If 2023 stamped itself as the year chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants cooked in Sydney, Jung-su Chang is showing next-level commitment from the exclusive Michelin club. The Korean chef hasn’t lobbed for a quick pop-up or residency, he’s here to stay.

Last year Good Food revealed Chang, the executive chef at South Korea’s two Michelin-starred restaurant Jungsik Seoul, had been recruited to front a new Sydney venue.

Next weekend, he’ll fire up the burners for a few soft runs at the 120-seat Funda before its official opening on Tuesday, August 29. In late October, he’ll add a 12-seat omakase, Allta, next to Funda, to his executive chef brief.

Funda lands on the corner of Pitt and Bridge streets, a precinct set to gain more Asian restaurant traction. Merivale group will throw open the doors at the end of the year on a new Asian restaurant headed into the former site of Fratelli Fresh, in the Burns Philp Building. Next month, Lotus Dining Group will open Pearl, an 84-seat Cantonese restaurant at Quay Quarter, on the corner of Bridge and Young streets.

With Sydney also in the midst of a Korean-fuelled boom, Chang says he hopes to add to the movement. Being careful “not to sound arrogant”, he explains he has a rare skill set when it comes to modern Korean with a Euro twist. Chang has a wide culinary education, having worked for French chef Pierre Gagnaire, as well as the experience of retaining his Michelin stars four years straight at Jungsik Seoul.

“We’ve seen modern Korean in Sydney,” says Funda and Allta co-owner Jang Ho So, who also jointly operates Sydney’s casual Firestone restaurants. “But we’ve never seen it on this level.”

A big part of the attraction in relocating to Sydney for the chef was working with new ingredients, with his opening menu pairing the ubiquitous Sydney ingredient burrata with soy cured prawns.

While Funda is more fun and funky than the upcoming higher-pitched Allta, it’s still adventurous. Korean potato pancake is served with bulgogi and parmesan cheese. The tail-end of the menu offers a twist on a local classic, with a “yeast pavlova with makgeolli and rice cake”.

Both the menu and interior at Funda sweep from casual to the more slick and serious. Where you might snack on focaccia with Korean soy sauce ($8) or a fried seaweed roll with prawn and scallop mousse ($12), the upper reaches of the menu offer up a Korean pancake with fish ($41) and wagyu steak with anchovy ssamjang sauce ($79). Likewise, the fitout jumps from brightly coloured arches to more formal olive leather booths and an eat-at bar.

Chang has good company in the kitchen: Funda head chef Chris Kim, who has Tetsuya’s and Sepia on his CV. While the duo are serious about the food, there’s talk of rolling out the occasional DJ. Putting a little “fun” in Funda.

Open lunch and dinner Tue-Sat.

50 Pitt Street, Sydney, 02 7233 2660, fundasydney.com.au