Having a Ball
Seong Hwang gets to enjoy two of his passions—basketball and cooking—as the personal chef to Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers
by YOUNG RAE KIM
Seong Hwang sits on the edge of his seat as the Los Angeles Clippers take the court. His eyes are fixed intently on point guard Chris Paul’s every crossover dribble, no-look pass and jump shot.
Since childhood, Hwang has loved basketball and ran the point guard position for his high school team in Garden Grove, Calif., though he quickly realized he wasn’t cut out for the NBA. Still, his passion for basketball never died, and years later, he would feel a natural connection with Paul, whom critics also deemed undersized when the rookie from Wake Forest first entered the NBA in 2005. However, Hwang never would have guessed that one day that connection would become even closer and he’d be cooking up meals for the six-time NBA all-star as his personal chef.
“Growing up I only had one passion, constantly, from the time when I was a kid until now, and that’s basketball,” said Hwang. “It’s so weird how God brings everything together.”
The journey to becoming the personal chef for the one of the world’s top professional athletes was quite unexpected for this University of California, Irvine graduate, whose cooking skills once began and ended with instant ramen, cereal, and rice with spam.
Growing up, Hwang, who emigrated from Seoul at age 6, had no interest in cooking, but vaguely remembers a few times as a young boy following his mother to the grocery store and helping her out in the kitchen. At UC Irvine, he majored in engineering and, upon graduation, landed a job as an electric engineer consultant. However, a few months into the job, he caught a glimpse of his future self in a co-worker 10 years older than he. This man still lived in his parents’ basement, drove around a beat-up Honda Civic and loved to bet on football games on the weekends.
“I just didn’t want to end up like that, you know?” said Hwang. “So I talked to my boss and just quit.”
Searching for a new career, he took up a teaching job at a private high school in Los Angeles. Without the financial security of an engineer’s paycheck, Hwang lived on a tight budget and forced himself to cook. He started with simple pastas, but as his interest in the culinary art grew he began to explore more complicated dishes. In no time, he hosted dinner parties at his apartment, and friends would come over to taste the 10 different types of crème brulée that he had prepared.
Hwang found out that he had talent in cooking, and, more importantly, he enjoyed it. At age 26, he enrolled at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Pasadena, and was on his way to a career as a chef.
While school taught him the fundamentals of cooking, such as the proper techniques to sauté, poach or fry foods, Hwang said that the invaluable lessons were actually inside the kitchen. One of the most exciting times of his life was at his first job at a high-end Asian fusion restaurant in Santa Monica.
“There’s nothing like getting yelled at, or getting stuff thrown at you, or having someone bring back your food,” said Hwang. “That kind of real world experience makes you better faster and makes you grow.”
For the next five years, Hwang jumped around from one restaurant to another, learning as much as he could about food. The wages of a restaurant chef was anything but glamorous, and Hwang lived paycheck to paycheck. In addition, the long and odd working hours began to take a toll on his body, and he suffered an ulcer burst that required nine months of rest.
After that scare, Hwang decided he needed a healthier alternative to the heavy cream-based foods he was used to cooking. He switched over to more nutritious food, and that ultimately led to his reunion with his other passion: basketball.
The nutrition company that he worked for landed a contract with the Clippers, and while many of his co-workers dreaded waking up at 5:30 in the morning to prepare breakfast for the athletes, Hwang could not have been more ecstatic.
In the summer of 2011, a monumental trade brought Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers from New Orleans. Paul, new to the city, was in need of a personal chef for him and his family, and that was when the Clippers point guard crossed paths with Hwang.
Chris Paul (left), with Seong Hwang and Hwang’s wife Kristin. Photo courtesy of Seong Hwang.
When asked exactly what his job entails, Hwang had a bit of difficultly explaining, as his job was unlike any other.
“My job, first and foremost, is to make food that tastes good,” he answered.
Hwang quickly learned that Paul’s favorite cuisine was home-style comfort foods that he grew up eating in North Carolina. These dishes are often too rich and heavy to be eaten as a pre-game meal, so Hwang had to figure out a way to recreate them without the heaviness. For example, in his turkey cream pasta dish he substitutes cream with non-fat milk and corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce.
Not only does Hwang prepare pre-game and post-game meals for Paul, but he is often at the athlete’s house to cook meals for the rest of the Pauls. While most NBA players lead lavish lifestyles fit for Hollywood, Paul roots himself deeply in his family. On Friday nights, instead of partying at a club, he prefers to stay home and watch a movie with his wife, son, daughter and parents. This family-oriented focus carried over to his relationship with Hwang.
“From day one, I never felt like I worked for them. I always felt that I was working with them,” said Hwang. “I felt part of the family.”
Hwang’s job involves much more than just a normal chef. For example, on lazy afternoons, he takes Chris Paul, Jr., into the kitchen to teach him how to make salami pizza from scratch.
Also, this past off-season, the basketball player invited Hwang to spend time with the Paul family in North Carolina for a month. He even invited the chef to speak to kids about nutrition at the NBA athlete’s training camp.
Hwang, who recently married, plans in the future to write a nutrition cookbook, hopefully in collaboration with Paul, sharing recipes that are not only healthy, but also taste good.
“I like it more when people say, ‘Ooh, this is delicious,’ rather than, ‘Ooh, this is healthy,’” said Hwang. “That is what I strive for: food that tastes good and is nutritionally sound and balanced.”
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Turkey Stroganoff With Quinoa Pasta
Chef Seong Hwang shares a recipe for one of Chris Paul’s favorite meals.
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1-½ lbs lean ground turkey
1 small sweet onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 oz cremini mushroom, finely chopped
2 cups green cabbage, cut into strips
3 cups beef stock
4 oz low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup low-fat milk + 4 oz low-fat milk
3 tbsp cornstarch
12 oz package of quinoa pasta, cooked according to package directions (al dente)
1 tsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large pot over medium high heat, cook turkey, onion, garlic and mushroom with grapeseed oil until meat is no longer pink. About 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in green cabbage and beef stock. Bring to boil, and lower heat to a simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes until cabbage is slightly soft. Stir in cream cheese and 1 cup of milk, and bring back to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and 4 oz milk to make a slurry. Pour in slurry and stir until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Fold in cooked quinoa pasta and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.
This article was published in the December 2013 issue of KoreAm. Subscribe today! To purchase a single issue copy of the December issue, click the “Buy Now” button below. (U.S. customers only. Expect delivery in 5-7 business days).
