Excluding Omakase, my top three choices for fine dining restaurants in Korea would be Mingles, Eatanic Garden, and Joo-ok. After a lengthy absence, I went back to Restaurant Joo-Ok.

​Located on the 3rd floor of The Plaza Hotel.

 

Inside

Joo-Ok's signature look and feel is this cutlery packaging inspired by Jeogori (a type of traditional Korean clothing).

​Adorable and elegant

 

 

Menu

- Dinner course  250,000 won

 

 

​1. Welcome drink

Hawthorn Fruit Tea

A refreshing drink made with vinegar and lemonade. Vinegar can be chosen from grapes or pine needles, depending on your taste.

Very refreshing

 

 

​​2. Starter

 

​- Braised Chicken Cromesqui -

Sesame leaf sauce with tender braised chicken

 

- Dried Beets on Tart with Korean Beef Jerky Powder -

An excellent umami-flavored beef jerky powder

 

- Korean Beef tartare with Egg yolk Jelly with Aioil sauce -

 

 

3. Spring in Korea

 - Seasonal Seafood with Korean Zucchini Soy Sauce -

Abalone, octopus, Dokdo shrimp, and yellowtail topped with garnish.

The combination of different seafood enhances the flavor.

 

- Korean Wild Prawn in 4 flavors -

​

Eat from tail to head. Soybean paste powder on the shrimp's tail, rice flour on the sides, some pine nut powder and beet pickle, and herring roe for garnish.

​To the right, we have chives, ginger, and marigold petals; to the left, we have caviar on top. The white sauce is made of pine nuts, and the green sauce is made of bell peppers.

 

- Sea Eel on Makgeoli Bread with deodeok and dried pollack -

​Butter, Sea eel in soy sauce, Makgeolli bread, and sweet pumpkin powder. Dried pollack with a little sprinkle of smoky paprika powder.

 

​- Red tilefish with crispy skin and grilled spinach -

​Red tilefish from Jeju-do, topped with kumquat and water parsley.

Traditional Soy Sauce and Spinach Porridge.

 

 

4. Flavor of Joo Ok

Cold-pressed Perilla seed oil with Conch and Kristal Caviar

Extremely tasty, which is Joo-Ok's signature dish and a hallmark of the restaurant's great reputation. Compared to the initial shock I experienced on my first trip to Joo ok, this nutty flavor of the perilla oil was absolutely amazing.

There are no words to describe this. I can honestly say that Joo Ok is the only place where I've ever experienced this fantastic flavor.

Flavor that is hard to forget and almost perfect. It has the distinctive flavor of the last, precious oil extracted from the perilla of the finest grade.

 

 

5. ​Sea

Lobster with Gochujang Sauce and Glazed Sweet Potato

The sweet potato in the cube on the left is caramelized with a torching of soybean paste and sugar sauce, while the lobster on the right is topped with Yak-gochujang foam and red shiso veggies.

Caramelized soybean paste sauce and sweet potato made for an amazing sweet and salty combination.

​Laguiole en Aubrac knives

 

 

6. ​​Main

Hanwoo (Korean Beef) Tenderloin with Tteok-galbi and Rice Cake

Wet-aged for two weeks Hanwoo(Korean beef) tenderloin. The outside features jerky crumble in a bulgogi sauce and grilled maitake mushrooms, which are native to East Asia.

Pickled lotus root & garlic stems. Rice and Gangdoenjang (seasoned soybean paste).

Tteokgalbi wrapped with shiitake mushroom and burdock root/garlic crumble on top.

Unlike what I expected, Tteokgalbi was far tastier than Tenderloin.

Combining the rice with the Gangdoenjang (seasoned soybean paste) makes for a tasty meal.​

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7. Dessert

- Cham-namul Tofu Icecream and Mascarpone Mousse -

Dessert topped with raspberry powder and Meringue chips. Strawberry, cream, mascarpone cheese, and tofu ice cream can be found inside. And finely chopped yokan and pistachios are added.

 

- Seasonal Fruits -

​​Korean Redhyang Oranges

 

 

​8. Flavor of Korea

​- Magnolia Tea and Brown Rice Tea -

 

- Korean Traditional Rice and Nut Cracker / Gangjeong -

Yakgwa / Red bean jelly / Brown rice gangjeong / Walnut gangjeong

​

​​Michelin 2 Stars & Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2022

Not typically found at upscale eateries is these traditional Jangdokdae (used to store or ferment dishes like Kimchi and soybeans).

Even the Gangjeong, which was given as a gift, was satisfying in many ways.

 

Address : 3F, 119 Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Seoul OPEN GOOGLE MAP

Phone : +82-10-4461-1193

Operation Hours : Tuesday-Saturday  (Break time : 15:00 - 18:00)

Instagram : Click for more images

Reservation : Click here for reservation

 

Source : https://blog.naver.com/jdoro/223034368042

Writer : jdoro

Special thanks to jdoro

 

Joo ok seoul 2star michelin fine dining the plaza