Traveling to foreign lands can be an exciting and exhilarating experience for all of us. However, what truly makes these moments unforgettable is the pleasure of indulging in exceptional cuisine. Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, is now gaining recognition as one of the world’s premier travel destinations, beyond Asia. K-food, which stands for Korean cuisine, is also rising in popularity, aligned with K-pop and K-culture. ChosunBiz aims to introduce Michelin-starred restaurants in Seoul that offer a modern twist on traditional Korean cuisine. [Editor’s note]
Nestled near Miryang in Gyeongsangnam-do is a natural wonder known as Eoreumgol Valley, a place that preserves nature’s mysterious charm. As its name suggests, cool winds blow here even in summer, and ancient Koreans used to visit this place to escape the scorching heat. This valley starts forming ice as early as March, with the ice typically lasting until mid-July. Standing nearby, you can feel the chill radiating from the valley, creating an eerie atmosphere that has inspired many folk tales.
In a similar vein, there’s a fine dining establishment that also captures nature’s mystique—Yun Seoul, a Michelin-starred restaurant. Stepping inside, a subtle mist, much like the chill of Eoreumgol Valley, seems to rise from within the restaurant. The ambiance is reminiscent of the valley, with dried fish and rare ingredients stored in visible freezers, evoking a cool and serene atmosphere. Looking at the hanging sea bass and abalone, one might get the impression of a “gold mine” of nature’s bounty.
Chef Kim Do-yun, the visionary behind Yun Seoul, is no ordinary chef. With his long hair and bushy beard, he almost resembles an enlightened sage. Kim doesn’t view Yun Seoul as just a restaurant but as a space for experimentation—where natural processes like aging and fermentation are explored to uncover the true essence of ingredients. Head Chef Song Hong-yun is deeply involved in this research, helping shape the present and future of Yun Seoul.
The chefs at Yun Seoul believe that experience is the greatest teacher. Kim, for over 30 years, has traveled the country, immersing himself in various food cultures. He’s sailed with fishermen to understand their lifestyle firsthand and experimented with different flour blends to create his own handmade noodles. This expertise also led to the opening of Myeon Seoul, a noodle-focused restaurant with a similar name.
Chef Song works alongside Kim, contributing to the creation of Yun Seoul’s distinctive dishes. Their current focus is milk—specifically, paying meticulous attention to the feed and breed of cows to elevate the quality. They are also experimenting with preserving different batches of fermented products like doenjang and gochujang each year, treating them as culinary relics.
Their decades of experience culminate in a dish simply named “Fish.” Despite its humble title, the dish is anything but simple. A reinterpretation of dried yellow croaker using sea bass, this dish reflects Korea’s tradition of mixing rice with broth.
The sea bass is first brined in green tea water before being dried, resulting in a crispy exterior and tender, juicy flesh. The drying process gives the fish a slight chewiness, while its thick, flavorful flesh is perfectly seasoned, making it enjoyable on its own.
But the highlight of the dish is the broth. Like the green tea served with dried yellow croaker, this dish comes with a broth made from mussels, dried shrimp, abalone, and anchovies. Though it appears clear like water, its taste is complex—one spoonful evokes the sensation of being by the ocean. Just as light refracted through a prism appears transparent, the broth’s depth is revealed through its subtle layers of flavor.
Mixing the sea bass, broth, and the black barley rice underneath creates a delicate harmony. The natural sweetness of the rice blends beautifully with the umami of the seafood, with each bite becoming more cohesive. The use of only natural seasonings makes the dish easy on the stomach, enhancing its appeal.
The chefs hope Yun Seoul becomes more than just a place to dine, but a research lab of sorts. They aspire to offer their guests the same kind of enlightenment that comes from deep contemplation, leaving them with a profound sense of satisfaction after every meal.
—Could you briefly introduce yourselves?
Kim Do-yun (Kim): “I’ve been cooking for over 30 years now. I started with French and Japanese cuisine before transitioning to Korean food. I spent a lot of time learning in Japan, and I’m the type who enjoys hands-on learning, which is why I spent almost a year traveling around the world. Currently, I’m running both Yun Seoul and Myeon Seoul.”
Song Hong-yun (Song): “I’ve had an interest in cooking since elementary school. I’m originally from Busan and have been in Seoul for about 10 years now. I started with Italian and French cuisine before moving to Korean food. Like Chef Kim, I value experience. I once felt that to truly excel in Italian cuisine, I needed to experience it firsthand, so I spontaneously decided to travel.”
—What sparked your passion for cooking?
