Eatanic Garden (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★★★

As usual, I like to start off a trip on the right foot with a memorable meal and for this trip, Eatanic Garden proudly claimed that role.

The winner of Asia Best 50 Restaurant's "Highest New Entry Award" this year and coming in as No.25 in all of Asia, Eatanic Garden sits high above the bustling streets of Yeoksam on the 36th floor of the luxurious 5-star hotel Josun Palace. While most diners scramble for a window seat to soak in the breathtaking city view, I decided to take a step back and settle down at Chef Son's chef's table.

The U-shaped Chef's Table is the perfect place to enjoy Chef Son's tasting menu, an ode to Korea’s rich culinary heritage, re-imagined with contemporary finesse. 

Speaking of Executive Chef Son Jong-won (孫鍾元), he was trained in San Francisco with stints at Michelin-starred Benu, Coi and Quince. He is renowned for his modern interpretations of Korean cuisine where ingredient-driven innovation and Korean heritage shines through every dish.

Some complimentary drinks including a glass of white wine helped to kick things off.

Thankfully, there was only one tasting menu served at the restaurant so I didn't have to stress over choices. First, I was presented with today's welcome drink made from summer leaves, decorated nicely with spring flowers. 

Aged squash – An inspiration from the traditional Korean aged pumpkin soup. This lighter rendition was subtly sweet and comforting.

Jujeonburi – The first from a series of four snacks. The gaesung jooak was topped with a disc made of 18-month Comté and karasumi with a cute moon rabbit motif. The donut came with a nice burst of savory richness thanks to the combination of aged Comté and salted mullet roes in the filling.

Next up, three more snacks which were beautifully presented on the container.

Mushroom japchae – The chef's signature snack. I have seen a version of this with strips of zucchini and carrot but this was made primarily with mushroom. Very tasty and crunchy. And very addictive.

Crispy uni and seaweed sandwich – Always love anything with slabs of uni in it!

Parae seaweed bugak – Shaped as an origami crane on top of a paste decorated with flower petals. The seaweed was crunchy while the paste made with seaweed purée, mashed seaweed and peanuts was sweet and nutty.

Sweet potato stems – The first serving of the dish was made of deep-fried sweet potato leaves, stuffed with tender sweet potato stems, It offered a nice harmony of savory and sweet flavors with a satisfying crunch and slightly chewy texture.

The second serving of the dish featured the same sweet potato stems cooked in five different ways.

It was served with shrimp, fish, octopus and pear, all drizzled with a refreshing miso-based sauce.

At this point, I got a surprise call from my server relaying a message from Chef Sun inviting me to join him in the kitchen. Without hesitation, I made my way backstage, where Chef Sun and his team were eagerly waiting. I was then given a tour of the kitchen, and it was such a pleasure to watch the talented chefs in action. I even had the opportunity to taste my next snack right in the chef's office!

Gangjeong – A type of traditional Korean confectionery made from deep-fried rice puff and coated in a sweet and sticky syrup with topping of nuts and seeds. There were some subtle savory flavors of dried shrimp there for a nice mix of savory-sweet flavors.

Soy bean – The tofu was made with smoked soy water and smoked bean sprouts, topped with a disc of egg white and a quenelle of caviar and gold leaves floating on top. 

Just when I was about to savor my tofu, my server came over with a smile and asked if I was a fan of beluga caviar. And if yes, perhaps I would be interested in more of this beluga caviar.

Are you kidding me!? Of course, I am a sucker for beluga caviar (and gold leaves)!

I liked the contrasting temperature of the dish with the warm tofu, crab meat and diced vegetables matched up brilliantly against the chilled beluga. The slightly beany flavor of the tofu, enhanced by a subtle smokiness, was complemented perfectly with the saltiness of the caviar and the heat from the ginger.

Dongtae Jjigae – Chef Sun emerged from the kitchen to personally introduce the concept behind this dish. This was a dish inspired by the traditional Korean pollock stew with mushrooms and radish. I thought there was jujube there as well but I could be wrong.

