Jeong (pronounced chung) is a new talked-about Korean restaurant in West Town from chefs/owners Dave Park and Jennifer Tran. The space is modern and sleek with a relaxed atmosphere. I went the same week as the James Beard Awards which take place in Chicago, so the restaurant was bustling with chefs and people in the food industry. A writer from Esquire food actually complimented me on my camera so I didn’t feel too embarrassed taking so many pictures.

The food at Jeong takes a modern approach on more traditional Korean dishes. They have a tasting menu and a la carte options, and I opted for the seven-course tasting menu plus one special a la carte addition.

The first dish of the tasting menu consisted of silken tofu, king crab, maesil (plum extract) and chili-braised fern. The tofu was super soft and smooth, well balanced with the more chunky textures of crab. The garnishes tasted salty and savory, and the whole dish was very refreshing and light.

One of my favorite dishes of the night was the salmon tartare. Definitely one of the best tartare I’ve ever had, it was dressed with a caramelized soybean yuzu sauce, topped with bubu arare (little crispy rice balls) and crème fraîche. Once you take a bite of every ingredient, you get an amazing mix of fresh fish with a satisfying crunch and very nuanced rich flavors.

Next was the scallop. It was perfectly seared on the top, and soft and tender throughout. A side of spinach and a clementine beurre blanc accompanied the dish. That sauce was amazing and tied the whole dish together for a beautiful, buttery course.

The next course consisted of some sliced pieces of duck breast with a corn tea and soy glaze, with a side of rice and kimchi. The kimchi was outstanding - crunchy with such a powerful flavor, and the rice balanced the tender duck well with its semi-sweet sauce.

Tteokbokki is a dish that I’ve been loving lately at other Korean restaurants, so when I saw it on the a la carte portion of the menu here I wanted to try it. The presentation of the dish is beautiful, with the crispy rice cakes all lined up, topped with pickled mustard, a quail egg, charred cabbage, and spicy chili sauce. The flavors were all strong, with some sweet and savory, and it was definitely the most unique tteokbokki I’ve ever had, especially with the supplementary egg and mustard seeds which added a nice dimension.

Another highlight dish was the bavette steak. The most delicious piece of wagyu that melts in your mouth, with an amazing kimchi truffle emulsion and sunchoke croquette that had a nice crunch and balanced out the steak beautifully. This felt like such a creative pairing of flavors and textures that it really blew my mind.

Next was a pre-dessert course, which had a Korean fruit wine/granita nestled in the middle of gingerbread, all on top of a ginger tea crema. You’re meant to bang the spoon into the gingerbread to break it and get into the cream, where you can then have each flavor in one bite. The granita had a sourness that was well balanced with the cream, and the gingerbread was crunchy and flavorful.

Finally, the main dessert was a delicious chestnut financier with dwenjang caramel, smoked chestnut cream and chocolate. It was a nice sweet ending to the meal, but honestly I was super full at this point and couldn’t finish it!

Since it was an anniversary dinner, they also gave us a POST-dessert to take home which were some cupcakes. It was very thoughtful of them and the cupcakes were tasty as well, almost up to par with the flavors of the desserts during the tasting menu.

I would definitely recommend Jeong. The tasting menu is worth it ($87) especially for such a variety of ingredients and flavors, and you won’t leave hungry. I love Park and Tran’s take on Korean cuisine and found each dish very unique. The service is amazing as well and everyone is very knowledgeable about the food and drinks. The place has a really cool vibe and I’m excited to see how the chefs do in the future.