Kim: “My grandfather was Park Chung-hee, the former president of Korea’s party planner, and my family has always been involved in the restaurant business. My mother is also an excellent cook. Looking back, I’ve been surrounded by food all my life. Our family even made 1,000 to 2,000 heads of kimchi each year. I remember making diced radish kimchi for the first time when I was in fourth grade, and it tasted better than any of my peers’. I was so proud of it that I refused to share it with friends and brought it home to my parents instead.”
Song: “My mother ran a vegetable garden, and I grew up eating the fresh produce, which fueled my curiosity about food. I started cooking seriously in high school. One of the greatest pleasures of cooking is seeing others enjoy the food you’ve made.”
—Could you briefly introduce Yun Seoul?
Kim: “Yun Seoul is a place where we explore the essence of food. I like to think of it as a research lab rather than just a restaurant. Understanding the essence of food means studying everything—from how the ingredients are grown to how they arrive on the plate. For example, if it’s beef, you need to know the specifics of its feed, how it was slaughtered, and even the characteristics of the region it was raised in.”
Song: “Yun Seoul helps people better understand ingredients. We also don’t use any artificial additives or flavor enhancers in our food, so it’s a place where you can enjoy food that is as comfortable and natural as possible.”
—How do you view Korean cuisine?
Kim: “I believe Korean cuisine encompasses everything from the land, sea, and air. My role is to research those ingredients and bring out their best flavors. I aim to preserve fading traditions while reinterpreting well-known ones. It can be labor-intensive, but it’s always rewarding when it’s finished.”
Song: “Korean food is the food we’ve always eaten. It includes pre-Westernization dishes as well as those that blend with modern influences. Korean cuisine has a rich history and reflects a wealth of cultural and seasonal elements. There are many dishes that evolve with time through processes like fermentation. Also, the abundance of seasonal ingredients is one of its hallmarks.”
—What is your food philosophy?
Kim: “It wasn’t until I was in my mid-30s that I realized cooking was truly my path. I came to understand that chefs exist because there are diners, and that’s why I strive to offer something diverse with every meal. Cooking feels like an endless journey—if I were to measure it, I think I’ve only just passed the halfway point. Moving forward, I want to operate Yun Seoul more like a lab, sharing everything I’ve learned with our customers.”
Song: “I believe the most important thing is creating happy memories, both through food and the dining experience itself. I feel like I’m only about 3% into my culinary journey, with a long way to go. Along the way, I hope to encounter more of the ‘happy coincidences’—like meeting Chef Kim, which has been a great learning experience for me.”
—You’re known for traveling around the country, often on fishing boats. Any unique experiences?
Kim: “I’ve seen live shad and tasted fish freshly caught on boats. One time, a whale got caught in a net, and since capturing whales is illegal, we had to cut the net free. Its tail was so entangled that we had to cut it, and I was moved to tears seeing such a majestic creature in distress. It made me appreciate the life behind every meal that reaches the table.”
— What would you say is Yun Seoul’s signature dish?
Kim: “Our signature dishes are our fish and noodle dishes (Myeon). The noodles at Yun Seoul are gentle on the stomach because we use organic flour without any additives. Sometimes people feel bloated after eating buckwheat noodles because of the added chemicals. You don’t want elders getting up in the middle of the night thirsty. One of Yun Seoul’s strengths is that we attract a wide age range of customers, from their 20s to their 80s, for which we’re truly grateful.”
Song: “The noodles at Yun Seoul prioritize aroma and texture. We use Korean-grown soybeans and wheat, and we mill the flour ourselves. Depending on the flavor profile we’re aiming for, we adjust the blend. The dough is also pressed multiple times to achieve that perfect chewy texture.”
— Could you tell us about the fish aging process in Yun Seoul?
Song: “We receive a lot of fish from Jeju Island. After removing the plastic wrap and guts, we brine the fish in salt and green tea water for two to three days, then dry it to a semi-dried state. This makes the skin crispy and the flesh firm and chewy. The flesh remains moist and flavorful. The bones and heads left over from cooking are dried and used for broth or sauces.”
Kim: “The reason we brine in green tea water is inspired by dried yellow croaker (bori gulbi). Green tea has components that neutralize the fishy smell and enhance the texture. I also love the subtle green tea aroma that lingers in the fish, which is why we stick with this method.”
— What is your ultimate goal for Yun Seoul?
Kim: “I want Yun Seoul to be a place where we research all the ingredients that come from Korea. I don’t need to be known as a chef who represents Korea, but I hope to be remembered as a chef who is genuinely passionate about ingredients.”
Song: “I’d like to be remembered as a chef whose work endures over time. Eventually, I’d love to create a collection of fermented sauces at Yun Seoul, where we make and store a new batch each year, recording its history as we go.”
