Inside the Kitchen: Seven Questions with Chef Juwon Lee of Octavia

“Gamjatang” is a Korean stew made usually with pork bones, potatoes, cabbage and dried radish greens and most importantly a ton of perilla leaves and seeds. It is my favorite thing to eat on earth, and the best version of it has always been in the restaurant by my grandparents house in Suwon, South Korea.

The first time I ever had Pho really stuck with me, I was maybe about 10 years old and my mom took me to a hawker in the Jurong East Shopping Mall in Singapore, there we got a chicken and a beef pho to share and the first time trying the broth I remember I had to really pause to process what I had just had. Till then I had had so many broths of different kinds, mostly Korean bone broths that are boiled hard for hours until the fat emulsifies and you end up with a creamy broth, or broths are seasoned heavily with chili flakes and chili paste but having a broth that was so meaty but clean and clear it was unforgettable. Besides being one of my favorite things to eat, Pho has made me obsessed with broth.

Elevated dining to me means there is care put into the food that extends past flavor and cuisson. There was an intention behind the dish, whether it be a childhood memory the chef was reminiscing about or an exceptional bit of product that is showcased. Creating an atmosphere where guests can feel comfortable, and enjoy their own presence without needing to feel like they are required to act any kind of way. I don't think that the number of courses on the menu, how intricate the plating is or how white the tablecloths are make a restaurant any more elevated than one that keeps their guests happy every visit.

My big goal is to own a brick and mortar in a city that I love, cooking with produce that is in the peak of its season and local to me. I want to be able to foster an environment that promotes growth and learning within my team, and be able to constantly stimulate ourselves with new dishes, techniques and preservation methods. I want something to call my own, at a price point where guests do not need to break the bank to dine and where cooks can come through to develop into themselves.

Asador Etxebarri in Spain. I have watched countless dining videos of people eating at the best restaurants in the world but it seemed like they had a certain charm that was unlike any other. There doesn't seem to be any pressure on them and Chef Victor to be anything they are not already, an institution that serves the best ingredients, cooked to its full potential and always hit with what makes them unique, fire.

I like to cook simple food, allow the produce to taste like what they are, and treat them in a way where we don't hide their natural qualities. I like my dishes to come together, ingredients and flavors that link from each other, and I always need to cook from the heart.

My favorite comfort food is soups, of any kind and culture. There is something so comforting about drinking a nicely seasoned broth, full of vegetables or meat even on a hot day that always makes me feel satisfied.