Chef Sungchul Shim infuses Korean flavor into a Times Square steakhouse

About this episode

Chef Sungchul Shim discusses his unique approach to infusing Korean flavors into his Times Square steakhouse, Gui Steakhouse.

Chef Sungchul Shim’s dream was to have a restaurant in Times Square, and he realized that dream just about a year ago when he opened Gui Steakhouse. The Culinary Institute of America graduate set out to make his steakhouse unique by infusing Korean flavors and techniques into the menu. Steaks are dry-aged and cooked over live fire fueled by a combination of wood and Korean charcoal. Along with classic steakhouse sauces, Chef Shim offers a house-made steak sauce that’s an umami-rich blend of Korean soy sauce, seaweed and herbs. His Caesar salad also has Korean accents—the dressing includes fermented plum. Diners can choose from an array of starters and sides, but there’s also a menu section of shared noodle and rice dishes—a traditional way for Koreans to end a restaurant meal. But a martini cart with tableside service is an all-American specialty of the bar. A more recent addition is Hwaro, a 22-seat circular chef’s counter within Gui that offers a Korean fine dining experience through a multi-course tasting menu. It’s named after the traditional Korean brazier, a symbol of community. For a more wallet-friendly option, there’s a prix-fixe three-course dinner that’s well-suited…

People in this episode

Guest: Chef Sungchul Shim

Topics covered

• Korean cuisine
• steakhouse
• culinary journey
• fine dining
• Times Square
• restaurant innovation

Keywords

• Korean flavors
• steakhouse
• dry-aged steaks
• martini cart
• multi-course tasting menu
• prix-fixe dinner
• culinary techniques

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Gui Steakhouse, Culinary Institute of America

Places: Times Square, Korea

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