MOSU Hong Kong, the latest international outpost of two MICHELIN-starred Mosu Seoul, will be opening its doors at M+ this April 2022. Partnering with leading hospitality group Lai Sun Dining, Executive Chef Sung Anh brings his world-renowned cuisine to Hong Kong’s exciting new destination for art, technology and gastronomy in West Kowloon. Seating 60 guests in total including two private rooms (seating 14 + 6 pax), the tasting menu-only restaurant will carry over key elements from Mosu Seoul, while observing the seasons and working closely with local suppliers to obtain the finest ingredients possible.
Mosu Seoul currently has two MICHELIN stars in Seoul, #67 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (list from 51-100), #5 on Opinionated About Dining Top Asia Restaurants 2021 and a score of 81% on La Liste 2022.
Introducing Executive Chef Sung Anh: a pioneer of modern Korean cuisine
Born in Korea yet raised in the United States, Executive Chef Sung Anh honed his skills at legendary restaurants including three MICHELIN-starred The French Laundry and three MICHELIN-starred Benu. In 2015, Chef Sung opened his own restaurant, Mosu San Francisco, named after the Korean pronunciation of cosmos, a flower that Chef Sung remembers vividly from memories of a flower field near his childhood home. It inspired both the name he chose for his restaurant and his wish to bring a rich sensory experience to his guests.
With a meticulous attention to detail that is characteristic of French fine dining, Mosu San Francisco became known for weaving culinary narratives through its menu, which brought together sophisticated Asian flavours and the best seasonal Californian ingredients. For his ambitious debut, Chef Sung was honoured with his first MICHELIN star. In 2017, he returned to Korea, where he deepened his exploration of the distinctive flavours he remembered from his youth. His next venture Mosu Seoul not only earned two MICHELIN stars, but catalysed the country’s contemporary fine dining scene and encouraged a re-discovery of traditional Korean cuisine.
Reconstructing Korean traditions – from burdock bark to dongchimi
The menu at Mosu Hong Kong tells stories through dishes that draw often upon Chef Sung’s childhood memories. He is renowned for developing sophisticated flavours with rustic Korean ingredients, from simple burdock bark and savoury seaweed to handmade dongchimi (a variety of kimchi).
The seasonally changing menu begins with a selection of small bites including Gim Cup, an elegant seaweed cup filled with potato salad, seaweed and sweet local soy-marinated raw shrimp; Mushroom and burnt cream encased within an almond tart that is topped with mushroom jelly essence and an aesthetic garnish of thinly-sliced Chinese white button mushroom; and Abalone Tart, featuring charcoal-grilled abalone from Wando Island in Korea in a crispy “taco” shell made with yuba and shiso leaf.
Appetisers are followed by five savoury courses, starting with Black Sesame, a toasted black sesame and seaweed water tofu in the shape of a Xiao Long Bao filled with creamy Hokkaido sea urchin, served with a light dashi sauce; Tilefish, a steamed tilefish from Samchun-Po, Korea served with brassicas and three types of mustard, red mustard leaf, yellow mustard seeds and green mustard; Sea Bream, showcasing roasted Korean sea bream served with Chinese morel mushrooms and ssamjang sauce. Unlike traditional fine dining experiences, MOSU’s menu features two fish courses, which is how Chef Sung pays homage to the beautiful seafood of his native Korea, an island nation surrounded by seas — and is an authentic showcase of seasonality. Acorn, an innovative dish of noodles made from roasted acorns from Mount Jiri in Korea, tossed with butter and Parmesan sauce, and topped with Korean parsley and shaved black truffle; and finally, Hanwoo, the highly coveted premium Korean A++ grade beef that is charcoal-grilled, served with deodeok (a type of Korean Ginseng), naengi (shepherd’s purse shoots) cooked in Shaoxing wine and gochujang.
The experience concludes with an elegantly crafted assortment of Korean-inspired sweets including Chinese Almond puree served with salted cream cold custard and Korean sesame oil; Lemon Rice Cake with unfiltered Makgeolli rice wine “gimcome” in lemon peel; Taro Tart, a burdock tart with taro cooked in butter as a homage to the Chiu-Chow Taro Dessert, and finally, Dashima dried kelp ice cream. Enjoy a beloved Korean traditional honey-ginger fried dough (yakgua), along with coffee or tea.
Interior design by LAAB Architects: exploring the convergence of technology and nature
Designed by LAAB architects, the Mosu Hong Kong interior connects seamlessly with the architecture of M+ while reflecting the values of Chef Sung’s cuisine. Located on the third floor of the M+ building, Mosu Hong Kong is surrounded by the verdant roof garden, while directly above the venue rises the M+ Facade, a digital screen embedded with thousands of powerful LED lights. In response to this unique setting, LAAB developed the concept of “digital nature”. The space employs raw, natural materials in homage to the Mosu culinary experience as well as an advanced digital illumination system that animates the space with a play of light and shadow. Looking beyond the roof garden, restaurant guests can enjoy a dazzling view of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline. Directly below, visible through a band of windows, is the concrete-clad Focus Gallery, one of M+’s signature exhibition venues. Guests may enjoy Mosu Hong Kong’s unique cuisine while immersed in an integrated experience of urban nature, digital design, and visual culture.