Patience. You'll need it to land one of six seats at chef Jung Eun Chae's Cockatoo home, where the seasonal, medicinal, ferment-heavy Korean menu unfolds.
Korean cuisine is having its moment under the Australian sun right now thanks to popular dishes such as bibimbap, bo ssam and mandu. Get a taste with our collection of Korean recipes.
At Sáng, spicy, sweet and fermented flavours are combined with truckloads of texture and a refined touch, expanding the definition of Korean dining in Australia.
“It’s not like you have to be Asian to make Asian stuff,” says the ex-Moon Park chef. “What matters is before you decide to make things for people you need to put time, effort and ambition in.”
These fermented sauces form the essential flavour of Korean cuisine. Know your gochujang from your ganjang with our handy explainer (with some recipes, too).
Handmade, hand-crafted and following the principle of "taste of hand", Sáng by Mabasa has an assured touch, and expands the definition of Korean dining in Sydney.
“My first encounter with bibimbap was at a small Korean café in the Adelaide Central Market,” says Ryan. “I was hooked from then on. It’s a dish that can be personalised and modified depending on your likes and dislikes. A version I had in Seoul, where the beef and the egg were both served raw, is a favourite.”