Their work bridges scholarship, craftsmanship, and contemporary gastronomy, resulting in a dining experience that feels both deeply rooted and distinctly modern.

Cho Eun-hee comes from an academic and cultural-heritage background, having taught traditional Korean royal-court cuisine and historical cooking methods at several institutions prior to joining Onjium. Her expertise encompasses the food traditions of the Joseon Dynasty, temple cuisine, regional practices, fermentation, and the study of ancient culinary texts. At Onjium, she guides the research process that informs each dish — ensuring that historical accuracy, seasonality, and ingredient ethics serve as the foundation for creative interpretation.

Park Sung-bae complements this heritage-focused approach with a professional background that includes international culinary experience in Japan and the United States. His role centers on technique, refinement, and operational precision. Together, the chefs combine cultural scholarship with contemporary craftsmanship, allowing Onjium to express Korean cuisine through clarity, balance, and understated elegance.

Their cuisine highlights native ingredients, house-made ferments, traditional broths, seasonal vegetables, regional grains, and techniques drawn from archives and oral history. Rather than replicating historical dishes, they reinterpret them with a modern sensibility — preserving their spirit while allowing them to evolve. Every plate emerges from a dialogue between past and present, research and intuition, memory and innovation.

Onjium’s approach has earned recognition for its cultural significance, culinary depth, and architectural vision, receiving international accolades that celebrate its contribution to Korean gastronomy and its thoughtful integration of research, design, and cuisine. These distinctions underscore the chefs’ mission: to demonstrate that tradition is not static but a living, adaptable language.

Today, Cho Eun-hee and Park Sung-bae continue to lead Onjium as both a restaurant and a cultural project. Their work extends beyond the kitchen — mentoring young cooks, participating in academic collaborations, and contributing to the preservation of Korea’s culinary legacy. Through their partnership, they offer a cuisine that honors its foundations while confidently shaping its future.