Make these Korean-inspired canapés from Michelin-starred Sollip

In our 2023 food trends report we identified cooking Korean food at home as a key trend amongst Western diners in the coming year.

Well, here are two surprisingly simple canapé recipes that will take your Korean cooking at home to Michelin-star level.

Sollip (meaning ‘pine needle’ in Korean) is the London restaurant from husband-and-wife team Woongchul Park and Bomee Ki. Originally from South Korea, the two chefs met at London’s Cordon Bleu cooking school, with Park going on to work at The Ledbury and Koffmann’s and Ki at The Arts Club, before opening Sollip together in 2020. The restaurant won a Michelin star in 2022.

_{Bomee Ki and Woongchul Park}

The restaurant offers a single tasting menu that mines the pair’s classical French, and of course, Korean influences. The result is a precise and elegant cuisine that feels at home in the minimalist surroundings of the restaurant, just a short walk from London’s famous Borough Market.

Get the recipes for these two Michelin-starred dishes, served as snacks at the restaurant, and find out what inspired them, below.

Beef tartare recipe

“I love beef tartare, originally the Korean version which is raw beef mixed with sesame oil. I also love classic French beef tartare and so I was determined to put it on the menu – but combining both styles,” says Park. “Our beef tartare is made with gochujang, a traditional chilli paste we make in-house, which is a very special ingredient. We also add cured daikon, which is the equivalent to pickled cucumber. It gives a crunchiness, a sourness and a bit of spiciness which creates a really good balance in the tartare.”

Gamtae sandwich recipe

“Our snacks come in an ordered way to create a flow of flavours: first is always a fresh, clean and light bite with fruits or vegetables as the basis; next comes the spicy, decadent beef tartare with layered umami and wildness from the beef; lastly is the sandwich wrapping together the row with a deeper umami, and a textural change to start off the main course,” says Park.

“Gamtae is an ingredient close to my heart coming from the west sea of South Korea bringing its salty, slightly sharp coastal notes, with an after tone [similar to] earthy black truffle, this pairs excellently with the Duckett’s creamy richness and stems from my love of British Cheese.”