Jungsik
“The kitchen that coined New Korean in 2009 still proves it at two stars. Book dinner to impress guests who know Seoul.”
About Jungsik
Before Korean tasting menus conquered New York, they were invented in this building. Jungsik Yim opened his Cheongdam dining room in 2009 and coined the term New Korean for what happened inside: hansik flavor rebuilt on fine dining architecture. Seventeen years on, the Seoul original holds two Michelin stars in the 2026 guide while its New York sibling carries three, the rare restaurant family validated on both sides of the Pacific.
The menu is a parade of dishes other kitchens now imitate. The chewy octopus arrives glazed and charred with an optional ₩50,000 caviar crown, the abalone and the Jungsik salmon anchor the middle, gamtae guksu wraps noodles in roasted seaweed with a ₩40,000 sea urchin option, and the dolhareubang dessert winks at Jeju's stone grandfathers. Lunch runs ₩230,000 and dinner ₩330,000, with supplements including a sea urchin bibimbap at ₩89,000 and the famous gimbap in single and deluxe forms.
Logistics are friendly by top table standards: CatchTable handles booking in English, pairings run ₩160,000 to ₩290,000 with a premium flight at ₩700,000, and a fully developed vegetarian menu exists at both services if preordered. The room reads international Cheongdam, polished but unstuffy, and the service team is fluent in first timers. Of Seoul's starred tables, this is the easiest great one to actually get.
The Room
A polished modern dining room over two levels in Cheongdam: dark floors, white linen, pin lighting on the plates and a low international hum. Tables outnumber most rivals, which keeps booking humane. Window tables upstairs are the request worth making. Dress is smart casual to smart; the room absorbs both a suit and good knitwear without blinking.
Why book it, occasion by occasion
Match the night to the room and the bill stops mattering. These occasions fit Jungsik best.
For the guest who has eaten Korean food everywhere but here
The name carries weight from Manhattan to Cheongdam, and dinner at the original lets you host with a story: this is the room where New Korean was coined in 2009, and the three New York stars trace back to these tables. The pacing suits conversation, English service is effortless for international guests, and the ₩330,000 dinner reads as generous without extravagance. Add the caviar octopus for the table and let the menu narrate itself.
For the date that deserves better than a hotel bar
Jungsik's lunch is the great first date play in Seoul fine dining: ₩230,000 for the signature arc, daylight in the room, and a two hour format that flatters conversation without trapping anyone. The dishes hand you material, a stone grandfather dessert, seaweed wrapped noodles, gimbap made into a course, and the smart casual room means nobody overdresses. Book upstairs by the windows and add one supplement to share.
For business that wants polish without protocol
Not every deal needs a private room and court formality; some need a confident table where the food does the hosting. Jungsik hits that register: starred, internationally legible, priced for a justified expense line, and paced so numbers can be discussed between courses. Ask for a quiet corner on the lower level, take the ₩210,000 five glass pairing rather than bottles to keep heads clear, and close over the gamtae guksu.
What to order
The tasting is fixed but the supplements are the sport. Four calls, in order of conviction.
- The octopus with caviar
The signature chewy octopus is included; the ₩50,000 caviar crown is not. Add it once per table and understand why this dish has been copied across two continents.
- Sea urchin bibimbap at ₩89,000
The most famous supplement in Seoul: warm rice, cold uni, sesame and seaweed in exact balance. One order, two spoons, no regrets.
- Gamtae guksu with sea urchin
The seaweed noodle course accepts a ₩40,000 uni addition that turns it from excellent to definitive. Take it if the bibimbap feels like too much.
- Hanwoo galbi over the duck
The ₩30,000 upgrade to Korean beef galbi is the right call for first visits; the duck is for returnees. Either way, the dolhareubang dessert closes the show.
Practical
- Address
- 11 Seolleung ro 158 gil, Cheongdam, Gangnam
- Reservations
- CatchTable, English supported
- Menus
- Lunch ₩230,000 · dinner ₩330,000
- Pairings
- ₩160,000 to ₩290,000 · premium ₩700,000
- Supplements
- Caviar ₩50,000 · uni bibimbap ₩89,000
- Vegetarian
- Full menu, preorder required
- Dress
- Smart casual to smart
- Ask for
- Upstairs window tables
Questions diners ask
Is Jungsik Seoul worth it when New York has three stars?
Yes, and arguably more so: the Seoul original runs lunch at ₩230,000 and dinner at ₩330,000, roughly half the Manhattan bill, for the same signature arc where these dishes were invented. Two stars in the 2026 Seoul guide understate how influential this kitchen has been since 2009.
How do I book Jungsik Seoul?
Through CatchTable, which handles English bookings cleanly, usually one to three weeks ahead for dinner and less for lunch. It has more tables than most starred rivals, making it Seoul's most gettable top table. Preorder the vegetarian menu at booking if needed; it is not available on the night.
What are the must order supplements at Jungsik?
The sea urchin bibimbap at ₩89,000 is the famous one and worth it for the table. The ₩50,000 caviar crown on the chewy octopus and the ₩40,000 sea urchin addition to the gamtae guksu follow. Budget one to two supplements per couple; more unbalances the menu.
Does Jungsik have a dress code?
Smart casual carries lunch and most dinners; suits appear without being required. The room is international Cheongdam, polished but relaxed, and couples, business tables and solo diners all read as normal. Sportswear is the only real miss, and business dinners on the lower level tend toward jackets without ties.