Hanna Kim, owner of Vincent Restaurant at Barton. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Married couple Hanna Kim and Minjun Kim have put their relationship to the test in one of the most challenging arenas of all: a restaurant kitchen. The two chefs were already in a relationship when they started working together at Vincent, but once they bought the business during COVID-19, they knew they could handle anything, so they tied the knot!
These days, Hanna is indulging her passion for wine and retrained to be the in-house sommelier for the 10-year-old restaurant in Barton while Minjun runs the kitchen. With influences from their Korean heritage, as well as French and Italian culinary training, the menu has a wide range of influences.
“We work together on that fusion style … [when we took over the restaurant] we completely changed the menu and found our way to cook.”
The minimalist seating at Vincent winds cleverly around two central drinks stations. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Hanna explained her joint culinary and wine education has been beneficial in creating a menu that pairs perfectly with different wines. While most chefs will wait until a dish is complete to choose a wine, Hanna and Minjun often start with the wine and work backwards to create the perfect dish.
“When I make dishes, I always think about wine matching as well. From the beginning, I think about the wine first,” Hanna told Region.
“And because we’re living together we’re always sharing and communicating. Now that I’ve stepped out of the kitchen, I can give Minjun an idea, and he’ll make the dish, and I’ll bring the wine. If it’s not working well, then we just keep talking about it at home until it’s right.”
It’s a technique that recently saw them win Gold in the Wine Bar category of the National Restaurant and Catering Awards.
Black tempura and dark nori make this an unusual-looking dish, but it tasted spectacular. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Hanna recommended the scallops, a signature dish that she said has been “loved for a long time.”
While scallops are often served grilled or raw, this dish sees them fried in a black sesame tempura (a secret recipe) and served with jalapeno, chilli yuzu mayo, katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and nori seaweed. The fried tempura and mix of flavours allowed Hanna to think outside the box when matching wine, and she poured me a glass of Picpoul, a lesser-known white varietal characterised by a saline taste and acid finish.
The dish is visually stunning: the black tempura and dark nori matching the minimalist black design of the bar. Combined with the salty tang of the wine, I’m transported into the depths of the sea – scallops grow on the sea floor, after all – with complex, umami flavours and contrasting textures. I can see why this dish is the signature.
Hanna also encouraged me to order a stracciatella and cauliflower dish. Culinarily and visually, it’s a thousand miles away from that deep-sea entree, but it still fits the refined surroundings. Pops of pickled rhubarb cut through the creamy cheese, and the spiced cauliflower keeps me coming back for more bites.
In addition to the a la carte menu, Vincent has a list of express lunchtime specials that caters to the crowd of public servants in the area. Minjun’s Italian training comes to the fore with a selection of house-made pastas and panini, including a very delicious ricotta gnocchi with creamy Japanese pumpkin puree, a salty crumble of goats cheese and a sprinkle of crunchy pinenuts and pumpkin seeds to finish.
You can get a delicious, generous prosciutto and fresh mozzarella panini for just $17 takeaway or $23 dine-in with chips. And let me tell you about the chips: thick cut and triple cooked, these chips are the stuff of dreams. Crispy, fluffy and perfectly salted, they’re a labour of love, just like the rest of Vincent.
Vincent is located at 3/48 Macquarie Street, Barton.
They are open for lunch on Monday from midday to 2 pm, and for lunch and dinner (including happy hour drinks and snacks) from Tuesday to Friday from midday to 10 pm. They are open for dinner on Saturday from 6 pm to 10 pm.
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