After the disappointment of 2019, a hopeful new year of 2020 dawned. The new year is a great time to meet people you didn't meet at the end of the year and make new plans. The transformation of Korean food is becoming more and more diverse as it is being renewed every day. Fusion dining that combines French or Italian cooking styles based on Korean ingredients is increasing one by one. The food that incorporates philosophy and creativity based on the experience that chefs have accumulated over the years has been recognized as a work that goes beyond cooking. Recently, a new Korean fine dining restaurant is creating a new trend with unique cooking methods that are faithful to the basics of Korean cuisine. Fresh seasonal ingredients are basic! Let's go into a fresh world of Korean fine dining that you've never experienced before.
Modern Korean fine dining restaurants that serve the best cuisine in Korea include Cheongdam-dong Mingles, Seorae Village Swaniye, Cheongdam-dong Restaurant, Cheongdam-dong Kwon Sook Soo, Hoehyeon Zero Complex, Cheongdam-dong Dosabai Baek Seung-wook, Shilla Hotel Ra-yeon, Samcheong-dong Dining Inspace, Namsan Festabai Min-gu, Huam-dong Bum Seoul, City Hall Juok, Cheongdam-dong Exquisine, Changseong-dong Onjieum, Seorae Village Table Poppo, Dogok-dong, Yeosu Famous places include Inuido Barn, Hannam-dong Novel Hannam, Hannam-dong Mosu, Dosan Park Gaon, Dosan Park Boundae, Cheongdam-dong Muoki (MUOKI), Dosan Park Right (OLH EUM), Dosan Park Gyuban, Haebangchon Soul Dining, Itaewon Sihwadam Fine Dining, Gahoe-dong Dooreyu, Itaewon Restaurant Today, Dosan Park Minkichin, Jamsil Bikana, Apgujeong's 20th Season, Seongsu Domix, and Jongno Amso Seoul. Here are 5 new emerging powerhouses in modern Korean fine dining that show the beauty of Korean food at its best.
1. Cheongdam-dong 'Exquisine', an original dish made with fresh ingredients
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Image source: hj_k_im's Instagram
Image source: hyen_jjyang's Instagram
“Exquisine†is run by owner chef Jang Kyung-won, who has experience in various countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United States. The restaurant offers original cuisine using herbs grown directly from the restaurant and ingredients purchased directly from the production area. In order to communicate with customers, there is no separate server, and the chef directly explains the food serving, so you can enjoy a more in-depth meal. The signature menu “Dinner Course†starts with 5 types of snacks that enhance the taste buds, and offers dishes using seasonal fruits, spinach, potatoes, and barley, steak, and dessert in that order. Among course dishes, risotto, which has an attractive texture of scattered barley, and steak, which boasts a moist, juicy texture, are the most popular course dishes.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 6 Samseong-ro 140-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
▲Business hours: 12:00 — 22:00 every day, B/T 15:00 — 18:00
â–²Price: Lunch course 55,000 won, dinner course 110,000 won
â–²Testimonial (Shikigin Yeongran Seaweed 921025): The wax-sealed menu was very emotional. I often go to fine dining on special days, and I really liked the plating that came out here. The atmosphere is great, so I think it's perfect for a date or an anniversary.
2. 'Novel Hannam' in Hannam-dong, a luxurious atmosphere that is pleasing to the eye
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Image source: seung_5_ on Instagram
Image source: xaiwon's Instagram
'Novel Hannam' is a place where you can find the cuisine of Chef Eom Tae-chul, an open member of 'Pumseoul' and a sous chef at 'Mosu Seoul'. The interior of the store, decorated in a clean white tone, has a gallery-like atmosphere with works of art scattered all over the place. The signature menu is the “dinner course,†which consists of flounder sashimi, deep-fried dishes, gyoza, abalone rice, grilled sea bream, steak, and dessert. In particular, “flounder sashimi†comes in three varieties with pickled seaweed, cheonggukjang, jelly, and apple salad, and each stimulates the appetite and marks the beginning of the course. Please note that a traditional sake pairing service is also available to enhance the flavor of the food.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: B1F, 21-18, Hannam-daero 20-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
▲Opening hours: 12:00 — 22:00 every day, B/T 15:00 — 18:00, closed on Sundays
â–²Price: Lunch course 70,000 won, dinner course 130,000 won
▲Testimonial (I'm the only one with good skin ♡): I liked the interior of the store as well as the tableware and menu, because they seemed to make good use of the Korean style. I ate it as a dinner course, but can you get such a variety of flavors with just one flounder sashimi? It was amazing. My parents were also very satisfied, so it was a satisfying meal.
