Korean Sushi Lineage

This article outlines the lineage of Korean sushi, focusing on the “period of transformation in hotel Japanese restaurants”, which brought the greatest changes to Korea’s sushi culture, and on the figures who emerged from Ariake (아리아께) and Sushi Cho (스시조) during that period and continue to lead the country’s sushi culture today.

Continued from Sushi in Korea [article].

Lineages of Sushi in Korea

1. The Shilla Hotel Ariake Lineage

The Ariake (아리아께) [Restaurant] lineage is divided into two branches.

• Morita Matsumi Lineage
  A lineage centered on chef Morita Matsumi, whom the late Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee recruited from Kiyota (키요타) [Restaurant] in Ginza to work at the Shilla Hotel's Ariake, as well as his disciples and chefs influenced by him: Morita Matsumi (모리타 마츠미) [Person]

• Ahn Hyo-ju Lineage
  A lineage centered on chef Ahn Hyo-ju (안효주), who headed Ariake's kitchen before Morita Matsumi, and his disciples

1.1 Ariake—Morita Matsumi Lineage

Reflecting its origins at Kiyota, this lineage is characterized by a strong commitment to wild-sourced ingredients, an emphasis on their intrinsic flavors, and exceptionally well-shaped nigiri.

• Kaneta (카네타) [Restaurant] - Morita Matsumi

• Sosuheon (소수헌) [Restaurant] - Park Gyeong-jae (박경재) [Person]

• Kizuna (키즈나) - Song Ung-sik (송웅식)

• Sushi Gokin (스시고킨) - Yu O-gyun (유오균)

1.1.1 Park Gyeong-jae Lineage (Collateral Branch)

• Sushi Hane (스시 하네) [Restaurant] - Choi Ju-yong (최주용)

• Sushisa (스시사) [Restaurant] - Kim Hak-jun (김학준) [Person] (Park Gyeong-jae's sous-chef during his time at Kojima)

• Sushi Rikyu (스시 리큐) - Ryu Ji-sang (류지상)

1.2 Ariake—Ahn Hyo-ju Lineage

This lineage is characterized by a combination of the Korean-style sushi-chef tradition and modern Japanese cuisine.

• Sushihyo (스시효) - Ahn Hyo-ju

• Sushi Aramizu (스시 아라미즈) - Choi Ji-hun (최지훈)

• The Nine Club (더나인클럽) - Yang Ji-won (양지원)

2. Josun Hotel Sushi Cho Lineage

After Ariake recruited chef Morita, Josun Hotel's Sushi Cho responded by forming a business partnership with the Ginza, Tokyo, sushi restaurant Ginza Kyubey (긴자 큐베이) [Restaurant] and recruiting chef Matsumoto Mizuho. This lineage developed around him, his disciples, and those influenced by them.

• Sushi Matsumoto (스시 마츠모토) [Restaurant] - Matsumoto Mizuho (마츠모토 미즈호) [Person]

• Sushiin (스시인) [Restaurant] - Lee Jin-uk (이진욱) [Person]

• Sushi Shimizu (스시 시미즈) - Lee Gwang-yeol (이광열)

• Dosan-daero Sushiya (도산대로 스시야) - Lee Jeong-un (이정운)

3. Alumni of Sushi Restaurants in Japan

3.1 Sushi Saito (스시 사이토) [Restaurant] Alumni

• Jeongdae (정대) [Restaurant] - Lee Jeong-dae (이정대) [Person]

• Sushi Saito Juyon (스시 사이토 쥬욘) [Restaurant] - Kim Ju-yeong (김주영)

3.2 Sushi Kanesaka (스시 카네사카) [Restaurant] Lineage Alumni

• Sushiya Shota (스시야 쇼타) - Moon Gyeong-hwan (문경환)
  (Sushiya Shota is a Kanesaka-lineage sushi restaurant in Tokyo. Its chef became the first Korean to receive one Michelin Guide star for sushi in Japan.)

• Dosan-daero Sushiya - Lee Jeong-un
  (Chef Lee Jeong-un's mentor, chef Matsumoto, came from Kanesaka, and Lee Jeong-un himself also trained at Kanesaka.)

• Sushi Hashira (스시 하시라) - Yoon Ju-hwan (윤주환)

• Sushi Hashira - Kim Chang-rim (김창림)
  (Trained at Sushiya Shota, a Kanesaka-lineage sushi restaurant) 

• Sushi no Aya (스시노아야) - Kim Gwang-min (김광민)

3.3 Sushi Harutaka Alumni (Sukiyabashi Jiro Lineage)

• Sushi Hashira - Chef Won Tae-gyeong (원태경)

4. Alumni of Japanese Restaurants in Japan

Chefs who trained at Japanese-cuisine, washoku, or kaiseki restaurants rather than sushi restaurants and now lead sushi restaurants

4.1 Kagurazaka Ishikawa Alumni

• Jeju Iwai (제주 이와이) - Lim Deok-hyeon (임덕현)
  (A case in which he trained at Ishikawa after already becoming a veteran itamae through such experience as working at Sushihyo and opening Hoshikai)

4.2 Kanda Alumni

• Sushi Koji (스시 코우지) - Koji (코우지)

5. Gikku (Korean-Style Sushi Restaurant) Lineage

• Gikku (기꾸) - Kim Tae-won (김태원)

• Kim Susa (김수사) - Jeong Jae-yun (정재윤)

• Sushi Chou (스시 쵸우) - Park Jin-tae (박진태)

• Sushi Jeong (스시 정) - Park Tae-yeong (박태영)