Jungsik Seoul

An exceptional dining experience with beautifully crafted dishes and refined flavors. We chose the tasting menu, and every course was unique, creative, and full of character. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates fine dining with a modern twist.

- Shlomi Yakobovich -

We had looked forward to dining at Jungsik in Seoul with high expectations. We had been to their NYC location, which recently earned a third Michelin star. We made a reservation for our larger party, which meant that we would be dining in one of their private dining rooms instead of their beautiful main dining room. Prior to the date, the reservation team communicated with us via email regarding menu selections and the seating chart so everything would be prepared prior to our arrival. They were mindful that we had one person with a nuts allergy and were very careful to recommend nuts free options. The final seating arrangement, however, was different from what I had specified. It didn't detract from our experience but it was just strange that they asked me to fill out a seating chart and then the table seating was different from what I had detailed. A very nice touch was that we each received a printed menu specific to each individual along with the person's name on it. The food was very good in general and well worth the price. A few of the dishes bordered excellent and they all had high quality ingredients. The gimbab, fish, duck and the desserts were among our favorites. Each dish was beautifully presented and well cooked. The desserts were great, not too sweet and visually stunning. Where the two Michelin restaurant fell short was in their service and facilities. There was very little interaction between us and the wait staff. They were very quiet, probably due to the language barrier. We saw very little of them except for when food was served and water glasses needed to be filled. They did not seem comfortable and always hurried off. I do have to mention the conditions of the restrooms which, for a 2 Michelin star restaurant, was unacceptable. The floor in most of them were wet in places throughout the entire 3 hours of our dinner. We all made similar negative comments about the restrooms. It's unusual for a fine dining establishment to not have staff spruce up the restrooms periodically. Overall, we did thoroughly enjoy the food but found the service and facilities lacking.

- Amber C -

Dined here for lunch on 7/6 when I was vacationing in Seoul and had a fabulous experience - might even be my favorite fine dining restaurant, up there with Kato and Providence (both similarly ranked Michelin star restaurants in Los Angeles) but way better value. My boyfriend and I thought every course - from appetizers to palette cleansers to the entrees - was a hit. They were the perfect blend of traditional Korean food with Western influences. We did not get any of the special add-ons since we tend to get really full at the end of a meal. We both got the duck entree, which was the best duck we've ever had. We got one of each dessert so we could try both, which were exactly what we wanted - not too sweet, heavy, or filling but very very delicious. I LOVED the dol hareubang dessert; the concept was an homage to Korea's Jeju Island, and the best part was that the dessert tasted even better than it looked. I'm not big on taking photos during meals and would rather focus on the experience, but I did snap a photo of this dessert :) The service was excellent; everyone was so attentive and friendly. The people dining seemed to mostly be Korean citizens of varying ages (late 20s thru the early 70s), as well as a few foreigners from the US, Japan, and China. In terms of value, the whole lunch came out to ~470,000 KRW for the two of us; the tasting menu for lunch was 200,000 KRW/person and we shared a bottle of wine. This equates to ~$339 USD total. (The dinner menu is 300,000 KRW/person.) Definitely excellent value compared to similar fine dining restaurants in the US. I hope to take my parents here during a future family trip to Korea.

- Jion Kim -

Jungsik was such an amazing experience highlighting flavors of Korea with great creative twist in a delightful setting. Service was impeccable and Martin was such a pleasant surprise, he spoke perfect Spanish to us during the whole evening, giving us great detail of the menu, talking about wines and creating the perfect memory for us while in the city celebrating our anniversary! Thank you!

- Alfredo Rojas -

A refreshing and tasty take on Korean cuisine I was excited to snag a reservation for lunch at the Seoul location. Figure it was a good opportunity, especially since the Seoul location is slightly cheaper than the restaurant in NYC. The decor is sleek and modern. The service is excellent as you would expect, and they provided explanations of each dish in both Korean and English. We came here to celebrate a family birthday and they threw in a bonus birthday seaweed soup which was a smart touch. My overall take on this place is that it is a refreshing twist on familiar classics. Unlike some other fine dining restaurants, every dish was also incredibly tasty. The perfect audience for any lover of classic Korean cuisine. The portions were perfect and we left fully satisfied. Banchan - A great way to kick off the meal. Banchan is spirit but not taste. 4 small dishes meant to be eaten in progression. A light broth. Silken tofu in a perilla oil glaze. Beef tartare. The final bite was a true delight - foie grois that is lightly sweeten served with a thin slice of pear and a light jelly. The sweetness made it almost dessert like and refreshing? So good Pine Mushroom Muguk - A mix of mushrooms and a dumpling in a light broth. Nothing crazy but a light refreshing dish. Also my first time having lion's mane mushroom? Really liked it Abalone - I had actually eaten a ton of abalone the few days prior, but I did not mind Jungsik's take. They smoked it and it ended up almost tasting like steak? Incredibly meaty which removed a lot of the fishy take. So cool. Paired well with the butter sauce and mint oil. Miyeok Guk - Complimentary birthday soup. They actually charred the rice and it ended up tasting like paella. It was an exciting twist on a classic. Gimbap - This cost extra, but I could resist this supposed signature dish. A lightly battered and fried seaweed cigar stuffed with rice, bulgogi, and truffle. Served with a truffle sauce. It was a blast of umami and crispy. Def worth the cost if you have room in your belly. Okdom - A perfectly seared and flakey white fish. Served with a light anchovy broth and barley rice. Duck - The main course. Perfectly tender with a crisp skin. Served with several woody accouterments, including a roasted chestnut and lotus root. Suljigemi - A light sorbet made from the byproduct of makgeolli. Palette cleanser. Dulharebung - The classic jeju stone grandpa but made of spongecake and matcha ice cream. It looked like a piece of art. NY-Seoul - Inspired by elements from both cities.A mixture of pecan based bites with ice cream. Yummy. Sweet Potato - An ice cream shaped like a sweet potato on a bed of breadcrumbs made to look like soil. Served with your choice of tea or coffee.

- Ken Chang -

Food was excellent, service could be improved slightly, (ie. Glasses being empty a couple of times). Venue was nice but nothing extravagant. 300,000 KRW includes taxes and tips, not too bad. I would recommend at least once to try out.

- Louie Parker -

I’ve been to many Michelin restaurants and Jungsik restaurant it definitely on the top of the list! The food and service experience is incredible, every dish is made to perfection and served that way. In addition to the cours menu we took some of the dishes from the additional menu and they were delicious! I recommend a lot coming to the restaurant!

- shanni Maislos -

We had their lunch course and it was a delightful experience. Korean ingredients were prepared in different methods than in traditional Korean way, resulting in interesting flavor and texture profiles. Our favorite dish was their signature Kimbap, which wasn’t part of their set menu. The staff was mindful of the fact that we didn’t eat pork, they were able to quickly offer a couple of alternative options. We were seated in their private dining room because the main dining hall was full. The room was dull, dark and barely decorated. The service was professional, although it was sometimes hard to understand their description of dishes. Overall, a great experience and highly recommended.

- HJLee -