Tucked into a quiet corner of West Town, Jeong is easy to miss from the outside, yet step inside and you’ll be immediately transported into an elegant Michelin Guide dining experience. Jeong, started by husband and wife Chef Dave Park and Jen Tran, puts an innovative and modern twist on Korean cuisine with its tasting menu and is named after Chef Park’s grandmother.
I had the delight of trying Jeong for my first fine dining experience, and it was nothing short of incredible. Each course was meticulously crafted and carried both creativity and complexity. My favorite by far was the salmon tartare, layered with a dwenjang yuza gastrique, bubu arare (toasted rice pearls), and dots of crème fraîche. The textural difference between the crisp rice pearls and silky fresh salmon made it truly stand out.
About halfway through the tasting menu, I had the pleasure of briefly talking to co-owner Jen Tran, who was so sweet and she connected me with her husband, Chef Dave Park. He discussed with me the behind the scenes of Jeong, his culinary heroes, and how heritage plays a big role in the story of the restaurant.
SPOON:
What first drew you to cooking professionally, and was there a defining moment when you knew this was the path for you?
PARK:
The first time I got drawn into cooking was when I was in high school, probably around 14 or 15. I happened to flip through channels on TV and came across cooking shows, and for some reason they just captivated me and made me want to get into cooking. When I started making some of these dishes for my family and friends, and they said it was delicious and they enjoyed everything, that made me very excited to cook. I think that instant gratification was what drew me to pursuing a cooking career.
SPOON:
That’s amazing. Do you remember—was there a specific cooking show that really captivated you?
PARK:
It was back in the day—Tyler Florence had a show called Tyler’s Ultimate on Food Network, and Emeril’s and stuff like that.
SPOON:
So, specifically about your restaurant—how do you approach building the menu, and how frequently does it evolve?
PARK:
Changing the menu is definitely a little more complicated than I’d like. I try to change a course or two every couple of months, and I try to keep it in line with the seasons as much as I can. I also try to bring in my childhood memories—what my grandparents and parents cooked for me—and instill that into my cooking. That’s really what made me want to open a Korean-inspired restaurant in the first place: the fond memories I have from my childhood.
SPOON:
That’s really sweet. Another question related to the menu—when I came in on Friday night, I enjoyed every course. The salmon tartare was one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever had. But something that stuck out to me was the citrus dessert that used nori since I never would have expected that flavor combination. So I’m curious—what are some of your favorite unexpected flavor pairings that you’ve explored?
PARK:
That’s a great question. I think citrus and nori was probably one of them. It kind of makes sense—you have something sweet, something tart, and then you bring in something more savory and a little out there. I always like having a counterpoint of something different. I do like using a savory element in pretty much all my desserts, at least one or two components. Another favorite was a pairing I did for dessert — kkaennip, Korean perilla leaf, with Korean yogurt.
SPOON:
And related to cooking more personally— is there a go-to comfort meal you make on a quiet weeknight when you’re just cooking for yourself?
PARK:
At home, I don’t cook too often. Jenn usually cooks more than me there—maybe doing this so often in the kitchen makes me not want to cook as much at home. When I do cook something, I keep it simple, usually some kind of Korean stew—doenjang-jjigae, kimchi-jjigae. And tteokbokki is probably my all-time favorite comfort dish. That’s the one I crave the most. For a more typical dinner, we’ll usually just cook a steak, have a salad, and call it a day.
SPOON:
You briefly touched upon this before on your grandma, but can you tell me a bit more about how your heritage shapes the food you create and the story you want the restaurant to tell?
PARK:
Absolutely. When I started thinking about opening a restaurant, I wanted to bring back my culture and my childhood. My grandma’s last name is Jeong, and I thought it would be a great way to honor her. What I remember most about her is her taking me to little markets in Korea when I was still a baby—she’d carry me on her back as we walked through the stalls. I remember her taking sesame seeds and grinding them into oil, or bringing her chilies to get freshly ground. All these little things my grandma did with me just stuck with me, and so much of my early food memory stems from her cooking. Because of that, I wanted to give this restaurant a way to honor her. The food we do at Jeong is my Korean heritage seen through the lens of American culture. I grew up here, so I’m tying the two together without taking too much away from either one.
SPOON:
How do you envision the restaurant growing or changing in the years ahead?
PARK:
This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot. We’ve been in business for over seven and a half years now, and I think about it almost every year. The biggest thing I’d love to do is give more opportunity for our staff to contribute their own dishes and ideas. My goal is to help them understand my culinary background so they have a foundation to build from—because I want it to be a more shared experience rather than me dictating every course and every dish. It would be great if everyone brought a little bit of their own experiences to it, and I think that’s where the restaurant can grow naturally.
SPOON:
What does a typical day look like for you, from prep to service?
PARK:
These days I usually come in around the afternoon, check in with everyone, and see where things stand. Depending on the day, I’ll run errands—grabbing certain ingredients from a Korean market or other stores—then check on the kitchen and the bar, do some cocktail and non-alcohol prep. During the day I’ll do a lot of R&D, and then as service approaches we shift into getting everything ready. During service I’ll usually expedite and help out on whatever stations need it, and coordinate between the front and back of house.
SPOON:
It sounds like a lot happens behind the scenes. Is there anything diners might be surprised to learn about what goes on back there?
PARK:
Maybe the fact that we’re there pretty much every night, and that we all pitch in on things like washing dishes. We want to create an environment where it’s a team effort—it’s not just one person doing everything. I’ll always jump in to wash dishes, run food, help polish glasses or flatware. Everyone in the front and back is willing to help out, and that’s always been something we’ve wanted in this restaurant.
SPOON:
Who are the chefs or culinary figures, past or present, that have had the biggest impact on how you cook or think about food?
PARK:
Besides my grandma—as a professional chef, the one I’ve always looked up to most, if you look at the American culinary scene over the past 30 years, is Thomas Keller. There’s also a chef named Michel Bras—something about his cookbook really captivated me, and I wanted to bring some of those influences into my own cooking. And Dan Barber in New York has been a big one for me too. I could keep listing names because there are so many people I’ve looked up to and been inspired by, but those were the main ones as a young cook.
