Dan’s Taste 2021 Chefs: Chris Park, Kissaki

Less than a year ago, Kissaki came to Water Mill, bringing the sushi that took New York City by storm with it, and history repeated itself, with Hamptons visitors and locals falling in love with the Omakase delicacies. Chef Chris Park is bringing some of his most popular sushi to Dan’s Chefs of the Hamptons on Thursday, June 24, so if you’ve somehow missed the boat thus far, now’s your chance to hop in!

For tickets and more information on all Dan’s Taste 2021 events, visit DansTaste.com.

First word (or words) that comes to mind when you hear “Taste of Summer?”

Lemons.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Balance of flavor.

You can invite three people, living or dead, to your dinner party. Who are they, and what would that meal be?

Albert Einstein, Julius Caesar, and Nikola Tesla. The meal would be coffee and doughnuts.

What’s your favorite dish to prepare, and do you enjoy eating it as much as preparing it?

Butter-basted American prime ribeye. I try to eat one steak a week.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Be satisfied with the decisions you make, because when you make them you are using the best tools you have at the time to do so. That way, you can live with no regrets.

Share your funniest, most unforgettable or oddest kitchen incident.

Watching a sous chef get air bombed with ice water for his birthday from above the pass.

Who do you most admire in the food/wine world and why?

The occasional day off.

What is going to be the “next big thing” on the East End food scene?

Ethnic food.

What are your hobbies, passions and interests outside the world of food, wine and work?

Working out, racing cars, technology and traveling.

What’s your comfort food and why?

KBBQ, because I’m mostly Korean.

If you were not in the food or wine business, what would you be doing?

Race car driver.

What is the most memorable thing you’ve ever tasted?

Fresh heirloom tomatoes from my family garden.

What recent travels have you taken that have inspired you?

Tour of Korea and Tokyo.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Maintaining passion and sanity.

What’s a unique kitchen ritual you practice?

Tying my towels to my apron, keeps other people from stealing them.

What has surprised you the most about working in the East End culinary scene?

The people’s love of food.

It’s your last weekend on earth—what’s the menu?

Fried chicken, steaks and whiskey.

We just handed you a glass of bubbly. Now please make a toast to summer on the East End.

For those whom we’ve lost, and for those of us fostering the future.

To learn more about Kissaki, visit explorekissaki.com.