Korean-American Chef Jun Bum Oh prepared a special dinner for the Song Kang-ho retrospective at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 7.
Opened in 2021, Fanny’s, located inside the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, has been hosting special dinners for famous directors and actors at various events held at the museum, as well as for general guests.
To celebrate the Song Kang-ho retrospective, Chef Jun Bum Oh, the executive chef at Fanny’s, hosted a special dinner on December 7. The event featured a five-course Korean fusion menu with Korean desserts, priced at $85, inspired by the movie “Parasite.” The dinner also included soju-based cocktails.
The main dish, Jjapaguri, popularized by “Parasite,” was presented with spinach noodles and charcoal-grilled, thinly sliced sirloin, adding a touch of luxury to the entrée.
Chef Oh said, “When I think of actor Song Kang-ho, I think of the movie ‘Parasite,’ and when I think of ‘Parasite,’ I think of Jjapaguri. But I aimed for a taste that distinguished it from traditional Jjapaguri. It looks easy, but it’s one of the menus that took the most care.”
“It was worth the effort when actor Song Kang-ho’s wife tasted it and said it was excellent,” Oh added.
Chef Oh chose the “Sea Bream Carpaccio,” which consisted of sliced sea bream sashimi topped with Chogochujang (Korean red pepper paste with vinegar sauce) and sesame leaves in oil, garnished with fried buckwheat, as his favorite dish. “It was a very westernized version of the most Korean flavors and dishes, and I think it fit in well with the overall theme of our restaurant,” he said.
Chef Oh, who was appointed as executive chef at Fanny’s in March 2022, had organized similar dinners before, including a visit from Hollywood filmmaker John Warren and an exhibition of the movie “The Godfather,” but he said the Song Kang-ho retrospective was something different.
“In past events, we always prepared Western cuisine, such as a traditional middle-class white family meal or an Italian dinner. In that sense, preparing a Korean fusion dinner this time was special,” he said. “Recently, Korean film industry representatives have been visiting more frequently. We are looking forward to preparing more dinners for Korean movie events in the future.”
Meanwhile, Fanny’s is part of Wolfgang Puck Catering, a world-class catering company responsible for the after-party dinners at the Academy Awards.
Currently, Fanny’s employs 35 to 40 people, including Chef Oh. Chef Oh, who immigrated to Los Angeles in the 1990s, has worked as an executive chef at the five-star Bel Air Hotel (LA) and Proper Hotel (Santa Monica), as well as running a restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul.
BY SUAH JANG, JUNHAN PARK [jang.suah@koreadaily.com]
