33 stars appeared in Seoul… Where are the best restaurants in Seoul that the Michelin Guide points out?

A total of 33 restaurants were selected for this year’s Michelin Guide Star. While Botr Mezon, Stay, and Yu Yuan lost their stars, 7 new names, including Goryori Ken, Nol Hannam, Sushishimatsumoto, Sushi Sanghyeon, Restaurant Yun, Kojacha, and Hane, received one star and were newly named.

◆ From one-star restaurants to three-star restaurants that say there are only 130 around the world

At 10 am on the 25th, the announcement of the 2022 Michelin Guide Seoul was held digitally. The ‘Michelin Guide’ is a world-class restaurant guide that celebrates its 121st anniversary this year. It has been published in 32 countries around the world, and the Seoul edition started in 2017, and this is the 6th year.

First of all, a total of 24 places received 1 star in the meaning of ‘restaurants with excellent cuisine’.

▲Terreno ▲Lamitier ▲Laman Secret ▲Sweet ▲Muni ▲Muoki ▲Mitou ▲Bichaena ▲Seventh Door ▲Swanyye ▲Ebit ▲Opree ▲Onjieum ▲Exquisit ▲Zero Complex ▲Table for Four ▲Pierre Garnier ▲Koryori Ken ▲Novel Hannam ▲Sushi Matsumoto ▲Sushi Sanghyeon ▲Yunseoul ▲Kojacha ▲Hane received 1 star.

▶ Click here for a larger view

A total of 7 places received 2 stars, meaning ‘a restaurant worth visiting from afar because of its excellent cuisine’.

Following last year, ▲Suksu Kwon ▲Mosu ▲Mingles ▲Alla Prima ▲Jeongsik Restaurant ▲Kojima maintained 2 stars, and this year, Joook was promoted from 1 star to 2 stars. Joo-ok is a Korean restaurant that embodies the philosophy of Chef Shin Chang-ho of serving precious and beautiful dishes such as beads and jade.

‘The Korean restaurants Gaon and Rayeon were selected following last year to receive 3 stars, which means restaurants that are particularly worth a trip because of their excellent cuisine. There are only 130 restaurants with three stars worldwide.

◆ 7 new 1 star restaurants

Seven restaurants were newly selected as one star this year: Ken Gorori, Hannam, Sushi Matsumoto, Sanghyeon Sushi, Seoul Yun, Kojacha, and Hane. The chefs of these restaurants brought tears to their eyes as they shared their impressions of the award.

Chef Geon Kim of Ken Goryori is famous for presenting dishes that add the chef’s unique creative intuition to seasonal dishes based on the freshness of the ingredients. Chef Kim attaches great importance to providing consistent and attentive service to his customers, and his drink menu features a variety of sake from small Japanese breweries.

Inspired by local traditional recipes and expressing the sensibility of modern Seoul cuisine, Novel Hannam presents contemporary Korean food using local ingredients. The chef’s cuisine pays homage to typical dishes and preparation techniques such as pickled, steamed, and steamed.

Hane is a place where you can find authentic cuisine full of flavor by Chef Joo-Yong Choi, who pursues natural ingredients. Kojacha is a restaurant where two former Shilla Hotel chefs Choi Yoo-Gang and Cho Young-Doo share each other’s culinary philosophies and create a unique culinary genre. Here, you can have an impressive experience, such as a course meal that alternates between Chinese and Japanese cuisine.

If you pass by the downtown area of ​​Hongik University Station, you can see the renovated two-story house Yoon Seoul. The Korean food presented here is born with a combination of familiarity and boldness that stimulates curiosity.

Sushi Sanghyeon, which has only 6 seats, is very secretive, even with the door button. The simple yet not overpowering dishes are the only charm of this restaurant.

Chef Mizuho Matsumoto of Sushi Matsumoto is known for his restaurant that embodies authenticity in a different regional setting. Rather than chasing after trendy gourmet trends, this place is trying to faithfully reproduce authentic sushi from mainland Japan in a Korean environment.

Michelin Young Chef Award winner born in the 1990s

▶ Click here for a larger view

The two restaurants that received the ‘Green Star’ award on this day were ‘Flowers, Blooming Rice’ and ‘Golden Bean Field’. Both were selected again this year after last year.

Green Star is an award given to restaurants that not only serve great food, but also practice sustainable gastronomy and exert a positive influence, such as using local and seasonal ingredients and reducing food waste.

In addition, the Michelin Guide selected Chef Jang Myung-sik of Ramitier as the 2022 Michelin Mentor Chef Award. Chef Jean, who worked at Nine’s Gate at Chosun Hotel for 11 years, joined Lamitier in 1999 and has been running the restaurant since 2006.

Chef Bo-mi Kim, one of the two owner chefs of Mito, was selected as the 2022 Michelin Young Chef. Chef Kim, born in 1990, creates beautiful kaiseki with his unique delicate and light touches refined based on his experiences in Japan.

Opened in February 2018, Mitou is run by Chef Bo-mi Kim and Chef Young-woon Kwon, and serves original and modern Japanese traditional cuisine using Korean ingredients. The name of the restaurant means ‘not yet reached’, and the serious attitude of training, humility, and Jeongjin’s attitude are well contained in the name.

[방영덕 매경닷컴 기자]
[ⓒ 매일경제 & mk.co.kr, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]