strives to create not just delicious dishes, but memorable experiences that stay with guests long after the meal ends.
I began my career as a chef at The Shilla Seoul in 2005, first stepping into the kitchen of La Continental, the hotel’s French fine dining restaurant. There, I built a foundation in classical technique and an understanding of seasonal ingredients. Yet from the very beginning, I carried a deep desire to explore the essence of Korean cuisine. In 2013, when the hotel prepared to open La Yeon, I joined without hesitation, and I have devoted myself ever since to reinterpreting Korean food for a modern era.
At La Yeon, my focus is not simply to preserve tradition, but to honor its roots while expressing them in a contemporary and refined way. I strive for restraint rather than extravagance, quiet elegance rather than excess. To achieve this, I have continued to study historical cookbooks, noble family recipes, regional ingredients, and Korea’s fermentation culture. Each year, I personally brew jang to carry forward La Yeon’s own soy sauce, believing that fermentation is not just a culinary method but a core philosophy and identity of Korean cuisine.
Our menus are created in harmony with nature and the flow of time. Just as the seasons shift across Namsan outside our windows, they are reflected in our dishes. Menu development is a collaborative process, where every chef on the team is encouraged to contribute ideas so that our cuisine emerges not from a single voice, but from shared creativity. We value not only the finished dish but also the subtle discoveries along the way, which guide La Yeon toward ever greater depth.
As chef of La Yeon, my mission is clear: to safeguard the foundation of Korean cuisine while refining it into a contemporary course that offers guests more than a meal—it offers a cultural experience. Through harmony between tradition and innovation, the beauty of restraint, and flavors enriched by time, I hope to share with the world the philosophy and aesthetics at the heart of Korean food.
At La Yeon, my focus is not simply to preserve tradition, but to honor its roots while expressing them in a contemporary and refined way. I strive for restraint rather than extravagance, quiet elegance rather than excess. To achieve this, I have continued to study historical cookbooks, noble family recipes, regional ingredients, and Korea’s fermentation culture. Each year, I personally brew jang to carry forward La Yeon’s own soy sauce, believing that fermentation is not just a culinary method but a core philosophy and identity of Korean cuisine.
Our menus are created in harmony with nature and the flow of time. Just as the seasons shift across Namsan outside our windows, they are reflected in our dishes. Menu development is a collaborative process, where every chef on the team is encouraged to contribute ideas so that our cuisine emerges not from a single voice, but from shared creativity. We value not only the finished dish but also the subtle discoveries along the way, which guide La Yeon toward ever greater depth.
As chef of La Yeon, my mission is clear: to safeguard the foundation of Korean cuisine while refining it into a contemporary course that offers guests more than a meal—it offers a cultural experience. Through harmony between tradition and innovation, the beauty of restraint, and flavors enriched by time, I hope to share with the world the philosophy and aesthetics at the heart of Korean food.
I first discovered cooking during a time when many around me were turning to new paths, searching for stability through craft. I realized early on that if I wanted a future I could truly shape, I needed to devote myself to a skill that was both enduring and meaningful. Of all the things I tried, cooking was the one that came to me most naturally, the one that brought me joy. That joy became the beginning of my life in the kitchen.
My philosophy has been shaped not by a single moment, but by years of experiences across kitchens around the world. From France, I learned the depth and discipline of sauces. Scandinavia taught me to honor nature and the seasons. Germany instilled in me precision and detail. And in the United States, I discovered the simple truth that food’s greatest reward is the happiness it brings to guests. These lessons live on in every plate I create today.
For me, cooking begins not with technique but with character. A clean kitchen, honest ingredients, and a respect for discipline form the foundation. Like an orchestra, a kitchen only reaches its peak when every person plays their part in harmony. My responsibility is to ensure that harmony holds, so that the final performance is seamless.
When I became head of Continental, I set myself three guiding principles: to make the restaurant better each day than it was the day before; to create a place where the spirit of France could be felt here in Seoul; and to build lasting memories through food, service, and wine that truly belong together. These ideas remain at the heart of what Continental stands for.
Above all, I want guests to leave with more than satisfaction. I want them to feel that this, here and now, was the right place to be. For some, it may bring back the memory of dining in France. For others, it may be their first taste of it. From the amuse-bouche to the final dessert, every detail is our way of saying thank you—our promise that we gave everything we could. Continental will continue to evolve, and so will I. My goal is simple: that every guest leaves with an unforgettable memory of what dining can be.
My philosophy has been shaped not by a single moment, but by years of experiences across kitchens around the world. From France, I learned the depth and discipline of sauces. Scandinavia taught me to honor nature and the seasons. Germany instilled in me precision and detail. And in the United States, I discovered the simple truth that food’s greatest reward is the happiness it brings to guests. These lessons live on in every plate I create today.
For me, cooking begins not with technique but with character. A clean kitchen, honest ingredients, and a respect for discipline form the foundation. Like an orchestra, a kitchen only reaches its peak when every person plays their part in harmony. My responsibility is to ensure that harmony holds, so that the final performance is seamless.
When I became head of Continental, I set myself three guiding principles: to make the restaurant better each day than it was the day before; to create a place where the spirit of France could be felt here in Seoul; and to build lasting memories through food, service, and wine that truly belong together. These ideas remain at the heart of what Continental stands for.
Above all, I want guests to leave with more than satisfaction. I want them to feel that this, here and now, was the right place to be. For some, it may bring back the memory of dining in France. For others, it may be their first taste of it. From the amuse-bouche to the final dessert, every detail is our way of saying thank you—our promise that we gave everything we could. Continental will continue to evolve, and so will I. My goal is simple: that every guest leaves with an unforgettable memory of what dining can be.
Chef Jungsik Yim has gained acclaim for his “New Korean” cuisine, which reimagines traditional Korean dishes with a modern twist. After studying culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in the United States, he honed his skills at renowned restaurants such as Aquavit and Bouley in New York, and Zuberoa and Akelarre in Spain. In 2009, Chef Yim opened Jungsik in Seoul, followed by the launch of JUNGSIK New York in 2011, leading the global recognition of Korean cuisine. His innovative culinary philosophy emphasizes a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, earning widespread praise from food enthusiasts in both Korea and New York.