À Table: A Minimalist Communal Table With Imogen Kwok
It’s the season for holiday entertaining, and we’ve enlisted the help of the most stylish hosts we know to serve up their party tricks for a holiday hosting mini‑series. Dress code festive, RSVP requested. À Table! In the right hands, food can be art—and when Imogen Kwok is involved, it usually is. The chef and food stylist has a way of spinning even tiny details into visual gold: Martinis topped up with shards of sugar pressed with dried flowers; slices of saucisson arranged like dominoes; verdant ravioli crescents shaped to look like pea pods. That’s not to say she’s too precious with food, though; in fact, for her end‑of‑season holiday party, her low‑key approach involves shared plates and lots of interactive participation.
“Encouraging a tactile connection with food is an integral part of my cooking, both for work and at home,” she says. “I love creating a shared moment when people are making their own plates or passing dishes to one another.” She chose a classic Korean menu (with a few twists) as that’s both her go‑to craving and the cuisine she grew up with around the holidays. The visual spark comes through in the considered way she assembles everything: neon pink radicchio and purple radish, arranged on plates to resemble miniature gardens, with tiny bowls heaping with colorful ingredients peppered throughout to fill the gaps on the clean white table. The whole setting is a lesson in delicate balance: “The tableware pieces are elegant and refined, but it’s the type of holiday party where you’re using your hands and adding condiments to dishes, so it’s not stiff,” explains Kwok. “It’s very representative of how I cook at home.”
1. Setting the Scene
Imogen’s approach starts with a clean, neutral‑colored tablecloth that feels like a bedspread. She handpicks ingredients and tableware as carefully as she would a couture dress: high‑quality items that share a common aesthetic.
- Tablecloth: Rose Uniacke square linen – $404
- Plates: Seraxx Sergio Herman Silhouette – $83
- Plates (second set): Seraxx Sergio Herman Silhouette – $95
- Decorative bowl: Diorice cream bowl – $310
2. The Hosting Outfit
Imogen prefers a tailored look that keeps the focus on the food. She usually opts for tight sleeves or sleeveless styles so the outfit doesn’t balloon.
- Dress: Pradahalf‑zip midi – $3,050
- Shoes: Alaïa Tong 90 sandals – $1,350
3. Tableware & Design
She pairs crystal glassware from Ann Demeulemeester’s Serax collection with geometric cut patterns from Dior’s new homeware line, creating a cohesive visual language.
- Chopsticks: KintoHIBI – $24
- Platter: Cal-Milgourmet porcelain – $80
- Cereal bowls: Open Kitchen – $36
- Glassware: Serax Grace champagne & white wine glasses – $128 each
- Chopstick rests: Makoto Koizumi wood – $55
4. Menu & Recipes
Today’s highlight is Pork Bo Ssam, a Korean dish that she’s given a holiday twist. She uses pink radicchio instead of cabbage, adds Volzhenka Siberian sturgeon caviar, seaweed, and sesame oil pearls, and pairs it with pickled daikon, purple radish, tiny red plums, soy‑braised mushrooms, ssamjang, slivered raw garlic, and rice.
Ingredients & Prep
- 1 lb pork belly, sliced and boiled ahead of time
- 1 cup pink radicchio, shredded
- ½ cup purple radish, julienned
- ¼ cup pickled daikon
- ½ cup soy‑braised mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp ssamjang
- ½ Tbsp slivered garlic
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil pearls
- Volzhenka sturgeon caviar – 250 g
- Rice – 2 cups cooked
Imogen layers the ingredients on each plate like a miniature garden, ensuring each bite is a visual and flavor experience.
5. Drinks & Cocktail Hour
The cocktail hour is a relaxed, communal space where guests mingle and share Martinis. Imogen recommends a simple, yet elegant, garnish: sugar shards pressed with dried flowers.
Martini Garnish
- 1 Tbsp sugar shards – pressed with dried flowers
- 1 Tbsp dried edible flowers
She serves the Martinis in clear glass jars to keep the design airy.
6. Guest Experience
Imogen’s communal table encourages interaction. She sets out shared bowls and condiments on the table so guests can customize their plates on the fly.
Interactive Elements
- Shared bowls of ssamjang and sesame oil pearls
- Open‑hand condiments: sugar shards, dried flowers, and Volzhenka caviar
- Mini‑garden arrangement on each plate
Guests can pass dishes around, tweak condiments, and create their own flavor combinations. This fosters a sense of community and creativity.
7. Tips & Checklist
Pre‑Event Checklist
- RSVP & guest list – 2 weeks in advance
- Tablecloth & tableware – 1 week before
- Ingredient prep – 1 day before
- Drink prep – 12 h before
- Set up & decoration – 1 h before guests arrive
Eco‑Friendly Touches
- Use locally sourced produce to reduce carbon footprint
- Biodegradable or compostable packaging for leftover ingredients
- Re‑use leftover bowls and glassware for future events
Imogen’s minimalist communal table is a template for sustainable, stylish holiday entertaining.
8. Conclusion
Imogen Kwok’s minimalist communal table is more than a feast – it’s a celebration of tactile food art, thoughtful styling, and community. By carefully selecting tableware, outfit, menu, and drinks, she creates a seamless, festive experience that guests will remember long after the holiday.
Ready to create your own minimalist holiday table? Start by choosing a neutral tablecloth, handpicking tableware, and curating a menu that feels both local and global. Don’t forget the interactive elements that encourage guests to engage with the food.
Happy entertaining, and see you at the next holiday hosting mini‑series!
Suggestion:
Japan: Tokyo & Kyoto Culture & History