Nestled within historical grandeur finery in London’s finance haven of Bank, the Royal Exchange has welcomed with gusto into their ornate mezzanine, a decadently novel and dual haute-cuisine eatery christened as Engel and Jang.
Where Engel celebrates tasteful debauchery on the North and East mezzanine, influenced by Berlin’s flamboyant 1920s era as discerning diners savour on revolutionary artistic cocktails and German/Austrian epicurean delicacies, the South tier of Jang rooting from the Korean translation for sauce, draws on the sacred heritage from both Korea and Japan.
Exhibiting a graceful aura with dark wood features, velvet garnet red seating and carpets against linen lantern embellishments, the menu at Jang has demonstrated an innovative gourmet showcase of East-Asia’s quintessential flavours, and exquisite produce presented in a striking photogenic fashion.
Head chef Dana Choi is a culinary live wire with a devoted mission; to bring to us city slayers the invaluable cookery techniques and time-honoured delectable flavours practiced in her hometown of Korea, married with a delicate and seasonally fresh Japanese finesse.
Hailing from the technology hub of Gwangju, Dana had moved to London back in 2014 blessed with the golden fortune of having her career set in motion under the wing and guidance of chef Judy Joo, hailed for her true-blue Korean street spread with a cool zing at Jinjuu Soho. This jammy opportunity soon paved the path to many illustrious epicurean chapters, from Mayfair’s slick French Michelin starrer of The Square, to her head chef master stroke at Seoul Bird serving up deliciously bona fide, Korean delights.
Honing in on the local relish from her native motherland mingled with the seasonings from Seoul, Kyoto and beyond, Dana has scrupulously presented a menu that champions cooking crafts alongside the cream of British produce. Her standout starter of the golden crisp Jang KFC sees supreme quality chicken generously enveloped in a sweet gochujang sauce tinged with a hint of chilli, while the Jang special of the Wagyu Korean BBQ reveals butter tender steak cut bustling with Japanese spiced chimichurri, and umami hinted pollock roe.
It was nothing short of an absolute joy to sit down with Dana herself for a spot of gourmet gossip, inside this palatial Grade I Listed resplendence over a bold, citrus Nobunaga concoction mingled with Akashi-Tai yuzu sake and dragon fruit dust, as we chewed over Korea’s best kept foodie secrets, career highlights and her chef resilience in a typically otherwise, man’s world.
Your original roots come from Gwangju in Korea, can you tell us a little about your life in this fascinating culture rich City?
Gwangju is in the southern part of South Korea, close to the ocean and the mountains so it’s amazing for seasonal ingredients, which has given it a great reputation for food. We love big flavours like salted fish which we use as an umami-packed seasoning in dishes, such as our famous kimchi.
How about a little insight into your extraordinary culinary journey, to get to where you are today?
I started learning to cook traditional Korean dishes at school when I was 15, after which I went to culinary school to then later take an internship in the USA. This was my first time introducing Korean food to international diners, which is something I became very passionate about. After graduating I came to the UK on a two-year visa where I worked with Judy Joo for the launch of JinJuu Soho, and from there to the two Michelin-star prize of The Square! During this time I really wanted to maximise the time I had on my visa by taking stages in Michelin-starred kitchens on my days off, I kind of assumed I’d head back to Korea once my visa was up but Judy asked me to stay, which was seven years ago! Now, I’m head chef at Jang which truly is such an exciting new challenge I can’t wait to explore.
From stylish Korean street food restaurants in Carnaby, to Michelin star kitchens here and in your hometown, you certainly have quite the incredible gourmet resume! What were the driving influences that led you into your chef career?
Well! The history and heritage of Korean cuisine, the excitement of introducing international diners to Korean food and being completely candid it’s a natural joy as creativity and curiosity hugely inspires me which flows into my dishes. I love art and spend a lot of time in galleries, with artworks often inspiring my dishes, whether that’s the colour or the feel of a piece. Also, I love eating and trying new restaurants, which keeps me motivated to carry on experimenting.
Describe a typical (or non typical) day in the kitchen.
At the start of the day it’s admin; checking deliveries, monitoring stock levels and making sure everything is ready to go before service. At Jang we have a small kitchen so prep is essential to stop the team getting in each other’s’ way! During service I’m checking every dish is to standard as it goes out, as well as importantly spending time greeting our diners to thank them for coming down to Jang. After all it’s them that keeps Jang alive!
You had moved to London back in 2014! How do you feel London’s gastronomical scene has changed over the years?
In 2014, Korean restaurants in London were pretty much confined to New Malden with a few in China Town, all specialising in homestyle cooking. The K-Pop explosion has really brought a new interest to the cuisine though especially with street food and dishes like Korean fried chicken going viral – apparently there are now over 200 restaurants in London and consumer awareness is higher than ever. Now that people are more familiar with Korean dishes like bibimbap and bulgogi, there is the opportunity to elevate beyond homestyle cooking and street food, creating a more luxurious dining experience which is what we’re doing here at Jang.
The menu at Jang is absolutely delicious, with some unique dishes in such a stunning setting! What in your own opinion do you feel makes Jang stand out from the restaurant crowd?
I think it’s that move into Korean fine dining in a luxurious environment, it’s not something that’s really being done in London right now, so I’d say that’s our high point USP.
What would be your own personal favourite dish(es) from Jang’s menu?
I’d say the Korean Yuk Hwe steak tartare – I think it has those authentic Korean flavours whilst being elevated by the lime sorbet on top. It also looks beautiful and really brings together Korean ingredients and a stylish flair fused with a classically French technique.
What do you feel are biggest challenges for a woman to be taken seriously in this otherwise, largely male dominated world?
Good question I do think one of the biggest challenges is that naturally we may not have the same level of physical strength; working in a kitchen is extremely demanding and you’re constantly lugging heavy items like pans of stock to the brim all around the space. Controversial maybe, but some chefs appear to almost enjoy watching you struggle where to start to question yourself, but actually there are far more important things that go into making you a good chef. Similarly, I think there can be a tendency not to listen or take a woman seriously in such a male-dominated industry, you have to work a lot harder to prove yourself in these situations.
Are there any significant highlights in your career you feel have been your biggest achievements?
I went to 10 Downing Street to cook for the Prime Minister, as well as the Korean president and his delegation. As a Korean in London that felt a truly special honour and something I know I’ll evermore be very proud of.
What would you do if you weren’t a chef?
I’ve sometimes thought I’d be an artist. I’ve loved drawing and sculpting since I was little, and in a way, it’s a similar kind of creative outlet to cooking.
Any best kept secret restaurants in Korea you don’t mind sharing with me?!
It’s not a restaurant, it’s a dish… Gejang; raw crab marinated in soy sauce or a gochugaru chilli powder, garlic and spring onion mix. It’s completely addictive so definitely order that if you see it on a menu!
What is your ultimate dream?
I want to be synonymous with Korean cooking, to keep developing dishes and pushing things forward to bring it to new guests. When people think of Korean food in London I would love for Jang to be THAT number one place they’d want to go to.
Finally! Any words of wisdom you could spare and share to other aspiring chefs?
If you love it, don’t stop and don’t be afraid of trying new things. Even if it feels tough there will be opportunities coming your way. When I came to London I knew nobody and it would have been easy to think of that as something scary, but I saw it as an opportunity as for the most part, you only regret the things you didn’t do.
Factbox
Address: The Mezzanine, First Floor, Royal Exchange, London, EC3V 3LQ
Phone: 020 8187 2209
Website: jangrestaurant.co.uk
