Head-to-Head

Balwoo Gongyang vs L'Amitié

Balwoo Gongyang for the Jogye Order's vegan temple menu and the value; L'Amitié for chef Jang Myoung-sik's one-star French.

Balwoo Gongyang

Seoul · Korean Temple Cuisine · $$$

Food 8.8 · Ambience 9.4 · Value 9.0

View full review →

L'Amitié

Seoul · Classic French · $$$$

Food 9.5 · Ambience 9.3 · Value 8.4

View full review →

The Verdict

Balwoo Gongyang for the Jogye Order's vegan temple menu and the value; L'Amitié for chef Jang Myoung-sik's one-star French.

Balwoo Gongyang is the only restaurant run directly by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, serving fully vegan temple cuisine from the fifth floor of the TempleStay centre in Jongno-gu. It opened in 2009 and held a Michelin star from 2017 to 2019; the Jogye Order still runs it as Seoul's defining temple table. The cooking omits the five pungent vegetables and builds flavour from temple-made fermented pastes, with set courses from about 55,000 won. It scores a 9.0 for value in our review. L'Amitié is chef Jang Myoung-sik's classic French room in Cheongdam, Gangnam, open since 2006 and a one-star room in the 2026 Michelin Guide Seoul. Just 20 seats and a precise serving team frame a seasonal set menu whose signatures include steamed Wando abalone with abalone-intestine espuma and a saffron arancini. It scores a 9.5 on the cooking.

The split is about what kind of evening you want. Balwoo Gongyang is meditative, meatless and singular; L'Amitié is intimate, classical and the stronger plate-by-plate cook.

Spend tracks that contrast. Balwoo Gongyang sits at $$$ and carries the higher value score; L'Amitié is a $$$$ ticket and edges nothing on price. Both want booking ahead.

Which One for Which Occasion

Occasion	Editorial Pick
First Date	L'Amitiéthe 20-seat French room is the warmer, more romantic first-date setting.
Close a Deal	L'Amitiéa refined French table in Gangnam suits a polished business dinner.
Birthday	L'Amitiéthe classical set menu and tight room make a celebratory evening.
Impress Clients	Balwoo Gongyangthe Jogye-run temple menu is a one-of-a-kind Seoul credential.
Proposal	L'Amitiéan intimate French room reads as the milestone-night choice.
Solo Dining	Balwoo Gongyangthe contemplative, value-led temple meal is an easy seat for one.
Team Dinner	Balwoo Gongyangvalue 9.0 and a fully plant-based menu handle mixed dietary groups.

The Numbers

Our scoring puts Balwoo Gongyang at 8.8 / 9.4 / 9.0 (food / ambience / value) and L'Amitié at 9.5 / 9.3 / 8.4. L'Amitié wins the cooking and edges the room; Balwoo Gongyang wins value and the once-only nature of the experience. L'Amitié holds the Michelin star here; Balwoo Gongyang trades on value and its one-of-a-kind temple format. Weight the dimension that matters most to your evening and follow it.

How to Book

L'Amitié is the tighter table at 20 seats with a single chef-led service, so book one to three weeks out for a prime dinner. Balwoo Gongyang takes more covers across lunch and dinner and is easier to secure, though weekend dinners and the lunch-only Seon course still want a few days' notice. Both take reservations directly or by phone; check the practical-info card on each linked review above for the current platform and policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Balwoo Gongyang or L'Amitié?

They are very different evenings, so neither is simply better. L'Amitié holds a Michelin star in the 2026 Seoul guide and scores higher on our cooking and ambience grid for chef Jang Myoung-sik's classic French menu in an intimate 20-seat Cheongdam room. Balwoo Gongyang, the only restaurant run by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, scores higher on value for its fully vegan temple cuisine; it held a Michelin star from 2017 to 2019 and remains a singular Seoul meal. Choose L'Amitié for refined French; choose Balwoo Gongyang for a meatless, meditative meal you cannot get anywhere else.

How much do Balwoo Gongyang and L'Amitié cost?

Balwoo Gongyang sits at $$$, with set temple-cuisine courses starting around 55,000 won and a lunch Seon course nearer 36,000 won, which is why it earns a 9.0 value score. L'Amitié is a tier up at $$$$, a multi-course French set menu with optional wine that lands it among Gangnam's pricier seats. Balwoo Gongyang is the clear value pick; L'Amitié is the splurge of the two.

Is Balwoo Gongyang fully vegan?

Yes. Balwoo Gongyang serves Korean Buddhist temple cuisine, which is entirely plant-based and also omits the five pungent vegetables: garlic, green onion, chives, leeks and wild garlic. Depth comes instead from temple-made fermented pastes and soy. L'Amitié is a classic French kitchen built on seafood and meat, including a signature steamed Wando abalone, so it is not a vegan or vegetarian option. For a meatless temple meal in Seoul, Balwoo Gongyang is the table.

Which is harder to book, Balwoo Gongyang or L'Amitié?

L'Amitié is the tighter table: only 20 seats and a single chef-led service mean prime dinner slots go first, so book one to three weeks out. Balwoo Gongyang takes more covers across lunch and dinner and is easier to secure, though weekend dinners and its lunch-only Seon course still want a few days' notice. Both accept reservations directly or by phone; check each linked review for the current platform and policy.