Myomi is a Korean fine-dining restaurant that received 1 Michelin star in 2020 for its unique approach to Korean cuisine. Relocating from Cheongdam in August of this year, it has found its new home base in Anguk with Chef Jeongmuk Kim joining the kitchen. The restaurant’s new space offers a picturesque view of Changgyeonggung Palace, while serving guests the taste and beauty of Korea. Previously, the focus was on Korean cuisine itself. But the new ‘Myomi’ puts a stronger focus on the spatial elements. “I want to represent the unique taste and atmosphere of Myomi in our dishes, such as the transformation of the surroundings along the seasons, and people’s feelings on the street. Flowers bloom in spring, and Seoul turns green in summer. It is filled with colors in fall, and is covered with snow flowers in winter. I’m developing a menu that represents each season so that people can appreciate the beauty of this city.”According to Chef Kim, the most fundamental element in Hansik is ‘the balance of tastes’. For example, the same dish may taste totally different depending on whether it is seasoned with salt or with soy sauce. The balance is of great importance to preserve the natural taste of ingredients. This is why Chef Kim makes sure to use every single ingredient correctly. “Gyeongdong Market is the best place to obtain herbs for namul, or grains that are only available for about two weeks around just now. The most important component in Hansik is the ingredients. I make cheong (fruit preserve used as a tea base) using seasonal ingredients. I ferment them and store them, and use them regularly for cooking later on, so that people can taste the food that they miss around this time.” Myomi’s sophistication makes its brand new start all the more exciting.

Kwonsooksoo, run by Chef Ujung Kwon, is a representative Korean fine-dining restaurant that has received two Michelin stars for the last four consecutive years (2017 to 2020). Guests can enjoy authentic Korean cuisine here, in an elegant atmosphere. Chef Ujung Gown's dishes are made with precious ingredients sourced from all four corners of the country. His kimchi, salted fish and pickled vegetables are gaining huge popularity both at home and abroad. The interior highlighting Korean esthetics and the calm atmosphere are impressive. "Come experience a modern Korean ‘doksang’ culture and a classic Korean culture with select wines and traditional Korean drinks."The most unique feature of Kwonsooksoo is the "Doksang," which is a small platform that sits on top of the table. Doksang is a characteristic aspect of the traditional Korean food culture of the old aristocrats. At Kwonsooksoo, a small doksang is put on the table and loaded up with different dishes. The concept well reflects the recent reluctance of people to sit on the ground with their shoes off, while best expressing the high-quality Korean dining culture.Kwonsooksoo presents healthy and colorful dishes with ingredients that are easy to find. As Chef Kwon Ujung says, "I don't get swept away by trends. Instead, I focus on the Korean taste and style." His cooking is not sensational, but is simple, with deep flavor. The unexpected taste from the familiar creates a stronger impression. You will be able to savor the deep taste of Korean food at Kwonsooksoo, where you can find creative dishes that incorporate modern touches without losing the tradition.

A walk along the street of Samcheong-dong leads right to the house of Yun Posun (former president). Right next to it is ‘Tea Therapy,’ with white curtains gently blowing in breeze. This is a tea house situated in what was once the servants’ quarters of Yun Posun’s house, where guests can order teas based on their physical constitution. Tea Therapy, embracing the concept of ‘tea house run by a doctor of Korean medicine,’ first opened its doors in Apgujeong. Korean Medicine doctor Sangjae Lee offers Korean medicinal tea classes using medicinal herbs. He has been introducing ways to brew teas with medicinal herbs that are easily found in the markets.Tea therapist Eungyeong Lee, who works at the Café in Haengnang, recommends mistletoe and Job’s tears for their anti-cancer and immune-boosting properties. “Job’s tears removes bad fungi in organs, and I can recommend it to people who need detoxification. Roast Job’s tears in a frying pan and then brew it into tea. Matrimony vine is good for stress and tired eyes.” Teas made with tea extracts including ssanghwa tea, jujube tea, and gugija tea (matrimony vine tea) are made through long hours of brewing. They are known to ease the mind, and are easy to drink, with single-serving tea bags available. Hyangtong tea is a blended tea meaning ‘connection through scent (hyang).’ The hakha (mint) tea, gyulpi (mandarin skin) tea, and detoxifying gambi tea made with buckwheat and mandarin skin are also highly appealing. Goenwi tea is good for people with a sensitive stomach or frequent indigestion. A lunch set menu including tofu salad, flying fish rice and beef curry are available during weekday lunch hours. Tea classes are offered regularly.

Millennial Dining is a fusion dining space focused on vegan food culture. When you taste the deep flavors of dishes made from seasonal Korean vegetables, you might find it hard to believe that no animal ingredients were used. It not only breaks stereotypes about veganism but also allows people to truly appreciate the original flavors of vegetables that have long not been recognized. Chef Baekrin Ahn even makes vegan butter, cream cheese and sauce for the table herself. She plans out a range of textures, and makes painstaking efforts in plating the food to accentuate the colorfulness of the dishes. As much as possible, she applies natural colors including soil and copper to the interior design to give a natural feel. Tables are made of natural wood, and lights are cased in ceramic she made herself. Baekrin enjoys pottery and plates, and the vases she has made catch the attention of guests. The energy one gains from touching the soil is also reflected in the food. The herbs in flower pots are not just for decoration, but are actual ingredients used for cooking. The popular black garlic pizza, made with an organic fermented dough, is covered with black garlic paste and topped with potatoes, sweet pumpkin, ginkgo nuts, and leeks. What looks like ricotta cheese is actually a tofu scramble. Try this food and you’d want to eat vegan food like this every day! The dishes at Millennial Dining please the body and soul, and satisfy all five senses so much so that you might consider becoming a vegan yourself. In the occasional cooking class she runs, Baekrin offers detailed lessons spanning from the recipe to ingredient preparation and application.