3. 'Cow Seoul' in Jongno, created in collaboration with Korean celebrities
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Image source: ramirumirumi's Instagram
Image source: ramirumirumi's Instagram
'Amso Seoul' recreates the menu of Yangban and the Four Daebu Jongga families based on the ancient books of ancestors recorded during the Joseon Dynasty. They serve high quality food based on Mac miso, Mac soy sauce, Mcgochujang, bean paste, and Korean food made by Korea's leading celebrities. When you order food, the ingredients used in the course meal are shown in a colorful box, and you can see the freshness with your own eyes, which further enhances anticipation before the meal. The menu has 2 lunches and 2 dinners, depending on the configuration, and the main dish uses Mikyungsan Korean beef from around 24 months old. Korean beef is cooked to medium rare, and you can eat it by grilling it with the desired grill in the mini brazier that comes with it.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: B1, Concordion Building, 76 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
▲Business hours: 11:00 — 23:00 every day, B/T 15:00 — 17:00
â–²Price: Lunch course: 45,000 won; half-price dinner course: 89,000 won
â–²Review (Shikigin Jin Ramen Shin Ramen): A newly opened Korean fine dining restaurant with a very nice atmosphere. The place we booked had a glass ceiling, so the visuals were really nice. The food, which shows the new world of Korean food, offers a unique experience that has never been eaten before.
4. Enjoy 'Soul Dining' in Haebangchon with your eyes and mouth at the same time
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Image source: _cucko.o_ on Instagram
Image source: healthy_paranoia_life's Instagram
'Soul Dining' is a space where Chef Yoon Dae-hyeon, who opened its doors as an open member of 'Swaniye' in Banpo-dong and was the head chef of 'Do Room' in Bangbae-dong, is led by his wife, Chef Kim Hee-eun. Based on contemporary cuisine, it unravels a variety of Korean food menus in a unique way. The signature menu “Dinner Course†satisfies the eyes and mouth at the same time with the fresh color and rich flavor of the zucchini tart served as finger food. Next, mackerel sashimi, mackerel sashimi, potato paste, fish dishes, main dish, noodles, and dessert are served one after the other. In particular, the unique dessert line, such as ice cream made with seaweed and shaved ice cream topped with truffles, stands out. Note that the main dish comes with duck bosam, and you can change to a Korean beef sirloin steak for an additional fee.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 2407 Nambusunhwan-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul
▲Opening hours: 12:00 — 22:30 every day, B/T 15:00 — 18:00, closed on Mondays
â–²Price: Lunch course 58,000 won, dinner course 88,000 won
â–²Testimonial (straight eyebrows): The couple ran it together, so I was able to breathe really well. At first, I was surprised twice by the taste of zucchini, which comes out as finger food, once by its visual appearance. For the main dish, my friend and I ate a duck and a steak each, and they were both delicious.
5. Seasonal flavors captured with seasonal ingredients, Dosan Park's “OLH EUM (OLH EUM)â€
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Image source: _shewillbeloved1991's Instagram
Image source: _shewillbeloved1991's Instagram
“OLH EUM (OLH EUM)†was opened by Chef Seo Ho-young, who learned how to cook at restaurants around the world, including Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom, after completing Le Cordon Bleu. It is characterized by the fact that the liver is not irritating as a whole by seeking foods with the natural flavors and flavors of the ingredients. The menu is prepared only as a course without a single item, and we want to capture the flavors of the season using seasonal ingredients. The popular menu is “bibim-myeon flavored with shrimp, sea urchin, and salted pork,†which is capellini noodles topped with plenty of toppings such as caviar, red prawn, trout, tohako, and sea urchin. The rich green sauce that seeps through the thin noodles and various ingredients combine to create a rich smell of the sea.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 51, Apgujeong-ro 46-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
▲Business hours: 12:00 — 22:00 every day, B/T 15:00 — 18:00
â–²Price: Right luncheon 65,000 won, right dinner 150,000 won
▲Review (Shikigami 5 Rinji ♥): Perfect Life Fine Dining Restaurant! It's fun to hear explanations about the food, and bibim-myeon in particular is so delicious that I think of it again when I get home. I think you were able to find a delicious combination of each ingredient.