South Korea- La Yeon- Three Stars in 2019

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, JULY 2017

SERVICE: 6.0/10

FOOD: 7.5/10

PRICE PAID: $117PP (INCL. WATER, APERITIF, 2 GLASSES OF WINE, COFFEE- PRE-CHALLENGE)

VALUE/MONEY: 8.0/10

FINAL SCORE: 7.5/10

Immaculately designed and built, it's easy to see why Michelin's inspectors chose to bestow a three-star ranking on La Yeon in their inaugural 2017 edition of the Seoul Michelin Guide. Gorgeous, unique flavors that showcase the best terroir of South Korea prepared in traditional methods with fun modernist touches pervade the menu.

The enormous Shilla hotel looms on a hilltop behind multiple layers of security, parking lots, and historic temples in a ritzy neighborhood in Seoul. On the top floor, the restaurant itself screams luxury.

For example, after taking our order, the front waiter grabbed both menus with one hand and used the other hand to collect the champagne glasses, then bear-pawed everything back to the service counter. Technically her first move should have been to collect the menus, one in each hand, then return them to their place at the server stand. Then, afterwards, return with a tray to pick up the glassware. It was one of several moments where the experienced felt unnecessarily rushed (especially for a quiet Sunday lunch with less than a dozen covers). Another example: the first four courses arrived less than sixty seconds after the previous dish was cleared as though they were trying to complete service with the building on fire. But then, as we got to the desserts there were 15-20 minute stretches as the Pastry kitchen caught up. For a restaurant that can only do 30 covers, it was an uneven experience and pacing was all over the place.

Though quite rainy and blustery because it was the middle of Monsoon season in Korea, the hotel still offered gorgeous rooftop views of Namsan park and Seoul N tower looming in the low clouds. The place settings were simple, almost plain; clean modern lines in the glassware and an elegant selection of elongated silver chopsticks and spoons. I appreciated that rather than rush to offer a Western set of forks and knives, they waited to see my comfort level with the chopstick cutlery and then held off. They brought over the lunch and wine menus after very brief introductions.

Food options were two large menus with a small clutch of options;

The 7-course Propriety Menu (₩98,000, about $US86 at today's exchange rate; super reasonable) with an option to add on a beef course for 45,000 won per person and/or a "Royal Hot Pot" for 60,000 won. Drink pairings were offered in the following combinations:

2 glasses of Korean liquor, 40,000 won
2 glasses of wine, 55,000 won
3 glasses of wine, 60,000 won

And, their 9-course La Yeon menu (₩180,000, about $US157 at today's exchange rate; also reasonable by 3-star standards) offers a few more courses and still gives the option of the 60,000 won Royal Hot Pot. Pairings were:

3 glasses of Korean liquor, 50,000 won
3 glasses of wine, 60,000 won
4 glasses of wine, 90,000 won

Their choose-your-own-adventure wine list was exceptionally- ludicrously- criminally- overpriced, but this isn't entirely their fault. In Korea, wine is subject to a 30% import tax, a 10% "education tax," a 10% value-added tax, and then all the markups of the importer, wholesaler, distributor, and restaurant. Additionally, Korea's liquor tax system is based on price and not quantity, so more expensive bottles get even pricier when they're brought to Korea. Quite consistently, the immigration forms you fill out on the plane limit visitors to only one bottle of wine in total in their luggage! Compare this to “as much as you can carry” in the US. A few random pricing examples:

2014 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon (available at, say, a Whole Foods) sells in the US for ~$70; theirs is ₩330,000 ($US280), about 4x.
Italian reds were pretty limited; but a decent Brunello di Montalcino from Castello Banfi would sell in the US for $50; theirs was ₩300,000 ($US260), more than 5x.
At the higher end, a 2000 Chateau Margaux (difficult but by no means impossible to find) would retail in the States for around $980; their price of ₩5,000,000 ($US4,350) is more than 4x.

In terms of breadth; a fairly wide variety of French regionals and American wines (they even have a bottle of '97 Screaming Eagle on the list... albeit for $10,000).

Worth mentioning is the extremely wide selection of Korean liquors they offer; if ever there was a place to get acquainted with this particular spirit, La Yeon is that place. Korean liquor-making goes back hundreds of years to the Joseon and Goryeo dynasties, and their wine list gives lengthy and proud descriptions of both the beverage’s history as well as its various production regions (all new to me!)

First Bites: Dried Currants (left) and Seaweed Chips (right), 7/10

For a first snack, seaweed chips and dried dates are served with house buckwheat tea. The chips are very light and airy, and the dates taste like trail mix. Relatively bland but pleasant flavors all around. 7/10.

Course 1: Sea Urchin + Egg Custard, 7/10

A very European-style first main course; egg custard with a tiny fresh sea urchin on top. The texture is smooth and somewhat firm like a Greek yogurt, but the flavor is bland. The keystone on top is a perfect bite of sea urchin that tasted like the wind and the rocks and the sea. Maybe it's my French bias but there's something missing - the dish is overall quite plain. 6/10. The urchin tastes heavily salted like they're drumming up the flavor in the seafood, but the custard needed more seasoning. Like some black truffle?

2014 Jermann Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia

From Venezia Giulia in Italy, the first paired glass was from a small producer called Jermann. It’s an acceptable if uninteresting pairing, with pleasant notes of apple, citrus, and white flowers.

Course 2: Chilled Pen Shell Salad + Yuzu Garlic Sauce, 8/10

Next, a dish of Pen Shell clams, also called “pinnas,” are stacked like cordwood on top of a coriander salad, bean purée with apple, Yuzu, and garlic. The clams are dense and firm, and the citrusy, zesty yuzu goes perfectly. A tiny microsalad on the left is flower petals, ginseng, and chive. 8/10.

Course 3: Abalone + Sea Cucumber + Beef Porridge, 9/10

Next, the first main course: abalone, sea cucumber, and beef porridge. The porridge is served at literally the perfect temperature, and the sea cucumber enhances the flavors with its slippery, rubbery texture. The pinkish garlic dish on the right is served cold, and practically stings with fresh spice. The bok choy is crunchy and fresh, and the beef is surprisingly aromatic and flavorful. 9/10.

For the red wine pairing, we are offered a glass of 2014 Château Haut-Beauséjour Saint-Estèphe. Extremely tight but full of the black and red fruit, green tea, and earthy notes that Bordeaux is famous for… This one needs a few more years, more time open before serving, or both.

Course 4: “Mixed rice with vegetables and Korean Beef Tartare,” 7/10

Next, a huge smorgasbord titled “Mixed rice with vegetables and Korean Beef Tartare” is hefted over on an enormous black tray. Lots of delightfully authentic touches - the kimchi is delightfully and saltily pickled, the beef tartare is fridge cold, the Bean sprouts add crunch, the green leaves taste almost like a bready tea, and the hot green leafy soup is rich and pleasant.

Overall a very mixed and somewhat bland main course. The rice, veggies, and sprouts tastes are a bit confused and the overly cold beef pulls the dish in a weird direction. Just not that flavorful. 7/10.

On our way out, we are given a short tour of their especially impressive wine cellar, which might be one of the best in Asia.