Simple Ingredients, Special Comfort: Zucchero Chef Makes Homey Italian Pasta in Seoul
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Chef Shin Jung-won opened Zucchero in Seoul’s Yaksu-dong to serve Cucina Casalinga (Italian home cooking) that highlights simple, high-quality ingredients. Inspired by WWOOF and farm stays in Italy rather than cooking school, he learned to value ingredient origins and rustic recipes from Italian hosts and later from farmers in Jeju. Zucchero’s menu focuses on minimalist pastas — like pici cacio e pepe made with local wheat, pecorino, and pepper — and other dishes (e.g., tagliatelle al ragu, spicy arrabbiata, and zuppa di mare e monti). Shin emphasizes “farm-to-table” ethics, listing producers on the wall so diners think “where did this come from?” He aims to create a warm, shared dining scene reminiscent of a friend cooking at home and dreams of one day running an agriturismo in Korea’s countryside. A recipe for Italian-style mussel and bean soup is included.
