Jungsik is a restaurant in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam that has been working at the intersection of Korean culinary tradition and contemporary European technique since 2009. The dining room is calibrated for the long meal: grey velvet curved booths, mirror ceilings that extend the room's perceived volume, tablecloths, the pace of service that assumes several hours. The menu treats Korean ingredients and fermentation traditions with the same rigour and precision that characterises the best European fine dining without requiring those traditions to behave like European cuisine. Two Michelin stars, which accurately represents the ambition and execution. Advance booking is essential and should be made several weeks ahead. The Sinsa neighbourhood, accessible on foot from Apgujeong station, is one of the better parts of Gangnam for a walk before or after.
Sinsa-dong, Seoul, South Korea