Seoul’s culinary credentials have been enhanced with an anouncement this week that Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 awards, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, will be hosted in the South Korean capital on 26 March 2024.
This edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants marks the first time the awards will be held in the vibrant Korean capital, whose gastronomic credentials have continued to grow and rise in popularity year on year. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore and experience the dynamic nature of Seoul, which is bursting with cultural delights from historic palaces and temples to bustling markets and the picturesque Han River, while simultaneously boasting an incredibly rich culinary heritage.
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants will comprise an extensive event programme in collaboration with Seoul Metropolitan Government and Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), which will culminate in the much-anticipated awards ceremony on 26 March, when the 2024 ranking of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants will be revealed.
Highlights for the programme in Seoul will include a series of key events which have become the foundation of 50 Best Restaurants celebrations: thought-leadership forum #50BestTalks, exploring some of the most pertinent topics affecting the hospitality world today; a 50 Best Signature Sessions series of collaborative dining events open to the public, which sees 50 Best chefs cooking alongside renowned local talent for exclusive dining opportunities; a Chefs’ Feast showcasing the finest cooking and ingredients that Seoul is renowned for; a ‘Meet the Chefs’ media roundtable event and the awards ceremony itself.
William Drew, Director of Content for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, says: “We are thrilled to head to South Korea as we announce Seoul as the host location for the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 awards programme in March. Seoul has long been establishing itself as a culinary hotspot within Asia and to an international audience. We cannot wait to gather the Asia restaurant community together in this thriving city for the first time to celebrate the very best in gastronomy.”
Seoul is the nexus of Korea’s culinary scene. In the capital, its gastronomic manna reaches its apogee in numerous dining environments.
Restaurants such as Ryunique—where chef Tae Hwan Ryu references Japan, Spain, Italy, France, Australia, and Korea in his bold flavor concepts—and Jungsik, rated among Asia’s very best venues, embody the creative energy in Seoul’s culinary scene. Other notable names include Michelin-three-starred venues such as Gaon, La Yeon, and Mosu.
At Mosu, chef Sung Anh majors in “innovative contemporary food.” Take, for example, his signature abalone taco. It features fresh Korean abalone that’s been tenderized and massaged (instead of steamed), gently smoked for a subtle richness, and cradled in a crispy soybean shell.
Gaon is focused on delivering high-quality Korean cuisine that nurtures and follows the aesthetics of Korean traditions and culture. Time-honored traditions of Korean cuisine, meanwhile, are given a contemporary touch at La Yeon.
The Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 awards ceremony, held in Singapore, saw Le Du, Bangkok, named The Best Restaurant in Asia for the first time.
50 Best will continue to use its global platform to highlight even more noteworthy restaurants, bars and hotels worldwide – through the 50 Best Discovery platform and its 50 Best lists, special awards and content series. 50 Best will take the opportunity in 2024 and beyond to amplify diverse voices and positive messages, foster progressive discussion and cross-border collaboration, and encourage greater gastronomic discovery and exploration.
The 50 Best organisation’s role in promoting restaurants and showcasing culinary talent remains more important than ever, continuing to support the hospitality sector by inspiring diners to seek out exciting gastronomic experiences, whether near or far.