Hallasan, the Korean BBQ everyone is falling in love with

Hilton Xu brings a different idea of meat to Florence: an experience where quality, ritual and sharing become a universal language

Hallasan is much more than a restaurant: it is a cultural journey that places meat at the center as a ritual of sharing, through rare cuts, tableside service, and Eastern philosophy. In this interview, Hilton Xu — owner of Hallasan — shares the vision behind a project that engages in dialogue with the city of steak without imitation, focusing instead on authenticity, absolute quality, and human warmth.

Hilton Xu, owner of Hallasan

Hallasan is the name of the highest mountain in Korea: what led you to choose this name for the restaurant?
I chose this name because Hallasan is a mountain with strong symbolic and spiritual meaning, and through it I wanted to represent my goal of reaching the pinnacle of gastronomic quality. Its name is often interpreted as “the mountain high enough to grasp the Milky Way,” an image that suggests a connection between earth and sky — a place where the divine and the human meet.

Florence is the capital of steak: how much of a challenge — and how much of an inspiration — was it to engage with such a strongly meat-oriented city?
Considering Florence’s meat offering, both in terms of quantity and quality, we wanted to bring a distinctive element of our own gastronomic culture into a context that is already deeply tied to meat. There are significant differences between the Florentine steak and our cuts, and I believe a true enthusiast can discover an entirely unusual way of tasting meat cuts and flavor pairings.

At Hallasan, meat is not just a dish but the true focal point of the experience: why this choice?
In traditional Korean cuisine, especially barbecue, meat is a moment of sharing, not just consumption. Placing it at the center means enhancing the table experience, the time spent together, and the dialogue between people — as well as between flavors. Service plays a crucial role in this type of cuisine: each table has its own server. The cooking of premium cuts cannot be left to inexperienced guests, and having a server by your side also means being able to answer any questions about the meat and other ingredients.

Hallasan

You have focused on very particular and rare cuts: how does the research behind these products begin, and what guides your selection?
Our research stems from years of study, travel, and dialogue with specialized suppliers. We are guided by the absolute quality of the raw ingredient, the balance between marbling, structure, and flavor, and the ability to offer something authentic and unexpected to our guests. That is why we work with exclusively premium suppliers, offering some of the most prized beef cuts in the world: not just Kobe beef, for example, but the award-winning beef raised by guru Muhenaru Ozaki on his farm about an hour and forty-five minutes by flight from Tokyo.

Which cut of meat has been the most popular with guests so far?
The diaphragm. It is extremely tender, flavorful, and has just the right amount of fat.

The grill at the center of the table is almost a ritual element: how important is the convivial aspect of Korean cuisine to you?
For us, rituality is fundamental. Our style of BBQ naturally creates that light and informal atmosphere that is not so easy to find in restaurants today. Each experience is composed of many small bowls to share, encouraging exchange and interaction.

If you had to recommend one dish to someone who wants to discover authentic Korean cuisine, what would it be?
Without a doubt, Bibimbap, because it brings together fundamental principles such as balance, seasonality, variety, and harmony in a single bowl. It is a perfect example of the philosophy of yin and yang and the five colors (obangsaek): light and dark vegetables, raw and cooked ingredients, delicate and spicy flavors coexist in equilibrium. This reflects the Korean belief that food should not only nourish but also maintain harmony between body and mind. Bibimbap also tells the story of everyday Korean cuisine: it originated as a home-style dish, often created to creatively reuse leftover side dishes (banchan), and is therefore deeply connected to domestic cooking rather than formal dining. Every family and region has its own version. It is also a dish centered on seasonality, with vegetables changing according to the time of year. The very act of mixing the ingredients before eating carries symbolic value: flavors, textures, and colors blend together, just as tradition and innovation coexist in Korean cuisine without canceling each other out.

Bibimbap

And what is your personal favorite dish?
My personal favorite dish is kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew). For me, it means home: a pot gently simmering, the aroma of fermented kimchi, and that warm spiciness that is not just intensity but comfort. With just a few ingredients, it achieves incredible depth, because it contains the time of fermentation and the patience of the cook.

This is precisely the idea I bring to Hallasan: at the center there is the grill and the meat, but what truly makes the experience Korean is the warmth, the balance of flavors, and the sense of sharing. Kimchi jjigae perfectly represents this spirit: it is born from fire, it warms people, and it leaves an authentic memory — exactly what we want our guests to experience.

Hallasan has opened recently but already has a strong identity: how do you envision its evolution in the coming years?
Recently, we have further developed the pairing aspect, increasing both the range and the quality of our wines. Today, guests can pair premium meats with outstanding bottles, from Petrus to great Piedmontese wines and iconic Tuscan labels such as Ornellaia and Sassicaia. Overall, I envision steady and coherent growth, without compromising our identity: we want to continue refining our meat selection, deepening our exploration of Korean culture, and becoming a reference point for those seeking an authentic experience — not simply a passing trend.