World Series Winner Now Masters German Sausage in Seoul

The first Korean-born player to win a World Series ring now spends his days perfecting pork knuckle instead of his pitching mechanics.

Byung-hyun Kim, known for his distinctive submarine pitching style during his MLB career, owns and operates Metz Hannam, a decorated German sausage restaurant in Seoul's Yongsan district. What started as a teenage love affair with his first Burger King has blossomed into a culinary passion that rivals his baseball achievements.

"When I was playing in the States, any time families and friends would come, I would take them out to a restaurant that I recommended," Kim said. "I saw the joy that people felt from having good food. That's where it all started."

His journey from the pitcher's mound to the kitchen wasn't immediate. Kim first opened three sushi restaurants in San Diego and burger joints at two Korean baseball stadiums, inspired by Luis Gonzalez's restaurant at Chase Field in Arizona.

But German sausage became his true calling. Kim trained for nearly a year under Seong Chun Lim, Korea's first sausage meister who held the title for 40 years. After one bite of Lim's creation, Kim was hooked.

Why This Inspires

Kim didn't just replicate traditional recipes. He reimagined them with health and local ingredients in mind, using 98 percent natural ingredients and sourcing garlic and peppers from regions known for these specialties.

His boldest creation combines Korean and German traditions: a premium version of budae-jjigae, or Korean army soup. The dish originally used leftover processed meats from American military bases during the Korean War, but Kim's version features his handcrafted, healthier sausages instead.

The innovation impressed judges from the German Butchers' Association, who awarded Kim seven medals for his budae-jjigae. For a Korean chef to win recognition from German masters represents a beautiful bridge between cultures.

"Obviously, baseball was my world," Kim said. "But once I was done with my playing career, I felt a little bit of an emptiness. As an adult, this is something I got into and really poured my passion into."

His signature dish remains Schweinshaxe, a pork knuckle with crispy skin encasing tender meat. Kim calls it life-changing and says it's the only dish that rivals his mother's kimchi as his all-time favorite.

Today, Lim's son Hyung Jin Lim works alongside Kim in the restaurant, continuing his father's legacy while helping Kim prove that career strikeouts can lead to the most unexpected victories.