2 days Ago By N/A (Philip Cu Unjieng)
Since inception, chef Patrick Go and Your Local have become such a favorite choice for the Balmori Chef’s Table at Power Plant, Rockwell that it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to find Patrick is back for a third round at the table. And this time, he’s returned with heavy-hitting Gangnam backup. The Your Local engagement has officially started, runs until June 1, and is entitled Mat Nam—a word that roughly translates to “flavor” in Korean.
For Mat Nam, over the next month and three weeks, there will be waves of Seoul brothers and a sister who will fly in and add special Korean dishes to the Your Local menu that was especially created for this third Balmori pop-up. All four Korean fly-ins are veterans of the Netflix hit show Culinary Class Wars, and will provide signature dishes that should be more than enough reason to book your Balmori seats right now.Young Sook Lee, Jihyung Choi and Patrick GoChef Young Sook Lee and chef Jihyung Choi kick off the series, and their dishes are on the Mat Nam menu until April 23.
Then chef Kisu Bang flies in to add his dishes to the menu from April 26 to May 14. Byung Mook Kim is the guest chef from May 17 until the first of June. The only “rose,” chef Young Sook Lee owns Nakyung, is known for her traditional Korean cuisine, and was crowned winner of Korean Food Battle Season 2.
Jihyung Choi is the kitchen wiz behind Leebukbang, a Michelin Guide-recognized restaurant, and is popular for offering a North Korean course menu. Kisu Bang is owner-chef of Gitdeun, the first to earn a Michelin star in South Korea, known for his mastery of Korean BBQ. And Byung Mook Kim is behind Yakitori Mook, blending Japanese yakitori with Korean culinary heritage, in his Michelin Guide-rated eatery.
Your Local’s MSGOne excellent way to start your meal is with Your Local’s MSG—mantou toast, shiitake mushroom, gorgonzola cheese, seaweed and parmesan. There’s a wonderful creamy texture to the mushroom and the toppings, with the toast providing a contrast in texture and bite.YL’s mackerelThe mackerel, torched, with kamatis sambal, coconut and citrus greens is a perfect second option for a starter, with enough greens to serve as a salad and for roughage, while the sambal delicately flavors the mackerel.
Young Sook Lee’s japchaeA classic japchae is our first taste from chef Young Sook Lee, who’s the most charming “tita” chef one could dream up. It’s the real deal—flavorful and accentuated by vegetables, mushroom and pork loin, with a spicy-sugar sauce that makes it a kid-friendly option.Mushroom chicken gangjeong, from YSLHer mushroom chicken gangjeong is the right level of spicy and has comfort food, Korean-style, written all over it.
I know some quarters may cringe reading this, but honestly, it was like an elevated version of BonChon—and I say that as a compliment.Jihyung Choi’s maekjeokgui, grilled porkChef Jihyung Choi had his maekjeokgui—grilled pork—marinated in a traditional soybean paste. It’s smoky and savory and takes pride in being a heritage 1,000-year-old recipe.
Totally easy to understand why it has lasted this long.Chicken skin of Chef Choi’s second signature dishThere’s also chef Choi’s gochujang sauce chicken, and while one would describe it as chicken and rice served in a flavorful curry with vegetables, the secret weapon in this dish is the thin slab of chicken skin that adorns each serving. That large-sized crispy chicken skin was out of this world.
Your Local’s halibutYour Local’s halibut is a ready go-to if you’re into seafood, as there’s a ginamos rendang flavor, along with kaffir, sesame leaf and charred lettuce. And the river prawns are festooned with ebiko (roe), torched mentaiko and soy brown butter sauce. It all acts like a crazy Asian version of creamy lemon butter sauce—and the best thing is how it works in a sublime manner.
Your Local’s river prawnsWhile we had both the Choco na Gatas v2 and the YuzuMansi Cake, I would go out of my way to enjoy the YM cake again. Its citrus flavor and cold sponge cake texture reminded me of trifle mixed with Eton mess—but with a decidedly refreshing taste profile. The banana chips were a great touch, adding something crispy.
Excellent.YuzuMansi cakeBook your table at Mat Nam—it’s happening up to June 1. For reservations, contact 0945 427 0054.
These are chefs whose restaurants you would have clamored to book at when in South Korea, and they’re here with their iconic dishes.Choco de Gatas v2.
