CHO AHREUM

At Anitta, much of the work happens before a finished plate reaches the table.

Preparing pasta, working with ingredients, and repeating the same processes day after day.

After many visits, what stands out to me is how consistently that repetition shows up in the food.

For Cho Ahreum, using ingredients from Jeju is not simply a matter of putting a local name on the menu.

Sea trumpet, anchovy, octopus, garlic and black pork are worked into the language of pasta and her own cooking.

The question is always how a familiar Jeju ingredient can become a different plate.

One of the things I notice after watching Cho Ahreum over time is how consistently she keeps a rhythm outside the kitchen as well.

She exercises, runs, reads and meets people.

There is no need to turn that into a story about discipline or success. The routine itself says enough about her.

Cooking with Jeju is not only about using ingredients grown or caught on the island.

There is also time spent walking, looking and experiencing the seasons here.

For Cho Ahreum, Jeju is both a place to work and a place she continues to discover.

Cho Ahreum has continued to run Anitta in Geumak after the television attention faded.

The menu keeps changing and the work continues, but she remains in the place she chose for her cooking.

The longer I watch, the more that consistency stands out.