Korean-American chef Mina Park on why dumplings are her favourite food, and the art of fermentation

Being a corporate lawyer while running pop-up dining events in Hong Kong, Asia and beyond cannot have been easy, but that is what Mina Park did for three years until she quit her full-time job at the end of 2016 to focus on her culinary pursuits.

The Korean-American founder of Sook, a private kitchen and pop-up dining concept, did not see this career change coming. But, since her first event at PMQ’s Night Market, in 2014, Park has been involved in many noteworthy collaborations: with Judy Joo of Jinjuu; Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan, who is famous for her temple food; and Toyo Eatery, in Manila, in the Philippines, among others. And last year, Park launched Hawkr, a Southeast Asian takeaway in Quarry Bay.

While Park grew up in the United States, her Korean heritage has contributed to the way she cooks. She comes from a family of talented female home cooks, and began helping out in the kitchen preparing ban­chan (side dishes) at a young age.

“[The green plum syrup] is a pretty common Korean ingredient. I made it myself,” Park says. “I use it as a sweetener instead of sugar. It’s fermented so it’s meant to be a lot healthier than sugar. It adds a different depth of flavour to the dishes.”