한국국제교류재단

A flourishing fine dining scene inevitably produces star chefs, and Chef Kang Mingoo stands as a prominent example. He is the only chef in Korea to have earned three Michelin stars for two consecutive years (2025 and 2026) with his restaurant Mingles. After graduating from the Department of Culinary Arts at Gyeonggi University, Kang honed his craft at acclaimed restaurants in the United States, the Bahamas, France, and Spain. Upon his return to Korea, he immersed himself in the country’s culinary traditions, laying the groundwork for the opening of Mingles in 2014.

When the restaurant opened its doors, gourmands were initially skeptical about a menu so deeply anchored in traditional Korean cuisine. They wondered whether such an approach could distinguish itself from existing models that relied more heavily on Western culinary frameworks. Early pioneers, including Chef Jungsik Yim, had already begun pairing traditional dishes like bibimbap (rice mixed with seasoned vegetables) with Western-style plating. Yet the question remained: Could Korean ingredients themselves become the foundation of a fine dining language?

Mingles helped quell those doubts. “Jang Trio,” a dessert utilizing jang — the traditional fermented pastes that form the backbone of Korean cuisine — became an instant and enduring signature. By infusing a French crème brûlée with jang and chili powder, Kang combined seemingly incompatible ingredients to create a dish with a perfect harmony.

While his early tasting menus offered a hint of Korean influence, they lacked the cuisine’s deep, authentic flavors. In an interview, Kang confessed, “I realized I lacked the proper knowledge and experience as I prepared to launch a Korean fine dining restaurant.” Hungry for deeper insight, he sought out mentors to teach him the essence of hansik (Korean cuisine). Fortune favored his dedication; he encountered Chef Cho Hee-sook, hailed as the “Godmother of Hansik,” and Venerable Jeong Kwan, a Buddhist nun known for her mastery of Korean temple cuisine. Originally a middle school home economics teacher, Cho transitioned into professional kitchens, eventually leading the Korean restaurants of five-star hotels in Seoul and serving as resident chef for Korea’s Ambassador in the United States. As global appreciation for hansik grew, so did her international renown; in 2020, she was named Asia’s Best Female Chef by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, and the following year, the chef-owner of the Michelin-starred Hansikgonggan in Seoul received the inaugural Michelin Mentor Chef Award.

Kang implored Cho to organize a study group for himself and his fellow chefs, and the bond they formed back then remains unbroken to this day. Meanwhile, his encounter with Jeong Kwan elevated his culinary depth to a whole new level. Featured on the acclaimed Netflix docu-series Chef’s Table and selected as one of the Plant-Forward Global 50 chefs by EAT Forum and the Culinary Institute of America, Jeong is a master who introduced Korean temple cuisine to the world stage. Its grounding philosophy holds that food should nourish more than the body. As a medium through which history, culture, and human relationships are carried forward, food embodies values that transcend sustenance. Through Jeong, Kang came to recognize one of the fundamental principles underlying Korean cuisine.

Today, Mingles stands as a mature expression of Kang’s vision for contemporary Korean gastronomy. He proactively champions locally sourced ingredients, such as carrots from Gujwa, a town on the northeastern side of Jeju Island, known for their deep fragrance and high sugar content, alongside sesame oil, premium Korean beef, plum-infused gochujang (chili paste), omija (magnolia berries), and glutinous rice, all of which captivate international diners. In one signature dish, perfectly grilled West Sea prawns are paired with glutinous rice and elevated by a refined sauce crafted from traditional makgeolli (fermented rice-based alcohol). Similarly, a tender Korean beef steak is served with sundae, a blood sausage traditionally eaten during cultural festivities and large familial gatherings but today fondly enjoyed as street food. While the early iterations of Mingles merely brushed Western cuisine with a touch of Korean influence, it now allows sophisticated elements of Korean cuisine to shine through as the true protagonists. This path has profoundly reshaped Korea’s culinary scene, inspiring a new generation of chefs.

True to its name, Mingles brings diverse culinary traditions into harmony. Chef Kang Mingoo combines the essence of hansik with contemporary techniques to create a distinctive style of fine dining.
© HUBLOT

Kwonsooksoo, helmed by Chef Kwon Woo-joong, is a contemporary Korean restaurant that has steadfastly weathered the turbulent tides of the fine dining industry. From its inception, Kwon accentuated the traditional allure of Korean food by serving his tasting courses on individual soban — beautifully crafted traditional dining trays. His ambition is “to be a genuine hansik chef,” and this means remaining unswayed by fleeting culinary fads. Kwon’s commitment is evident; he crafts all his jang from scratch. On the day he prepares the annual batch at his grandfather’s ancestral home, his staff joins him in a festive ritual, as the success of the restaurant’s entire year hinges on the flavor of this batch. They prepare over eighty blocks of meju, the alpha and omega of jang, by mashing boiled soybeans in a mortar, shaping the mash into solid blocks, and then fermenting and aging them to create the core ingredients for soybean paste, soy sauce, and chili paste.

One cannot overlook The Green Table, run by owner-chef Kim Eun-hee. Although the number of women culinary professionals in Korea has grown, their representation remains relatively low. In an industry where Korean culinary TV shows have predominantly featured men, Kim continues to stand out as a resilient figure. Her career began firmly rooted in Western gastronomy. When her restaurant debuted in 2009, it showcased the refined French techniques she had honed at the Culinary Institute of America. However, the establishment underwent a profound transformation a few years ago, when Kim relocated it from bustling Gangnam to Wonseo-dong, a quaint neighborhood in Jongno District.

