The Scores
The Restaurant
GiwaKang was newly awarded One Michelin Star in the 2026 Seoul & Busan Guide, joining a growing cohort of kitchens reinterpreting Korean heritage cuisine for a contemporary audience. The restaurant's name refers to the tiled rooftop (giwa) and strength (kang) — an architectural and cultural reference to the Bukchon neighbourhood where it sits, among the traditional hanok houses of northern Seoul.
The menu draws from joseon-era cookbooks and court record manuscripts, filtering historical recipes through modern technique. A braised pheasant broth served in a celadon bowl. Steamed mung-bean jelly with chilled radish pickle and pine nut oil. Grilled sirloin with fermented plum sauce prepared from a three-year aged plum harvest. These are dishes with documented history, now served in a room built with reclaimed grey-tile flooring and exposed pine beams.
The wine and beverage programme is deliberately Korean: nuruk-fermented rice wines, artisanal distilled soju from single-village producers, and carefully selected omija tea pairings. The sommelier will walk through the fermentation process behind each pour.
GiwaKang operates both a carte and a five-course set menu at lunch, making it accessible for business lunches as well as longer evening tasting experiences. The private dining space above the main room seats eight and is bookable on request.
Best Occasion Fit
Birthday: GiwaKang is one of Seoul's most aesthetically considered rooms — the kind of place that photographs beautifully and ages well in memory. A birthday dinner here carries cultural weight and visual reward.
First Date: The hanok setting and scholarly menu provide natural conversation — the staff will explain each dish's historical origin if asked, turning dinner into a guided cultural experience.
Impress Clients: For international visitors who arrive expecting Korean barbecue and leave having experienced joseon court cuisine in a Bukchon hanok, GiwaKang delivers the defining Seoul impression.
What Guests Say
The mung-bean jelly with plum oil was the kind of dish that changes your understanding of Korean food. I had expected something rustic and received something refined and deeply considered. GiwaKang is quietly extraordinary.
Dined at GiwaKang? Sign in to leave a review →