Six seats, a sofa every guest asks about, and jars of ferments that take years to mature. That's CHAE, the Korean restaurant Jung Eun Chae and Yoora run from their home in the hills of Cockatoo, east of Melbourne.
Chae moved to Melbourne from South Korea in 2006 and started CHAE in her Brunswick apartment. It quickly became one of Melbourne's most sought-after dining experiences, earning her the Legend and Trailblazer Award from the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and a place among Good Food's Tastemakers.
For our Host Boldly series, we visited them at home to talk ferments, Sunday nights and what really makes a space feel intimate. Stay for the end, where we've gathered the hosting lessons you can borrow for your own table.
From a Brunswick apartment to the hills of Cockatoo
Chae's cooking started with her mum. Every winter, she made kimchi by the hundred for the whole family, a role that traditionally falls to the eldest daughter in Korean households.
That same scale is what eventually moved CHAE out of Brunswick. "We basically outgrew the Brunswick apartment," says Chae. "We needed more space as we made all of the Korean ferments on a larger scale."
Cockatoo gave them room to breathe, and the chance to offer a dining experience in the mountains that couldn't happen anywhere else.
Where home ends and the restaurant begins
At CHAE, there's no switch that flips from home to restaurant. The two run into each other, and that's exactly how Chae and Yoora like it.
"There isn't really a clear divide. Work is part of our everyday life, and our everyday life is part of the restaurant. We enjoy having the two come together."
Guests tend to settle on the sofa before anything else. "We want our guests to feel relaxed," says Chae. It works a little too well. Almost everyone asks the same question: "Where did you get this?"
Jars that take years
In Korea, ferments traditionally live in large clay jars called onggi, which sit outdoors and slowly work their magic. Cockatoo finally gave CHAE the space to keep them.
"Having that space means we can let our ferments develop naturally over several years and share those flavours with our guests."
No two years taste quite the same, and Chae has a clear favourite. "Personally, I think the batch we made last year is our best so far."
As for what the two of them cook when nobody's watching? Nothing fancy. After prep and service, dinner is whatever's left over.
After the last guest leaves
For Chae and Yoora, the weekend starts the moment Sunday dinner service ends.
"Once everyone has left, we finish cleaning, lower the projector screen from the ceiling and stretch out on our Eva sofa to watch a film. It's our favourite part of the week."
That sofa is the Eclipse in Forest. Their home is mostly black, white and natural timber, so a deep forest green ties the palette together. The living room isn't big, and the modular Eclipse fits it just right. "We like being able to move the pieces around to suit how we're using the space."
Host boldly, the CHAE way
You don't need six seats, years-old ferments or a projector in the ceiling to host like Chae and Yoora. Here's what we're taking home.
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Let your home show: Chae and Yoora don't hide the everyday. A lived-in space tells guests they can relax too.
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Give people somewhere soft to land: Guests at CHAE settle on the sofa before the meal. A comfortable first stop takes the edge off arriving.
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Seat people to talk: For Chae, intimacy comes from the people, when guests strike up a conversation with whoever's beside them. Mix up the seating and make a quick introduction.
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Read the room: "We host boldly by understanding the guest's needs and tailoring the experience accordingly." Notice who wants to chat, who wants seconds and who'd love an early night.
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Keep a ritual for after: Hosting is generous work. Plan your own wind-down, whether that's a film, a cuppa or simply putting your feet up.
Start with one jar
We asked Chae what every home deserves, and she didn't hesitate: a jar of naturally fermented Korean seasoning.
"Many people are used to commercially produced sauces, so it's nice to try something different and discover what else is out there."
CHAE's ferments, pantry goods and merchandise are available at chae.com.au. Start with one jar, and bring it to your next table.
Watch the video: This story is part of Host Boldly, Eva's video series that centres around the art of gathering at home, and as you guessed it—hosting boldly.
