Harnessing nearly two decades’ experience in the hospitality industry, Sungyeol Son is the head chef and co-owner of Canberra’s acclaimed Terra restaurant.

Sungyeol’s affinity for cooking was nurtured from a young age, watching on as his father conjured Korean BBQ in the backyard for their friends and family.

Enamoured with the unique flavour of the dishes, Sungyeol soon became aware of the joy that beautiful food was able to bring to guests, and he decided to take the leap and hone his skills with formal culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu in Australia.

In 2009, Sungyeol embarked upon a transformative tenure at Wild Fire restaurant in Circular Quay, Sydney.

Here, he immersed himself in the world of charcoal and wood cooking, crafting dishes under the guidance of Brazilian churrasco virtuoso, Jose Santos.

The following year, Sungyeol embarked upon a stint at Gregory Llewelyn’s newly opened Hartsyard restaurant in Newtown. A masterclass in American cuisine, Hartsyard afforded Sungyeol the opportunity to absorb techniques and gastronomic styles that would go on to shape his personal cooking identity for the years to come.

After a few years in Sydney’s inner west, Sungyeol relocated to Canberra and cut his teeth at various venues across the capital. A fateful introduction to a local fruit supplier sparked a welcome collaboration: Terra, a city outpost with a focus on quality produce cooked over fire and flame.

Here, Sungyeol blends his incomparable vision with his wealth of experience, serving Terra’s guests a sophisticated alchemy of diverse culinary traditions. His dishes are shaped by a relentless pursuit of fresh, seasonal produce, meats and seafood, and are synonymous with refined yet unanticipated flavours, textures, presentations, and a distinctive blend of both tradition and innovation.