Chefs from A-OK and Buca teamed up to create an ultra-trendy Korean mash-up at l’Ouvrier
Chefs from A-OK and Buca teamed up to create an ultra-trendy Korean mash-up at l’Ouvrier
Fusion used to be a dirty word in culinary circles, shorthand for chintzy, ill-conceived dishes that subbed gimmickry for taste. Now, in the post-Momofuku era, trendy new restaurants are once again serving shamelessly inauthentic—but often delicious—east-meets west concoctions: Mexican tortas stuffed with bulgogi, fried chicken drenched in gochujang and bowls of ramen spiked with Cheez Whiz. On Monday, chef Chris Jang from A-OK Foods and Buca sous-chef Yong Soo Do took over the kitchen at l’Ouvrier on Dundas West to serve a hyper-modern Korean feast inflected with French, Italian and Canadian flavours and techniques. The result: ricotta-tofu panna cotta, watermelon rind kimchee and chilled ramen laced with black garlic and chocolate. Here, a slideshow of the six-course meal.
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- Yong Soo Do is the sous-chef at Buca
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- Chef Chris Jang from A-OK Foods
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- An amuse trio to start: ricotta-tofu panna cotta topped with powdered nori and gochujang; skewered rice cakes with peanuts and chef Jang’s signature Korean Fried Chicken sauce; and a foamy potato shot garnished with a nori chip
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- Ricotta-tofu panna cotta and skewered rice cakes with peanuts and KFC sauce
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- A shot of foamy potato garnished with nori
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- Nori focaccia with herb-nori butter
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- Cold watermelon soup was poured tableside over goat cheese, lamb tongue pancetta and watermelon-rind kimchee
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- An unconventional bowl of ramen: chilled soy broth with chocolate, black garlic and pickled cherries
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- Halibut with watercress purée, squid ink arancini, tomato sauce and lemon gelée
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- Chantecler chicken with toasted walnuts, smoked yogurt, chive flowers and dehydrated strawberries
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- Dessert was a take on a <em>bori cha,</em> a Korean barley tea: barley gelato topped with faro-sesame crumbs, pine nuts, whey granita, yuzu-peach balls and tart sorrel leaves
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- Chefs Chris Jang and Yong Soo Do
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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- Chefs Chris Jang and Yong Soo Do
- (Image: Renée Suen)
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
- Jang-Do Dinner at L'Ouvrier
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![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/food/korean-dinner-aok-buca/&title=Chefs from A-OK and Buca teamed up to create an ultra-trendy Korean mash-up at l’Ouvrier&picture=https://cdn.torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/korean-collaborative-dinner-01-624x416.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_227974" align="aligncenter" width="656"] (Image: Renée Suen)[/caption]
Fusion used to be a dirty word in culinary circles, shorthand for chintzy, ill-conceived dishes that subbed gimmickry for taste. Now, in the post-Momofuku era, trendy new restaurants are once again serving shamelessly inauthentic—but often delicious—east-meets west concoctions: Mexican tortas stuffed with bulgogi, fried chicken drenched in gochujang and bowls of ramen spiked with Cheez Whiz. On Monday, chef Chris Jang from A-OK Foods and Buca sous-chef Yong Soo Do took over the kitchen at l’Ouvrier on Dundas West to serve a hyper-modern Korean feast inflected with French, Italian and Canadian flavours and techniques. The result: ricotta-tofu panna cotta, watermelon rind kimchee and chilled ramen laced with black garlic and chocolate. Here, a slideshow of the six-course meal.
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