Korean-Tinged Japanese Cuisine: Chef Yu Hee-young’s Theatrical Kitchen
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
Chef Yu Hee-young, founder of Kibo Rock & Roll, blends traditional Japanese techniques with Korean flavors to create approachable fusion dishes tailored to Korean tastes. Influenced early by fusion Japanese cuisine in 1999 and mentoring under Nobu, he developed signature items like thick sirloin tonkatsu marinated in nuruk salt and the inventive “gejang sashimi” (soy-marinated crab with sashimi). His restaurant shifts from a daytime retro-style casual diner serving yoshoku (Western-influenced Japanese) plates like omurice to a relaxed evening pub with Japanese-style anju (snacks) and drinks. Yu treats the kitchen as a stage, performing each dish with care and aiming to give guests warmth and hope through food, while continuing to innovate new menus rooted in Korean palates.
