Jung Joon Young Explains How He Ended Up Opening A Restaurant In Paris

Dec 27, 2018

On the December 26 episode of MBC’s “Radio Star,” Jung Joon Young talked about his new restaurant in Paris, France.

Named Maison de Corée, the restaurant will use the attractive energy and dynamism of Korean cuisine to attempt to capture the hearts of locals. Jung Joon Young gathered an all-star team composed of top experts in various fields, including chef Lee Jun of Soigné, a famous restaurant in Korea.

When asked whether the restaurant was simply borrowing his name or whether he was truly running the restaurant as an owner, Jung Joon Young replied, “I’m actually running it. [The shares are] split in half between me and my business partner.”

The “Radio Stars” hosts asked why he had decided to open a restaurant in Paris, to which the singer stated, “Paris itself is amazing. [I thought] it would be cool to own [a restaurant there].”

Jung Joon Young then talked about how he had recruited chef Lee Jun, who has earned a Michelin star in the past. The singer recalled, “I went to him and said, ‘Let’s go to France, and let’s try opening a pop-up restaurant for a few days there,’ and he agreed. So my restaurant somehow ended up becoming a restaurant with a Michelin-starred chef.”

Jung Joon Young also discussed the layout of his restaurant. He explained, “There’s one long table where people can sit facing each other. It’s a bit narrow, but people can communicate with each other.” Kwanghee commented that it was “social dining,” and Jung Joon Young agreed with him.

The restaurant initially opened as a pop-up establishment from October 29 to November 17, and Jung Joon Young shared that the pop-up event had received positive responses. Revealing that his restaurant had even ended up in the Parisian news, he added, “When I go to Paris, I walk with my head held high.”

Kwanghee asked if Jung Joon Young could speak French, and the singer replied, “I started taking French lessons for the sake of my business, but I really couldn’t do it. While overseeing the restaurant, though, I realized I didn’t really have to learn French.”

Maison de Corée will officially open sometime next year.

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