Celebrity Chef Edward Kwon Plans To Globalize Korean Food

CEO of EK Food Edward Kwon shared in an interview with CNN that becoming a chef was "never" his dream, but circumstances led him to this path and ended working in a restaurant to earn money and feed his stomach.

"My first job was as a dishwasher, then a server and at this point I had no desire to work in the kitchen," Kwon said.

Kwon had a change of heart when a companion told him that cooks are being paid higher than the servers.

Although he didn't speak English then, at 29, Kwon decided to work at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco where he experienced racial discrimination because of language barrier.

His journey abroad didn't only teach him the English language, but the whole ride brought him to experience a lot of things. He learned plenty of things as well.

"A chef is on a culinary journey until the day he dies," Kwon said.

"It might be a journey to look for ingredients, or to eat out at a restaurant or even to eat street food. There's always a learning opportunity."

Kwon considered himself an unofficial ambassador of Korea as he always tried to promote Korean food overseas.

He also added that he wanted the people to know more about Korean food, as people have been interested in Korean music and movies lately.

"With music or movies, people can change their minds the next day. But the memory of food lasts," Kwon said.

"One of the reasons why I want to globalize is that I want to show that there's more to Korean food than Korean barbecue."

The 45-year-old chef admitted that he modified the way food was served. But he "stays true to traditional seasonings and bases and tries to stick to Korean ingredients."

"If you don't protect your roots, the globalization of Korean food is meaningless," he said.

Meanwhile, Kwon told Lifestyle Asia that he didn't consider himself a good cook. He also defined the difference between a good cook and a good chef.

"A good chef, of course, you need to also be a good cook but you need to show leadership, you need to control your team, you need to be a good listener, a good speaker and also you need to understand the entire atmosphere of how the groups move, even the customers' emotions," he said.

Kwon admitted that he is strict inside the kitchen, tending to put a lot of pressure to his staffers.