The fashion designer gives us a taste of the dishes she cherishes most

Rejina Pyo’s eponymous fashion brand is renowned for its vibrant and bold creations. Pleasing textures and fresh colours are the hallmarks of her creations, and the same applies to the Seoul-born designer’s favourite recipes. Six years ago, Pyo, a food enthusiast, collaborated with her husband, the chef Jordan Bourke, to publish Our Korean Kitchen, a book of recipes celebrating the flavours of her motherland. Here, she picks the dishes that have shaped her life. charlotte brook

My earliest food memory is of being part of a dumpling production line with my whole family, each person a vital cog in the process.

As a teenager I loved stopping off at a street-food cart for a paper cup of silkworms (beondegi). They are no stranger than frogs’ legs, but it always raises an eyebrow when I tell non-Koreans.

The first time I cooked for my husband, I made

japchae, a Korean sweet potato noodle dish. I was nervous because he is a chef, but I still remember his face as he took his first slurp.

Post-lockdown, the first restaurant I’ll go to is Spring Tavola at Somerset House. My husband worked with Skye Gyngell years ago and they have been friends ever since.

The essential ingredient to a good party? Tequila! If I had a free afternoon in London, I would sit with a cocktail at the bar at the Palomar – you have a ringside view of the chefs in action. The Israeliinspired food is always so full of flavour, and beautifully presented, too.

The dish I’ll pass on to my son is a homely, traditional, thick, creamy broth called deulkkae sujebi, which my mother cooked for him last year. I now make this for him back in London. He absolutely adores it.

www.rejinapyo.com