Renowned as one of South Korea’s most celebrated chefs, Chef Choi Hyun-seok of Culinary Class Wars fame and restaurant CHOI in Seoul, brings over three decades of culinary expertise and signature dishes from the acclaimed cooking series to create an unforgettable gastronomic experience that promises to ignite the senses.
Chef Choi, along with his top-caliber kitchen team, has transported guests to the world of prime dining via a three-day, five-course dinner series with Solaire serving as the perfect backdrop. This collaboration transforms each dining experience into a symphony of flavors, showcasing the very best of Chef Choi’s culinary repertoire.
You can experience it yourself from April 14 to July 6 – indulge in the full menu at Waterside in Solaire Resort Entertainment City or head off to Finestra in Solaire Resort North for the donut, vongole, and three-sauce steak – which are absolute fan favorites (and mine, too!).
Korean-Italian fusion; purely Chef Choi
The evening begins with a delightful amuse-bouche called Bean (chickpea puree flavored with black garlic and cumin atop a light crisp cracker and finished off with edible flowers) and Donut paired with corn and caviar. If you’re a hummus fan, you will surely love Bean but Donut was a surprise. This tiny package is full of flavor with the smokiness of the charred corn working perfectly well with the light airy fried (surprise!) brioche dough and caviar that adds the right *oomph!* that leaves you craving for more.
Miyeokguk or Seaweed Soup came next – with pickled radish pretending to be a piece of tuna (a nod to the chef’s ingenuity and playfulness) tucked underneath breaded hairtail fish – a good crescendo of what’s to come next.
Vongole – two kinds of pasta (one made with squid ink) and definitely feels and tastes handmade bathed in a silky buttery-garlic sauce topped with a generous serving of the freshest clams. A dish worthy of praise and this time, has garlic (ifyyk).
The Jang Trio Steak (Three-Sauce Steak) features a generous cut of Wagyu striploin cooked to perfection, paired with asparagus topped with gochujang cream and cubed pears with shaved truffle. The fresh tartness of the pear and herbaciousness of the asparagus helps cut through the richness of steak and truffle shavings (personally, the truffle flavor was too much for me but truffle lovers would appreciate this pairing).
We ended on a sweet note with a Chef Choi Solaire- exclusive dessert – Bingsu (Korean Shaved Ice). Quenelled mascarpone and white chocolate over a bed of shaved ice and cacao nibs paired with what I call an elevated KitKat filled with red bean paste and covered in finely tempered matcha.
To cap it all off, each dish was completed by tastefully curated wine and non-alcoholic pairings by Solaire’s expert sommeliers. Whether dining in the north or south, every guest is guaranteed a memorable encounter with the refined flavors crafted by Chef Choi. For more details, reservations, and inquiries, visit the Solaire Resort website at https://www.solaireresort.com/chef-choi-hyun-seok/ or contact +632 8888 8888. This is not just a meal; it’s an invitation to experience the pinnacle of culinary excellence that only Chef Choi can deliver.