The chef has replaced the frozen pollock with wild caught cod fish and the silky fish fillet was paired with ingredients like preserved vegetables, rice and radish in the reduction from the stew. A very hearty family dish that reminded me a lot of the Chinese steamed fish with preserved vegetables (梅菜蒸魚) that mom used to make for my sister and me when we were little.

Samgyetang – It's not the first time I was served with a contemporary version of Samgyetang, the traditional Korean ginseng chicken. 

I loved the thin and crispy skin, and the stuffing of glutinous rice, ginseng, garlic, ginkgo nuts, jujube, and chestnut were all nicely done. There was some nice smokiness (probably from the charcoal) which I thought worked well with the rich ginseng flavors.

And I was supposed to finish things up with the accompanying "tea" made by boiling ginseng and chicken broth together.

Hanwoo striploin – The star of the dish was supposedly the two different servings of Hanwoo but I was reminded by my server to pay attention to the pyogo mushroom as well.

Each serving of the Hanwoo came with a small salad so it won't get too greasy for my palate. While the striploin was succulent, I thought the beef patty made with the same striploin and stuffed with the pyogo mushroom stood out with its incredibly delicious flavor and wonderful texture.

Manduguk – The chef's interpretation of the hearty Korean dumpling soup . The clear broth was a consommé made with Hanwoo beef and fish.

The dumplings were filled with minced Hanwoo beef and Korean pork, garnished with baechu cabbage, mushrooms and diced abalone (Yes, abalone!). The broth was obviously the star here as it came with a lot of savory and umami-rich flavors from the meat, which was balanced off nicely by the cabbage and mushrooms.

Cinnamon apple – The pre-dessert was inspired by the traditional Korean shaved ice.

Hidden underneath the apple snow flakes were green apple sorbet, apple sorbet and cinnamon. The fruity acidity made it the perfect palate cleanser.

Pine mushroom – A savory dessert, anyone?

The warm pine mushroom rice cake came with a bit of mushroomy exterior and chewy texture. There was something in the middle that I thought tasted like our Chinese tangerine skin (陳皮) adding some zesty flavors to the mushroom rice cake.

The pine mushroom cake was made almost like a Japanese mochi with ice-cream, with the pine mushroom syrup providing a lovely finishing touch.

Our petite fours were presented in this beautiful Mother-of-pearl box.

Omijacha – with nice acidity, and a little grippy on the palate.

On the top drawer, we have a chocolate don don infused with Korean rice wine, dried persimmon with nuts and yuja skin and traditional Yakgwa with ginger, honey and cinnamon.

Ssal Gangjeong – Korean sweet rice puff flavored with sunflower.

Injeolmi – Sticky pudding with soy bean powder. I didn't think I could afford any more food for the next few hours.

This was more than just traditional Korean cuisine re-imagined and re-interpreted using modern culinary techniques. With today's tasting menu, Chef Son Jong-won did a captivating storytelling about the rich culinary heritage of his country and how it has evolved into the modern cuisine we all came to enjoy these days. Each dish was a narrative, reflecting the deep-rooted traditions and innovative spirit of modern Korean gastronomy. Chef Son and his team took the time to share insights into the ingredients, techniques, and cultural significance behind each course, making the meal not just a feast for the palate but a journey through time and tradition.

Special thanks to the chef for the special tour of his kitchen as well. It has made my visit ever so special and memorable!

Food Rating: 8.1/10

Price: ₩₩₩₩

Address: 36/F Josun Palace Hotel, 231 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Yeoksam

Tel: +82 02 727-7610

Website: https://jpg.josunhotel.com/dining/EatanicGarden.do

Opening Hours: 12:30pm - 2:30pm, 6:00pm - 10:00pm (Wed - Sun)

S. Pellegrino Asia's 50 Best Restaurants: 25th (2025)