For many gourmands, there’s nothing quite as fascinating as omakase. The term itself is Japanese, meaning “I leave the details up to you,” showcasing a patron’s trust in the chef’s discretion in serving up a course to their liking.
Now, we’ve come across our fair share of interesting omakase in Malaysia. We’ve even heard of coffee omakase.
But a kimchi omakase is something that we’ve never come across—until now.
Offered by a restaurant named HANSIK Authentic Korean Restaurant in Sri Petaling, owned and run by a woman named Clara Lyou.
Creating a symphony with her food
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Clara was previously an underground musician and pianist. Before moving to Malaysia in 2004, she had worked in the wholesale business for clothing and accessories.
“When I first arrived in Malaysia, my children were still young, so I started a home-stay business, providing breakfast and dinner,” she reminisced. “Many guests complimented my cooking and encouraged me to open a restaurant.”
In hindsight, she realises that her love for cooking likely comes from her childhood. In fact, it runs in her blood. Clara’s parents had run a Korean restaurant, a traditional tea house, and a chicken shop.
While she didn’t pursue F&B as a formal career in Korea, as the eldest daughter-in-law in a large family, she often helped her mother prepare for family rituals and banquets. This laid the foundation for her skills in the kitchen.
Emboldened by the positive feedback and her past experience, Clara opened her first restaurant venture, which was a Chinese restaurant called “Buldodang” in Mont Kiara.
Later on, she operated the Sri Petaling branch of Daorae from March 2010 until August 2024.
Something to call her own
Running Daorae for 14 years, Clara realised that it was time for a change.
“As a franchisee, I had to adhere to the headquarters’ rules for menu and operations, which limited my creative freedom,” she shared. “This led me to create my own independent brand, HANSIK, where I could showcase my vision for Korean cuisine.”
Thus, on October 7, 2024, HANSIK was born.
Those who speak Korean will know the term HANSIK literally means “Korean food.” The reason for choosing such a name was clear—for Clara to pay homage to her grandmother and mother’s traditional homecooked meals.
“These days, there are many restaurants with Korean signs that serve non-traditional dishes, so I wanted to create a place where people could enjoy healthy, authentic Korean cuisine with a focus on delicious kimchi and rice,” she shared.
With that in mind, HANSIK offers set meals featuring grilled meats paired with side dishes and stews, along with a variety of stone pot rice dishes, savoury pancakes, and casual Korean snacks such as ramen, kimbap, and tteokbokki.
Clara shared that the recipes are crafted with her expertise, gained from her life in Korea as well as her journey with Daorae. It’s also informed by a dedication to healthy cuisine and kimchi, as well as continuous learning and collaboration with renowned kimchi masters.
But beyond her authentic Korean food, something else that is a unique ode to her home country is the offering of kimchi omakase.
Omakase, but it’s kimchi
With the K-wave and our highly connected world today, kimchi has become a globally recognised dish.
However, most are only familiar with napa cabbage kimchi, instead of the numerous varieties of kimchi, and usually as a side dish instead of the star of the meal.
Turning this on its head, enter HANSIK’s kimchi omakase. As the name suggests, this offering features a variety of kimchi as per the chef’s decisions, all paired with complementary dishes. They’ve also experimented with pairing kimchi with wine.
“Like wine paired with meals, I want to showcase how different types of kimchi can enhance the flavors of Korean cuisine,” she explained.
Through this, she hopes to introduce Malaysians to a wider range of Korean flavours and show that kimchi is a versatile, healthy, fermented food made from diverse ingredients—not just factory-made cabbage kimchi.
It helps that Clara is quite confident in her kimchi. So many people love her kimchi that it’s even supplied to Korean grocery stores.
“Growing up, my family would often have around 20 types of kimchi in the house, made by my grandmother and mother in friendly competition,” she recalled. “Today, I’m recreating those flavours.”
The kimchi are all made in-house at HANSIK, making use of Malaysia’s wide range of vegetables as well as some ingredients like perilla leaves and shepherd’s purse imported from Korea.
HANSIK’s current kimchi omakase menu is as follows:
5-Course Meal (RM58)
- Four types of kimchi
- Porridge with vegan white kimchi
- Pancakes with green onion kimchi
- Tofu with mustard leaf kimchi
- Boiled pork with perilla leaf kimchi
- Stone pot rice, kimchi stew, and daily side dishes
7-Course Meal (RM88)
- Six types of kimchi
- Porridge with vegan white kimchi
- Pancakes with green onion kimchi
- Tofu with mustard leaf kimchi
- Boiled pork with perilla leaf kimchi
- Young radish kimchi cold noodles
- Poached beef with napa cabbage kimchi
- Stone pot rice, kimchi stew, and daily side dishes
The omakase has been especially popular with local customers, Clara shared, though they’ve also attracted a number of Korean diners.
“This concept is unique, even in Korea, where kimchi-focused omakase experiences are not common,” she said. “Customers often express delight at tasting new types of kimchi, discovering the variety available, and enjoying the harmonious food pairings.”
Once the current kimchi omakase is fully established, she plans to introduce a “Season 2” version as well.
Standing proudly against the competition
The number of Korean restaurants in Malaysia has grown, but not all adhere to authentic recipes or standards. Rising costs have also led some restaurants to compromise on quality, which impacts sustainability.
However, Clara and HANSIK by extension aim to stay committed to excellence, offering high-quality taste, service, cleanliness, topped off with unique offerings such as the kimchi omakase.
Doing this will involve its own set of obstacles and challenges, but Clara is nothing if not persistent and determined.
After all, running a business in a foreign country has been nothing short of a significant challenge, especially with cultural and language differences among staff.
“However, we’ve built a strong team by fostering a family-like atmosphere and mutual trust,” Clara shared.
With over a decade of F&B experience under her belt, Clara aims to open a halal-certified kimchi specialty restaurant down the road, creating an interactive Korean dining experience with cooking classes.
Through those initiatives, Clara will be able to better spread the beauty of authentic Korean cuisine and kimchi with Malaysia.
- Learn more about HANSIK Authentic Korean Restaurant here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about F&B businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: HANSIK Authentic Korean Restaurant
