Star chefs' creations inspired by Jeju paired with wine at Jeju Food & Wine Festival
SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island -- With more than three weeks of culinary programming still underway, the 10th Jeju Food & Wine Festival is drawing crowds as it celebrates a decade of promoting the island's local flavors.
The nonprofit cultural event, co-hosted by the Korea Food & Wine Festival and Cheju Halla University, runs until June 15 at Jeju Shinhwa World in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, and features a full slate of live cooking demos, gourmet tastings, and wine and art showcases — all spotlighting Jeju's growing profile as a food tourism destination.
A central pillar of this year's programming is the 'Master Chef Class,' which has drawn large audiences with its star-powered guest chefs presenting in an intimate format. The second session of the 'Master Chef Class,' held Thursday, featured Cho Kwang-hyo and Chae Nak-young.
Cho, the owner of Cho Kwang 101 and Cho Kwang 201 and a former contestant on Netflix's 'Culinary Class Wars,' wowed attendees with a new version of his signature dongpo pork. 'Dongpo pork became my signature after it aired on the show,' he told the crowd.
'For this version, I used Jeju black pork and added tangerines for an umami kick. The pork is pressure-steamed to preserve texture, then finished with tangerine zest-infused fat for a local twist.'
Chae followed with a creative take on taco de pollo, using Jeju-raised chicken thighs, fresh salsa made with local tomatoes and red onions, and a hallabong citrus reduction. 'I lived in Jeju for six months last year and fell in love with the ingredients,' Chae said. 'The chicken here is chewier, sweeter, and so full of character. Everything I made for the class came from Jeju soil.'
Each of the two 'Master Chef Class' sessions accommodated up to 80 participants, allowing them to engage directly with the chefs, observe their process up close or via screen and participate in a live Q&A. The featured dishes were also made available at the festival's 'Gourmet Dinner,' held Friday night.
Star chefs bring signature dishes to Jeju
The 'Gourmet Dinner,' a separately ticketed event, attracted 700 attendees and featured eight dishes served buffet-style from individual chef booths. Diners received food coupons to exchange for plated items such as horse meat tartare with doenjang namul and memil crackers by Chef Lee Jae-min, Jeju black beef sirloin by Chef Park Joon-woo and Chef Cho's Jeju tangerines and dongpo pork.
Despite its popularity, the event faced logistical challenges. Long wait times and crowding led to frustration among some guests, as the chefs—accustomed to plated fine dining—struggled to keep up with demand in the buffet format.
Still, praise for the food was nearly unanimous.
'The flavors were extraordinary. Every dish had a purpose,' said Lee Dong-hyun, a culinary student from Busan. 'The chefs clearly thought through the balance of appetizers, mains and desserts.'
Wine meets art
Another standout program was 'Art in the Glass,' now in its 11th edition, which brings together wine tasting and visual art in a unique collaboration hosted by Korean wine distributor Winell. Guests sampled from over 120 varieties while viewing original works by Korean artist Kim San, whose nature-themed painting adorned this year's featured bottles from Italy's Fantini Group.
'The great rock of Gran Sasso in Abruzzo reminded me of Hallasan in Jeju,' Kim said. 'I wanted this collaboration to blend the natural beauty of both regions.'
Kim's label artwork "Fundamental Hometown-Forest of Fireflies" appears on Fantini's flagship wine, Edizione. Guests were given a wine glass and tasting pamphlet at entry, and four lucky visitors won bottles of the limited-edition collaboration wine in a raffle.
Fantini President Valentino Sciotti who was at the event shared some pairing principles with The Korea Herald. 'With a spicy menu using Jeju's black pork, you need a wine with big structure like Edizione or Primitivo,' he said. 'For seafood such as the fresh sashimi and spiny lobsters from Jeju, I prefer sparkling wines. The bubbles clean the palate and allow you to enjoy more flavors.'
In addition to marquee events, a farmer's market on the festival grounds offered fresh citrus, handmade jam and other artisanal products from local vendors for tasting and sale.
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