Three young chefs will showcase their Korean culinary talents at HANU and AKATSUKI Izakaya in Hong Kong
Cuisine.K, CJ CheilJedang’s training platform for young chefs, is officially expanding overseas.
On May 20, CJ CheilJedang announced that it will launch Cuisine.K’s first international pop-up restaurant in Hong Kong, titled HANU X Cuisine.K Korean Pop-up, running through June 28. This marks the platform’s first overseas initiative since its launch in August 2023 and underscores CJ’s commitment to fostering the next generation of chefs while broadening its global K-food footprint.
The pop-up restaurant will be held at HANU, a Korean restaurant located in Wan Chai District of Hong Kong. Team Cuisine.K will comprise three chefs: Lee Kyung-won, an alumnus of the first Cuisine.K cohort; Cheon Dong-min, from the second cohort; and Lee Soo-neung, a newly joined chef. Together, the chefs will present a unique menu that blends traditional ingredients with fermented products crafted by five certified Korean food masters.
Before the main pop-up opens, a special preview event is running through May 31 at AKATSUKI Izakaya in Hong Kong’s Central District. This limited event, reserved for 20 guests per day, will feature a lunch set consisting of one main dish and one dessert.
Starting June 1, the full-scale pop-up will begin at HANU, where the young chefs will showcase an eight-course Korean dining that they have personally crafted using ingredients from five masters — soy sauce, vinegar, black vinegar, white lotus makgeolli and pickled green plums. Guests will also enjoy curated traditional liquor pairings to complement the depth and flavors of each dish.
The pop-up restaurant is the flagship program of the Cuisine.K project, which offers aspiring young chefs the opportunity to advance their career as an executive chef-owner.
The selected young chefs present innovative Korean dishes created with youthful creativity and passion at CJ CheilJedang’s innovation hub, INNO Play. In addition to providing dedicated space, CJ CheilJedang offers complimentary menu development consulting and marketing support.
The Hong Kong pop-up is just the beginning; CJ CheilJedang plans to roll out more international programs this year, including K-food cooking classes and culinary competitions. Through these initiatives, the company aims not only to enhance the individual skills of young chefs but to also provide them with opportunities to promote K-food globally as “ambassadors of Korean food.” Additionally, the initiative will help expand the global recognition of the Cuisine.K Project as a leading platform for nurturing young chefs.
“Hong Kong, as a global culinary hub, is the perfect place for Cuisine.K’s young chefs to build their international capabilities,” stated Park Shin-young, Project Manager of the Hansik245 team at CJ CheilJedang. “Through the pop-up restaurant, we aim to showcase the deep flavors and unique appeal of Korean cuisine, reinterpreted creatively by our young chefs, to global food enthusiasts.”
