Mosu was selected for the 'Seoul Gourmet 100' for four consecutive years. Have you ever participated as a judge for the 'Seoul Gourmet 100'?
I have not.
I'll take that as Mosu not participating separately. Thank you for confirming. Now, regarding policy improvements and supplements for the 'Seoul Gourmet 100'... You received 3 Michelin stars, a prestigious and traditional guide. Is there anything you can tell us about the Michelin Guide evaluation criteria?
The Michelin Guide is extremely secretive, so they don't even share with us who the inspectors are. Other than the public criteria like taste, there’s very little we know, so it's a bit awkward for me to speak on that here.
Mosu ranked 41st in 'Asia's 50 Best Restaurants' this year. How do they evaluate for that?
Uh... Michelin uses inspectors, while Asia's 50 Best or World's 50 Best changes 'taste hunters' every year for fairness. Since the identity of those taste hunters is also kept strictly confidential by the organization, it's honestly awkward for me to answer that as well.
As you said, 300 industry experts are changed annually to visit and evaluate. Meanwhile, 'Seoul Gourmet 100' uses a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rank point system. Compared to Michelin or World's 50 Best, it seems too simple to be a city-certified guide. As a Michelin 3-star chef, don't you think it's inadequate?
I'm seeing this info for the first time, so rather than judging if it's inadequate, I think ranking people in the food industry becomes difficult if it's too complex. My position is that it just needs to be as fair as possible.
I looked up who Chef Anh Sung-jae is, and you've become very popular recently through Netflix. Do you go around judging a lot? My search shows you seem to judge quite often.
Judging...? I judge... the food I make, or what my staff makes at my restaurant. I don't really go to other restaurants to judge...
So you didn't come to the recent Seoul Gourmet event as a judge?
(The Seoul Gourmet Mosu event)
No, no. That was an event we prepared to communicate with Seoul citizens by creating and providing a menu.
Ah, so you made and provided food... When I searched the articles, it said you've done a lot of judging.
That's because 'Culinary Class Wars' got so much attention. For now, that's the only one I've done.
You might judge again in the future, right? I think people who will be evaluated by you will be curious... What is your judging criteria or philosophy?
First of all, I don't just go to any restaurant and judge recklessly. In the case of TV shows, I try to conduct a fair evaluation by explaining my criteria according to the show's intent. Since criteria change depending on who is doing what and the organizer's intent, I can't just say 'this is my criteria' right here. But when judging food, my style is to look at taste, temperature, texture, and delicacy.
We are the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee. Seoul accounts for 70% of Korea's tourism, and food culture is especially important. Since you've run Mosu in Seoul since 2017, do you feel like the visitation rate of foreign tourists has increased since then?
I think there has been massive progress. I don't know the statistics on how much the tourism industry has grown, but from a restaurateur's perspective, I feel that foreigners aren't just layover-ing in Korea; they are coming here as a destination. Talking to them, I can feel their interest in Korean dining culture is much higher than before.
I believe your hard work, which has made people want to meet you, is what brings foreigners to Seoul. Please contribute a lot to Seoul's tourism activation. Do you have plans for overseas activities or fostering the next generation of 'Anh Sung-jaes'?
That direction feels rewarding and right to me. The gourmet event I participated in was also intended to share such experiences. Not just me, but many talented and unique chefs in different fields are doing great work, and I think the things you mentioned are the most rewarding things I can do.
Yes, we will look forward to it and support you. - Thank you.
Actually, you're so hot right now that I wanted to have a productive conversation. Seoul is looking to attract 30 million tourists; what do you, Chef Anh Sung-jae, think is the value of travel?
I value things that allow you to build new experiences and memories, things you like.
1 Michelin star is 'worth a visit,' 2 stars is 'excellent cooking,' and 3 stars is a 'country worth traveling to for the food.' To promote Korea, do you have any personal plans to help Seoul attract 30 million tourists through food? I feel like a chef of your caliber would think about that while lying in bed—how to connect the development of food with the development of Korea.
I'm the type to focus on my job as a chef, and if what I do has influence, I prefer it to happen naturally. Rather than thinking about what I should do for the city, I try to do what I can in my position. If TV shows like 'Culinary Class Wars' can be a catalyst for the industry, I will fully support it and do my part to activate Seoul's gourmet scene.
I think 'Culinary Class Wars' succeeded because it blended Chef Baek Jong-won, who knows the local alleys, with the world-class Michelin Chef Anh Sung-jae. I hope you use that and work with a 'national representative' mindset to revive Seoul's local scene. You seem to have a good mindset. I'd appreciate it if you keep thinking progressively, like 'Tourism is Seoul's economy.'
- Understood.
3-star requirement: Must save Seoul city. Note: Anh Sung-jae is an American citizen.
"The community is mostly face-palming at the clueless politicians asking a world-class chef to 'save the local economy' like he's a government official. Some users are trolling by calling him a 'fraud' or comparing his situation to Baek Jong-won's public projects, while the rest are just too lazy to read the long transcript and are demanding a TL;DR."
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