“Korea House” was initially built in 1957 to receive important international visitors to Korea. After 60 years of substantial renovations, it has become a complex cultural space that promotes the beauty of Korean culture. Dedicated to maintaining the tradition of royal dishes of the Joseon Dynasty, the best Korean chefs offer exquisite traditional royal Korean han-jeongsik (Korean table d'hôte). Guests can enjoy the classic royal full course meal while appreciating the elegant atmosphere of the Korean house. In a smaller second building named Munhyangru, which means ‘listening to the scent,’ you can enjoy Gohojae, which is a small 1-person table with traditional royal desserts. Simply put, it is a Korean afternoon tea set. The table is prepared with seasonal teas accompanied by traditional Korean confections including rice cake, Gwapyeon (fruit jelly), dasik (cookie), and jeonggwa (dry fruits and seeds). Songhwa Patbingsu (shaved ice dessert) with oriental melon can be added in summer, and walnut and jujube congee in fall. Munhyangru is an excellent urban oasis with outstanding architectural beauty and picturesque scenery. It is a perfect place to appreciate the fall season with traditional beverages and desserts made from seasonal ingredients. As well, Korea House offers a number of food culture experiences, including making kimchi bibimbap.

It is said that 70 percent of the traditional herbal medicine bought and sold in Korea is traded at Yangnyeong Market in Jegi-dong, Seoul. Entering the area of the market, one can immediately notice the unique and strong aromas of the medicinal herbs. These aromatic scents of the natural medicinal herbs help us relax our bodies and minds. Taking its seat in a traditional Korean building, Seoul K-Medi Center offers a variety of Korean medicine experiences. K-Medi Café is open in the Annex 1. The Center houses the K-Medi Beauty Shop, K-Medi Product Promotion Hall, and a Traditional Clothing Experience Room on the first floor. On the second floor, visitors can learn about medicinal herb cultivation and harvesting through multi experience video clips. The space also offers the Seoul Yangnyeongsi Herbal Medicine Museum Exhibition Room and Foot Bath Experience Hall. In “Dongui Bogam” (medical book published in 1613, during Korea’s Joseon Dynasty), the phrase “Du Han Jok Yeol” appears, which means that no disease will develop if one keeps his feet warm. A foot bath, dipping the feet in warm water, not only helps blood circulation but is also effective in promoting recovery from fatigue and boosting immunity. On the third floor you can find the Herbal Food Experience Hall and Bojewon (consisting of K-Medi Moving Clinic and K-medi Experience Room), a relief organization for the ill during the Joseon Dynasty. In the K-medi Experience Room, visitors can enjoy a healthy Korean medical experience, and try natural K-medi facial masks and aromatherapy that stimulate the five senses. The K-Medi Moving Clinic offers free acupuncture and moxibustion treatments to international tourists.

A temple food restaurant, “Balwoo Gongyang” was awarded one Michelin star in “Michelin Guide Seoul” for three consecutive years. It is the only temple food restaurant managed directly by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The restaurant serves various foods cooked using the traditional cooking methods passed down at temples, but reinterpreted to give them a more splendid and modern look. Try the food here and you will lose your preconception that temple food is mostly cooked rice and bibimbap. The menu is 100% vegan, with no animal ingredients used, nor any of the five pungent vegetables—garlic, green onion, onion, leek, and wild chive. Mushrooms and beans are used instead of meat for protein, and when making kimchi, the fermented fish is replaced with other fermented ingredients. It’s difficult to come up with a Korean dish without using green onion and garlic, but instead of those pungent vegetables, the restaurant uses traditional Korean seasonings, such as soy sauce, soybean paste and red pepper paste, to add flavor, and use various natural ingredients as seasonings. “Many people have the preconception that temple foods are bland and insipid. It is true that in general, temple foods are seasoned lightly. Still, the foods are seasoned enough so that the natural taste of the ingredients can be enjoyed. Many people have this preconception because they are accustomed to pungent flavors. If they try these foods with an open mind, they will be attracted to temple foods,” said Head Chef Kim Ji-young.Head Chef Kim says temple foods are “foods made while thinking of people.” The focus is not on “making pretty and tasty foods”; what is important is having the mindset of “making foods that are beneficial to people” when preparing food. Kim stressed that although it is important to use healthy ingredients and traditional cooking methods to keep the natural taste, what’s most important is putting the “heart for people” in the dishes in the

“Korean cuisine has a long cooking process, and each step in the process involves an elaborate effort. For this reason, more and more Korean cuisine dishes are being avoided by the general public. I want to reinterpret these dishes and present them for people who would like to eat new foods in a familiar way,” said Jun Kwangsik, the Executive Chef of Bicena. As Jun said, Bicena reinterprets traditional Korean foods that are being forgotten with a modern touch and turns them into multi-course meals. The menu is composed of dishes made with seasonal ingredients, and the names of the dishes are inspired by the ten traditional symbols of longevity. Bicena was awarded a Michelin star in “Michelin Guide Seoul” for four consecutive years. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, a vegetarian, enjoyed dining here during his visit to Korea in 2019. The restaurant is located on the 81st floor of Lotte World Tower, the highest building in Korea, so you can enjoy an open view of downtown Seoul while eating. Why don’t you enjoy some dainty Korean foods made with seasonal ingredients, and reflect on Bicena’s intent to empty what was put inside and fill it again as seasons change, while sharing food made with love and great care?