AH World Tour by Fissler

Six restaurateurs. 8,000 km. Five days. One mission.

A chef in a dark kitchen holds a knife over meat, smiling, with a Fissler stainless steel pan and utensils in the background.

Korean Seoul Food

Fissler World Tour Alexander Herrmann

What happens when six top chefs explore one of the world’s most fascinating food capitals?

Alexander Herrmann and his team embraced the challenge of discovering Korean cuisine and finding ways to adapt their Franconian dishes to local ingredients, tastes, and eating habits. The result was something entirely new that brings East and West together and opens up new perspectives for everyone involved.

Discover the content and highlights of all 5 days of the Alexander Herrmann World Tour below! Authentic. Flavorful. Ambitious.

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Tag 2

Kimchi and Michelin Star Cuisine

Day two begins with a lesson on kimchi. Korea’s most important side dish made from fermented vegetables may now be known in Germany too, but here it is "truly sacred", as Alexander Herrmann puts it. That also includes a certain mindfulness in handling the ingredients. At the Kimchikan (Kimchi Museum), the chefs wrap cabbage leaves into little parcels, "like a baby in a blanket". Even top chefs face new challenges here - marinated cabbage leaves are almost as slippery as oiled baby feet. Since fermentation takes several days, a wide variety of prepared kimchi versions are served at the tasting that follows.

Lunch is at Restaurant Yeojaman, which specializes in the cuisine of Korea’s southern coastal region. Mussels, ray, shrimp - and the realization that in Korean cuisine, texture plays a much bigger role than in German cuisine. Texture before aroma, mouthfeel before taste. That naturally also influences the menu planning for the final evening. Always at the back of their minds: everything has to be easy to eat with chopsticks, because the guest is ultimately at the heart of the event.

We drew inspiration, of course, from classic kimchi, the type of kimchi, and what goes into it. For example, in South Korea, which I had never seen before, they actually added a bit of plum sauce to the kimchi. And we made that with a kimchi at home, but then we used a plum compote that we had preserved. Yes, and that's how we incorporated a bit of plum, both as a fruit and as a starter culture. And yes, this seasoning itself. We made a paste there in South Korea and then spread it, this cabbage. And we've often used this technique in Würzburg with a paste, but as I said, also with plum, so that we say we're adding the plum compote.

Joshi Oswald

The second realization: It's common here for a wider selection of dishes to be arranged in the center of the table, and guests serve themselves. "A mix of polite and familiar," Anja Kirchpfennig describes it. This also has the advantage that everyone can try a bit of everything. There's a brief consideration of implementing this at Friday's event as well, but for practical reasons, the team ultimately decided on individual plated portions.

Next on the agenda: Dinner at the two-Michelin-star restaurant Jungsik. One could almost become envious of such a schedule. That is, until you see how the chefs analyze every single bite, identify flavors, figure out preparation methods, and are already planning their own menu. Delicious work, but truly work that engages all the senses.

The conclusion on fine dining: you can tell it's more oriented towards Western tastes and techniques. Perhaps that's necessary if you want to earn Michelin stars. But the high quality of South Korean ingredients is also evident here, and the team agrees that they have never eaten abalone as good as they have in Korea – incidentally, both at the Michelin-starred restaurant and during a regular lunch.

Fissler x AH World Tour

Discover the other content of the World Tour

This journey is not just about new tastes – it's about new perspectives. Between traditional temple cuisine, vibrant markets, and exciting encounters, Alexander Herrmann delves deep into Korean food culture.

Each stop brings new impressions, inspirations, and ideas that later flow into creative dishes and innovative concepts. Join us on this special journey and discover how a new culinary world emerges from tradition, craftsmanship, and a connection to home.