Since 2018, SOUL Dining’s executive chef Daero Lee and his partner Illa Kim have offered diners their own style of cuisine they call ‘contemporary Korean’. Daero, who trained in Korea, Italy and Australia, uses fresh seasonal produce and borrows from Korean and European ingredients and cooking styles to create innovative menus of ‘food from their memories’ – of growing up in Korea and, for Illa, Korea and Germany, living in Australia and travels through Europe. Lee and Kim have also created a restaurant they enjoy dining in: a stylish retreat that’s fun, inviting and cosy, where diners can relax, enjoy good food, fine wines, cocktails, Soju and Korean and local beers. In early 2021, Lee and Kim opened SOUL Dining’s ‘sister’ venue, SOUL Deli, Sydney’s first Korean brunch café/deli to satisfy the demand for Korean food and culture to become part of everyday life by offering Korean-Australian food, art, fashion and homewares. With both venues, their aim is to shine a light on Korean cuisine and culture. SOUL Dining is fully licensed and open for dinner Tuesdays to Saturdays from 5pm at 204 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills. SOUL Dining is at @souldining on Facebook and Instagram.