Chef Sun Kim : rising star of Asian gastronomy
- 1 Michelin star chef in Singapore at Meta
- #17 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant 2023
- South Korean chef
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Chef Sun Kim was born in the South Korean city of Busan, known for its beaches and seafood. In his early years, he moved to Seoul, where his mother ran a small restaurant. Exposed to the F&B business from young, Chef Sun Kim grew up with a love for good food.
This love, combined with an ambitious character and a ceaseless need to improve himself, guided him through his career. Starting from the kitchens of classic French and Italian restaurants in Seoul, he observed the head start other chefs who studied in a foreign culinary institution had. This spurred him to take the plunge and moved to Sydney at 23 years of age, to study culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu without knowing the English language, and to learn under Chef Tetusya Wakuda at his eponymous restaurant.
With talent and tenacity, Chef Sun rose through the ranks in his three years at Tetsuya’s, subsequently moving to Singapore to work at Waku Ghin by Chef Tetsuya. A year later, at the age of 31, an opportunity presented itself for Chef Sun to open his inaugural restaurant, Meta.
Meta opened its doors in 2015, and earned its first Michelin star just over a year into its debut. It has retained the star ever since. In 2021, the restaurant was recognised as the ‘American Express One To Watch’, an accolade presented by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants to the rising star of the region. The following year, Meta made a noteworthy entrance at #20 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and attained #95 in World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Continuing its ascent, Meta received a ranking of #17 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and #84 in World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023.
Chef Sun’s international work experience has nurtured an openness to the possibilities, and he embraces diverse cultures. His growing experiences and global sensibilities continue to shape his personal culinary style. Drawing upon his international experience and cultural heritage, Chef Sun fuses elements of East and West to deliver a contemporary, yet deeply personal cuisine with a global approach and Korean inflections. While pushing the boundaries of his cuisine, Chef Sun remains true and respectful of the bounties of the land, with creations that focus on the natural flavours of the produce.
And by refining his craft and cuisine, he leads and inspires his team to further elevate Meta along its evolutionary path.
Constantly pursuing new challenges, Chef Sun is also actively involved in other projects like Thevar, a two Michelin-starred Modern Indian restaurant that he co-owns with Chef Mano Thevar. In their latest collaboration, Chef Sun and Chef Mano break new ground with the opening of Tambi in 2023, bringing diners a unique casual concept serving a fusion of South Indian and Korean cuisines.
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