Interview: Jung Yun Yur for Sarang

What are your favorite Korean dishes?
I like gyeran bbang, or egg bread. It’s made with egg, flour, yeast, sugar and salt. I like it because it’s savory and sweet and I used to have a lot of it for breakfast as it was cheap and filling. Another one of my favorites is skewered fish cakes. Both egg bread and skewered fish cakes are available all year round in Korea.

What inspired you to create the new menu at Sarang?
I wanted to follow leading Korean restaurant trends by bringing the complete experience of dining in contemporary bistros in Gangnam, to Singapore. My dishes, while unique to Sarang, reference the food from districts like Gangnam, Itaewon, Hongdae and Sinchon in Seoul.

Which of your dishes have proven the most popular?
Ginseng chicken terrine, the meat lovers’ platter and army stew.

What is lacking at most Korean restaurants in Singapore?
Korean dining spots in Singapore mostly comprise smoky barbecue houses. Sarang offers more what one would find on the streets on Gangnam today: Korean-inspired cocktails and Korean classics served tapas style.

What do you think accounts for the increasing popularity of Korean food?
As Korean dramas and music become increasingly popular, Korean food has gained popularity.

Chef Jung Yun Yur cooks at Sarang.