BUSAN, South Korea’s increasingly buzzy beachside city and shipping hub, has a couple more reasons to visit, via the Michelin Guide.
Last Thursday, the famed dining arbiter awarded stars to restaurants in its inaugural guide to Busan, South Korea’s second biggest city.
But despite the fanfare of the inaugural Michelin guide, only three Busan restaurants — Fiotto, Mori, and Palate — received a star. Fiotto, which specializes in homemade pasta made with Korean ingredients, also received a Michelin Green star in recognition of its sustainable mentality.
“Getting Michelin’s recognition is obviously going to be a major turning point for myself, but I also see it as a key moment for Busan where it can take its culinary scene to the next level,” said Palate’s chef-owner Jaehoon Kim, a 37-year-old Busan native, in a phone interview with Bloomberg.
“Facing the sea, the perfect gateway to the world, Busan has demonstrated over its long history of commerce, the ability to bring people together, be open to new ideas and influence the world,” said Jerome Vincon, managing director of Michelin Korea, during the award ceremony at the Signiel Busan hotel. “These chefs, together with their teams, nobody could dream of better ambassadors of Busan with their generosity, creativity, courage and excellence.”
Star rankings for Seoul were also announced at the event. The city now has only one three-star restaurant, Mosu. Last year, there were two: Gaon closed earlier this year because of financial constraints, and Mosu has been temporarily closed as they go through operational changes.
Two new two-star restaurants also joined the list: Mitou, which features a Japanese-accented menu, and Restaurant Allen, which offers modern, seasonal cooking. Both were promoted from one star. One two-star restaurant dropped off the list: Joo Ok in the Plaza Hotel has closed in Seoul and is relocating to New York City later this year.
Seoul now has a total of 33 starred dining rooms, one more than last year.
Almost eight years after publishing the inaugural Seoul guide, Busan has become South Korea’s second city with a Michelin guide. (The state-run tourism agency reportedly paid the guide 2 billion won, currently $1.5 million, to bring it to Seoul.) The seaside city has increasingly garnered attention from travelers and foodies around the world in recent years with a wave of new hotels and ambitious restaurants. Its cultural clout exploded in the fall of 2022, when K-pop boy band BTS performed their “final concert” in the city before going on hiatus.
The inaugural guide underscores the rising profile of Busan, which has rapidly expanded with the city’s major development projects. It’s home to the world’s biggest department store along with a 1,123-foot skyscraper, and a new airport, slated for 2029.
Even during the pandemic, Michelin has continued to expand its universe by adding up-and-coming cities around the globe. Since publishing its first Asian guide, Tokyo, in 2007, Michelin has moved into over a dozen cities in the region, including Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore.
And it’s continuing its expansion worldwide: In 2024, the French tire maker plans to announce inaugural guides for Mexico.
Although Michelin first began producing guides in 1900 for chauffeurs, it didn’t start awarding stars until 1926. Three stars mean “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”; two are given for “excellent cooking, worth a detour”; and one denotes a “very good restaurant in its category.”
Following is a list of Busan’s starred restaurants:
An asterisk (*) denotes a new entry.
One Star
*Mori
*Palate
*Fiotto
Following is a list of Seoul’s starred restaurants
Three Stars
Mosu
Two Stars
Alla Prima
Jungsik
Kojima
Kwon Sook Soo
La Yeon
Mingles
*Mitou
*Restaurant Allen
Soigné
One Star
7th door
Bicena
Eatanic Garden
Evett
Exiquisine
Goryori Ken
Hane
*Haobin
Kangminchul Restaurant
Kojacha
L’Amant Secret
L’Amitié
*L’impression
Muni
Muoki
Onjium
Solbam
Soseol Hannam
Soul
Sushi Matsumoto
*Vinho
Yun
Zero Complex
— Bloomberg