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| Chefs who have been recognized at the Star Revelation awards ceremony for the Michelin Guide Seoul 2023, pose at the Vista Walkerhill Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Michelin |
By Park Han-sol
The Michelin Guide's coveted three-star list in Seoul has undergone a change for the first time since its inaugural edition in 2016, now with two gourmet restaurants ― Gaon, which has maintained its ranking since the beginning with its traditional Korean cuisine, and newcomer, Mosu.
Chef Sung Anh's Mosu, a five-year-old contemporary eatery in Yongsan District's Itaewon area that has snagged two stars for the last three years, replaced La Yeon at Hotel Shilla on the three-star list. The restaurant also opened a new location in Hong Kong in April.
The announcements were made by the French tire maker's sought-after food guide on Thursday at its annual awards ceremony at the Vista Walkerhill Seoul, as part of the unveiling of the 2023 edition of the Michelin Guide Seoul.
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| Dishes of brown rice and steak served at the new three-star restaurant, Mosu / Courtesy of Michelin |
Thirty-five starred restaurants made it to the guide this year, up from 33 last year, while the Bib Gourmand category, which recognizes the best value for money eateries, saw three new additions, making a total of 57.
The edition boasts a larger selection of restaurants "in line with growing interest in fine dining shown by Korean consumers," according to Jerome Vincon, managing director of Michelin Korea.
"I'm very happy for the chefs of Michelin Guide Seoul 2023 [who have been] rewarded for their courage, passion and their endless search for creativity and [who have been] reinventing themselves every day through their unique creations and expressions," he said during the ceremony.
Soigne, which describes its offerings as "Contemporary Cuisine of Seoul," became the newest addition to Michelin Guide's two-star rankings, along with La Yeon, which climbed down the ladder after losing a star, and six other bistros that maintained their places: Joo Ok, Mingles, Kwon Sook Soo, Jungsik, Alla Prima and Kojima.
Twenty-five restaurants were awarded one star, with six new players on the scene: Soul, Restaurant Allen, Kang Minchul Restaurant, Eatanic Garden, Solbam and Ilpan.
Son Jong-won, who has already received a star for his contemporary eatery, L'Amant Secret, as the head chef, became the first in Korea to be given a double one-star with the addition of Eatanic Garden.
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| Dessert served at Gigas, which has been newly awarded the Michelin Green Star / Courtesy of Michelin |
Michelin's Green Star, a category first started in 2020 to recognize sound sustainability practices in terms of ethical and environmental standards in the culinary scene, recognized three bistros this year: A Flower Blossom on the Rice, tofu eatery Hwanggeum Kongbat and newcomer Gigas.
Gigas specializes in Mediterranean cuisine, with over 95 percent of its vegetable ingredients sourced from a local farm run by Chef Jung Ha-wan's father.
Chef Park Kyung-jae of sushi restaurant Kojima was awarded the Mentor Chef Award, while Chef Kim Jun-hyung of Restaurant On won the Young Chef Award.
The Sommelier Award, Michelin's newly established category, went to Mosu's sommelier, Kim Jin-beom, for his services in pairing wine and food.
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