Onjium

Seoul, South Korea

• No.21 Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2024

Cho Eun-hee is one of three female chefs to hold a star in the Michelin guide to South Korea. She trained in the royal cuisine of the Joseon dynasty (designated as an intangible cultural asset in Korea) but her food is influenced as much by Korean Buddhist temple cuisine and local traditions as the historic cooking of the royal court. It might sound like a dry exercise in cultural heritage (and Onjium is part of a Korean cultural centre) but Cho’s cooking is renowned for its delicacy. The chef interprets the style of the past for a modern audience in a light-filled, concrete and metal dining room. Fermented pastes are the cornerstone of Cho’s cooking, with doenjang (soybean paste), gochujang (red pepper paste) and ganjang (soybean sauce) fermented and aged in house. Cho’s commitment to preserving the past extends to holding Korean history and culture classes at the restaurant twice a month.

Key Information

• Lunch and dinner: Tue – Fri
• 82 2 6952 0024
• Visit Onjium's Website

Location

4F, 49 Hyoja-ro, Cheongunhyoja-dong, Seoul,