Her restaurant’s dining room commands a serene view of Changgyeong Palace, making it a highly sought-after destination where international tourists can savor fine cuisine alongside Korea’s rich architectural heritage. Her current menu bridges her classical training with local roots, featuring vibrant salads that celebrate seasonal vegetables, rich soups crafted in the style of traditional guk (which grow more savory the longer they simmer), and delicate, bite-sized lotus root pickles. This evolution was no accident; for years, Kim had studied at Hyangjeoksegye, the Institute of Korean Temple Cuisine operated by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and ultimately became a certified temple cuisine chef.

A new wave of contemporary Korean fine dining is now capturing the spotlight, led by trailblazing establishments like JUEUN, BIUM, SOLBAM, Eatanic Garden, and Table for Four. The defining thread uniting them is their proactive embrace of regional traditions. Whether sourcing hyper-seasonal local ingredients or reviving overlooked regional recipes, these restaurants express a distinctly Korean sensibility, from the food itself to the tableware and interior design.

At JUEUN, which earned its first Michelin star this year under Chef Park Ju-eun, guests are greeted by traditional ceramics and media art featuring Korean landscapes. Meanwhile, Chef Kim Dae-chun, who previously commanded global attention after his restaurant 7th Door maintained a multi-year streak on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, has opened BIUM. This vegan-concept sanctuary embodies a minimalist aesthetic so profoundly that stepping inside feels akin to wandering through a historic royal palace. Securing a table at SOLBAM, led by chef-owner Taejun Eom, remains challenging largely because industry peers compete for reservations to study the menu. Eom’s labor-intensive courses flow with precision. They feature dishes like koji-aged blackthroat seaperch and grilled abalone glazed with hapjajang. Even within Korea, this legendary artisanal sauce from the coastal city of Tongyeong remains a hidden treasure; it is crafted by repeatedly boiling and reducing indigenous Korean mussels to extract a concentrated umami essence.

At Eatanic Garden, Chef Son Jong-won commands the kitchen. His celebrity status has soared following high-profile appearances on the second season of Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars and JTBC’s popular variety show Chef & My Fridge. Son is deeply fascinated by historic culinary techniques, infusing ancient methods with modern soul. A prime example is his reinvention of japchae (stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables), elegantly shaped into bite-sized rounds. Similarly, Chef Kim Sung-woon, who shared the spotlight alongside Son on Culinary Class Wars, uses his restaurant, Table for Four, as a canvas to illustrate the bountiful harvest of Taean, his coastal hometown in South Chungcheong Province.

An amuse-bouche rests on a geometric vessel by woodcraft artist Jaeha Lee. Soigné’s Chef Jun Lee collaborated on this tableware to complement his vision of dining as a memorable, theatrical performance.
© Dong-min Shin

Chef Son Jong-won’s Squash japchae reimagines the classic Korean stir-fried glass noodle dish, elegantly shaped into bite-sized rounds with summer squash and blossoms to celebrate seasonal flavors.
© Josun Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Seoul Gangnam

While the landscape of Korean fine dining undergoes rapid changes, a distinct group of restaurants has held their ground, remaining unaffected by passing trends. For international visitors, they offer a meaningful introduction to the depth, continuity, and refinement of Korea’s culinary heritage. A premier example is Onjium, nestled in Seoul’s historic Seochon District. It has become a cultural hub for travelers and trendsetters seeking novelty and originality. Positioned directly across from the stone walls of Gyeongbok Palace, Onjium is co-led by Chefs Cho Eun-hee and Park Sung-bae. Their food tastes as though it has been tailored with the elegance of hanbok (traditional Korean attire). At first glance, menu items like bangpung juk (herbal rice porridge), tangpyeongchae (chilled mung bean jelly salad), Jinju-style braised beef short ribs, and bom namul (spring greens) bibimbap may sound understated. Yet, the moment one tastes them, the complexity of flavor is astonishing. Onjium’s chefs intentionally refuse to lean on pretentious culinary neologisms or forced buzzwords; instead, they firmly believe the essence of Korean cuisine is found within the unadorned names of its simplest dishes.

Bongraeheon, the Mayfield Hotel’s signature Korean royal cuisine restaurant, champions traditional food with a devotion rivaling that of Onjium. The kitchen is run by Lee Geum-hee, widely recognized as Korea’s first woman executive chef at a 5-star luxury hotel, who is an industry pioneer and has been honing her mastery since the late 1980s. For travelers seeking an unadulterated archetype of Korean cuisine — such as gujeolpan (a platter of nine seasonal delicacies wrapped in delicate crepes), seasoned namul (greens), and savory jeon (pan-fried delicacies) — Bongraeheon is the prime destination. Similarly, Korea House in Seoul’s Jung District offers an equally memorable encounter with classic Korean dishes. Following a seven-month renovation, it reopened in March of this year. Cho Hee-sook, its lead culinary advisor, and her team continue to present dishes defined by timeless grace and balance.

The essence of Korean flavors reveals itself when savored slowly, as fundamental ingredients like jang and kimchi are shaped by the transfor¬mative power of fermentation and time. Enhanced by impeccable service, Korean fine dining restau¬rants offer an entirely new and compelling culi¬nary experience.

Plated together here, Onjium’s dishes draw inspiration from historic cookbooks. By preserving the purity of its ingredients, the restaurant crafts distinctly original cuisine that emphasizes clean, understated, and enduring flavors.
© Onjium

BIUM, Chef Kim Dae-chun’s vegan fine dining restaurant, harmonizes humanity and nature. This lunch box features healthy multigrain rice and wild greens sourced from Ulleung Island, Mt. Jiri, and Jeju Island.
Courtesy of BIUM