Suwon Korean Bistro Poznań: From London and Paris to Seriously Good Korean Food

A chef from Korea, a career in London and Paris, and a slightly unexpected decision to open a restaurant in Poznań. We’re very glad he did.

Some chefs spend years carefully planning their next move. Myung Sub Kim apparently prefers a challenge.

After working in top kitchens in London and Paris, the Korean-born chef could have taken his experience almost anywhere. Instead, he chose Poznań. Why? As he told us when we dropped into his newly opened restaurant, Suwon, he likes challenging himself.

Fair enough. But opening an authentic Korean bistro in a city with an increasingly competitive food scene? That’s quite a challenge.

And judging by what came out of his kitchen, he’s off to a seriously good start.

FOUR SETS. ONE VERY GOOD IDEA.

Suwon isn’t trying to reinvent Korean food for European tastes. Kim wants to serve the real thing, from the recipes and ingredients to the drinks.

The menu features lunchtime options around 45 PLN, but what really caught our attention were the four Signature Sets, each inspired by a different part of the Korean city of Suwon.

At 69 PLN per person, available for groups of two, three or four, they’re designed for sharing. And there’s plenty to share.

There’s the Paldal Set, bringing together Korean fried chicken, japchae noodles, potato pancake and spicy cabbage salad. The Jangan Set is a meat lover’s playground, with a choice of two meats, japchae and ssam accompaniments. The Hwaseo Set turns up the heat with spicy Yangnyeom chicken, dumplings and more, while the vegetarian Changnyong Set combines tofu, noodles, pancakes and dumplings.

We couldn’t decide, so we asked Kim to prepare a selection of dishes from across the sets. We wanted to understand what his cooking was really about.

The answer? Proper Korean comfort food, packed with flavour, made by someone who clearly knows what he’s doing.

BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT THE BULGOGI.

Everything we tried was delicious, but one dish completely stole the show.

The bulgogi.

Tender, beautifully marinated beef, packed with that unmistakable sweet-savoury Korean flavour. Rich without being heavy, beautifully balanced and dangerously easy to keep eating.

We’ve eaten plenty of good food around Poznań, but this is one of those dishes that makes you stop talking for a moment.

If you visit Suwon only once, order the bulgogi. Seriously. It’s an absolute must.

LUNCH, KOREAN STYLE.

Suwon also serves traditional Korean baekban lunches for around 45 PLN, and even the presentation has personality. Forget ordinary plates. Your lunch arrives in a golden metal lunchbox, packed with Korean flavours and accompanied by side dishes.

It’s a lovely little touch that makes the whole experience feel that bit more Korean. And at around 45 PLN, it’s a pretty tempting lunchtime escape from the usual Poznań routine.

KOREAN RICE WINE? YES, PLEASE.

Kim also introduced us to makgeolli, Korea’s traditional fermented rice wine. Slightly cloudy, gently fizzy, creamy and pleasantly tangy, with a subtle sweetness. It’s completely different from your usual glass of wine and served in a golden bowl.

And here’s something we didn’t expect: Kim explained that in Korea, people mix it with Sprite for an extra sweet, fizzy kick.

We love discovering little cultural details like that. It’s exactly what makes eating somewhere new interesting.

THE KIMCHI IS GETTING OLDER. ON PURPOSE.

Before leaving, there’s one more thing worth checking out.

Near the entrance sits a fridge containing buckets of fermenting kimchi, each marked with its own date.

Yes, they’re ageing their kimchi.

As Kim explained, time changes everything. The longer kimchi ferments, the deeper, sharper and more complex its flavour becomes. Older isn’t automatically better for every dish, but properly aged kimchi has a character all of its own.

It’s a small detail, but it says plenty about how seriously this kitchen takes Korean food.

THE VERDICT.

A Korean chef with serious international experience randomly chooses Poznań because he wants a challenge. He opens a bistro, serves generous sharing sets, pours Korean rice wine and keeps buckets of kimchi ageing by the entrance.

What’s not to like?

Suwon feels refreshingly genuine. No unnecessary theatre, no desperate attempts to follow trends. Just a chef bringing his food culture to a new city and letting the flavours do the talking.