Alumni restaurant Sollip awarded one Michelin-Star

Le Cordon Bleu London is delighted to share the news that alumni owned restaurant, Sollip, has been awarded one Michelin-star in the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland 2022.

Diplôme de Cuisine alumnus Woongchul Park and Diplôme de Pâtisserie alumna Bomee Ki moved to London from South Korea in early 2020 to open Sollip near London Bridge. Unfortunately, lockdown hit in March meaning for several months they adjusted to operate as a Korean grocery from the restaurant before opening to guests in August. Now they serve a menu marrying European and Korean cuisine, combining their cultural heritage with their culinary training.

The husband and wife team seek to showcase a uniquely personal cuisine that is deeply inspired by their upbringing in South Korea and experiences living and working in London. The Michelin Guide describes the food at Sollip as ‘cooking that really feels it comes from the heart; it’s not showy or over complicated, just polished and poised.’

Speaking about the concept behind the restaurant, Woongchul Park commented “We wanted to show off something only we could do in London. And in our view, there were not any really sincere Korean or Korean inspired restaurants in London. As we are Korean, we have of course been growing with Korean foods from Korean moms even though we both like French cuisine a lot. That’s the biggest reason we decided our concept.” Bomee Ki added “We wanted to do what we can do well and what we enjoy."

Sollip serve a tasting menu consisting of around nine dishes, each made with seasonal and local produce, using an approach which reflects their Korean heritage. Naturally the tasting menu changes according to available ingredients, but previous dishes from Sollip include a persimmon tart, gamtae sandwich, daikon tarte tatin - a savoury version which particularly highlights their mixing of French techniques with Korean influences, and Highland Wagyu with maitake mushroom, langoustine and rice. You can view a sample menu on the restaurant's website, and they also offer wine pairing.

The team at Le Cordon Bleu London couldn’t be prouder of this achievement, and we wish Sollip continuing success for the future.

You can read more about Woongchul Park, Bomee Ki and other Le Cordon Bleu London graduates in our Alumni Success Stories interview series.