Why Joo Won swapped Michelin-star fine dining for his Korean restaurant dream

After years of running the kitchen of a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in Mayfair, Joo Won decided to make a big change.

He has recently celebrated one year since his own restaurant, Calong, opened its doors in Stoke Newington, east London, celebrating his Korean roots.

It has made an instant impression, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2026.

“The style of cooking at Calong, it’s not traditional Korean and it’s not European either,” Joo explained.

“I think we are in the middle of progressing, trying to find the style of our brand, the cooking style we want.

“Our cooking is based on Korean cooking. I want to add all my personality and character, plus the UK’s beautiful seasonal ingredients.

“It will take us a couple of years.

“This is only our second year - so we’re still developing ourselves, finding out what is best for us and for the business as well.”

He added: “Calong was recognised as one of the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants in 2026.

“We are very, very pleased that people are recognising us and how we do it at Calong.

“It helps a lot. We are getting very busy, but it doesn’t mean that something has changed from our kitchen.

“We’ve been doing exactly the same from day one. We’re chasing our dream.

“Make sure we give a good smile, good food, good wine and good service. It always has been the same.

“It’s not we do this because we are Bib Gourmand. We want everyone coming here because they love the food and the service, not because we have a Bib Gourmand.”

How Galvin at Windows shaped Joo Won’s journey to Calong

Before opening Calong, Joo spent a defining chapter of his career at Galvin at Windows, the Galvin brothers’ former fine-dining restaurant on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane, before leaving in 2020.

When The Staff Canteen first featured Joo in 2012, he was a senior sous chef at Galvin at Windows, working closely with then head chef André Garrett and chef patron Chris Galvin, helping maintain the standards, systems and precision expected in one of London’s best-known modern French dining rooms.

Even then, his close relationship with Chris – which began years earlier at The Orrery – stood out as a key influence on his development.

When André left the business, Joo stepped up to become head chef.

That relationship between Chris and Joo clearly endured. In The Staff Canteen’s interview with Chris and Jeff Galvin in 2025, marking 20 years of Galvin Restaurants, they revealed Joo was one of the former chefs invited back to cook at the anniversary gala dinner, alongside other important alumni from the group’s history.

The brothers also spoke about the importance of long-term loyalty, training and creating a culture where chefs are encouraged to grow into leaders in their own right – values that help explain Joo’s rise through the ranks during his years in the business.

That makes Galvin at Windows an important part of Joo’s story. It was a restaurant known for elegant French cooking, high standards and a landmark Park Lane setting, and it helped shape the technical discipline Joo still talks about today.

Although Galvin at Windows closed in 2024 after 18 years, its influence remains visible in Joo’s cooking: the polish and rigour of a Michelin-level kitchen now channelled into the more relaxed, personal and Korean-led style he has built at Calong.

From white tablecloth fine dining to a more relaxed style

Now Joo has swapped the Michelin-starred white tablecloth settings he became so accustomed to, to a more informal food style.

“I used to work with all the luxuries of a team, equipment, setup, beautiful tablecloths, but now I am on the street level with this very casual-looking, but very cosy, beautiful casual restaurant at Calong,” Joo explained.

“The reason now I’m on this level, I wouldn’t say it’s a different level, it’s just a different taste, different vision or goal.

“Somehow I fell in love with the informality, the really relaxed, casual atmosphere, whether it’s the food or the style of service.

“It just makes me feel like I’m very, very relaxed and I can enjoy more.

“Whether it’s the food and just everything, just being with people on the table, I’m always relaxed and I think this is a great feeling.

“Everything has changed, on the hardware side. But the software - our discipline, the philosophy, or the quality of ingredients - is exactly the same.

“The passion maybe even more now, and work hours, yes, more!”