Chef Jae Moon hopes to bring the gem Shearwater Tavern out of hiding.

A sentiment often expressed by chefs is that given quality ingredients, too much tinkering will only make things worse. And Jae Moon certainly agrees.

“If you source locally, you don’t have to think as hard,” he says. “As chefs, we rely on farmers.”

That makes Moon’s approach in taking the executive chef helm at Shearwater Tavern in the Carmel Mission Inn all the more unexpected. In rolling out his menu and style of cooking, the veteran chef is taking a slow and steady approach.

While the restaurant does work with local purveyors, Moon is more concerned for the moment with establishing consistency. And his course may be just what the place needs.

Since its renovation, replacing the old Fuse Lounge, in 2021, Shearwater Tavern has struggled to gain an identity beyond hidden gem. The chefs have been outstanding. Wayne Brooks set the tone of an elevated tavern. In 2023, Fabian Di Paolo followed with a little Latin flair. But visibility remains a problem.

“It comes with challenges,” Moon says – and these go beyond the location, set behind a gas station where it is easy to miss. There are certain must-haves on hotel restaurant menus, such as pasta and a burger. “Ours is pretty good: chuck and brisket, hand-shaped patty,” he says with a grin.

But Moon has his eye on a country bistro menu, the sort that prepares what is fresh and in season, as well as local – but is not overly fussy. And there are indications of his style.

Hanger steak is a rustic, swarthy cut, yet one that has only had moments of popularity. Otherwise it was known as a butcher’s cut, the meat he or she would take home. More coarse than the prized cuts, it also makes more of an impression on the palate. Moon ramps this up further with a smoky and slightly bitter char and pops of salt. Then he drizzles on just enough Diane sauce to lend a resonant, earthy bellow. There is wisdom in treating such a robust cut of beef like game meat.

“I just love it,” he says of the meat. “It’s beefy, it’s tender, and not too many places have hanger steak. There are little ways to stand apart.”

Not too many places deign to offer chicharrones, either. But there they are, as an appetizer – crispy, airy, but with a mellow sweetness and trace of smoke, a rich savor of bacon.

Moon gives chicharrones attention and finesse generally reserved for finer dishes. They are the result of a three-day curing process. And lime salt is dusted finely to just make an appearance and duck away. Yet the lime leaves a bright impression on the senses that is counterintuitive with chicharrones. As a result, you can’t stop reaching toward the bowl.

Green beans, just coming into season and served alongside the steak, taste like fresh green beans, nothing less. With good ingredients, the chef says, “It’s not hard to cook really well. Maybe it just needs salt.”

Moon should be a familiar name. If not, many of Monterey County’s fine diners are at least familiar with his touch in the kitchen. He comes to Shearwater after a stint as executive sous chef for Lucia Restaurant & Bar in Carmel Valley’s Bernardus Lodge, where he had access to gardens, groves and an apiary.

The Korean native who grew up in Marina notes that he has gained a lot since graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. “As a beginning chef, you do everything extreme,” he observes. “I did all that kind of stuff. But real food doesn’t need that.”

So Moon looks forward to evolving toward the country bistro menu – honest cuisine, based on what is in season and local. Since its reinvention, Shearwater’s chefs have been dedicated to local sourcing. Each has contributed to the restaurant’s status.

There is, however, that lingering notion of a hidden gem. Under his guidance, Moon wants to take past progress that one step further.

But he also sees patience as a virtue. Some offerings from previous menus remain for now. His first goal is cooking that is fine-tuned and service that clicks. “First get the business established,” he says.

In other words, steady wins the race.

SHEARWATER TAVERN is in Carmel Mission Inn, 3665 Rio Road, Carmel. 624-1841, shearwatertavern.com.