When Korea Meets KL: A Stellar One-Night Seafood Showcase at Potager

It’s not every day two culinary titans from different parts of Asia come together for a one-night-only gastronomic affair – and when it does happen, you can count on KL’s discerning foodies to turn up in style. On June 9, 2025, the city’s elegant fine dining destination Potager played host to a landmark dinner curated by Olivia Lee-Lepinoy, a chef and purveyor of premium Korean produce through her company Plan New.

At the heart of the evening: a creative synergy between Korea’s Chef Son JongWon and KL’s Chef Masashi Horiuchi. Each already highly decorated in their own right, this event brought the two together for an extravagant seven-course tasting menu that fused the subtle richness of French-Japanese cuisine with the bold elegance of contemporary Korean fare – all while spotlighting pristine seafood flown in from Korea’s coastal waters.

The meal was as exclusive as it was indulgent. Only 50 guests were able to secure seats at Potager, the MICHELIN-selected restaurant located in the lush Bamboo Hills enclave. Chef Son, whose culinary brilliance spans both the MICHELIN-starred L’Amant Secret and the Asia’s 50 Best-ranked Eatanic Garden in Seoul, brought a refined Korean perspective. Meanwhile, Chef Masashi – the Tatler Dining Awards 2024 Chef of the Year – delivered his usual magic: subtle, precise, and rooted in craftsmanship.

The duo’s culinary narratives unfolded in courses that included Parae Seaweed Crane and Gamtae Ice Cream with Yakgwa by Chef Son, as well as Pungcheong Eel Pie and a Silver Belt Fish Tarte by Chef Masashi. It was a celebration not only of technique, but of exceptional ingredients. Among those featured: Jeju Ok-Dom (red tilefish), Keum Tae (blackthroat seaperch), and the renowned Korean snow crab – each making its Malaysian debut that evening.

Behind the scenes was Olivia Lee-Lepinoy, whose passion for elevating Korea’s food exports has been clear from earlier successes, including the 2024 Malaysian launch of halal MiGyeongSan Hanwoo beef. For this seafood showcase, her efforts were supported by the Ministry of Ocean & Fisheries and the Korea Fisheries Association, ensuring top-grade quality and authenticity from sea to table.

Guests were welcomed with a glass of Krug champagne before embarking on a meal that was as much an artistic performance as it was a culinary one. Each dish delivered layers of flavour, cultural narrative, and exceptional technique – the kind of food that lingers in memory long after the last bite.

If you missed the dinner, there’s good news: the fine Korean seafood featured that night is now available for retail at Culina, the gourmet grocer and bistro at the Shoppes at Four Seasons Place in Kuala Lumpur.