The Place One of the fine-dining meals I had in my recent Seoul trip was at Eatanic Garden, a One Michelin Star restaurant located in the luxurious Josun Palace. Eatanic Garden is also Number 62 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024, and is helmed by Executive Chef Son Jong-won (also head chef at L’Amant Secret). 

The restaurant is located at level 36 of Josun Palace, and it boasts a splendid city view of Seoul. It is a very spacious restaurant where there are tables beside the window as well as the counter seats (chef’s table).

If you are a tourist and a couple who prefer privacy, I highly recommend the tables beside the floor to ceiling window. 

The Food There is no menu per se, as the main ingredient in each dish is revealed in a postcard format as it is served. In that sense, there is a strong storytelling as each course is served and it also adds to the element of surprise for me. That said, you can expect Korean food and flavours being reinvented in a contemporary twist throughout the meal. 

I visited during lunch and here is what to expect for the 9-course lunch menu (KRW 190,000) I had: 

Bamboo Shoots 
The first course is a showcase of mieum topped with roasted bamboo shoots. The flavour is quite light which is apt for a starting act.

Jujeonburi 
The second course is an interesting one as Jujeonburi means snacks and I had four types of Korean inspired snacks – a Korean donut inspired snack with fried fish roe; a Korean Chap Chae inspired snack; a crispy Potato snack with Korean beef tartare with walnut powder; and lastly a Korean seaweed cracker made in a crane shape with peanut paste within. Each snack is delicious. 

Fatsia Shoots 
Often touted as the king of mountain vegetables in Korea, the Fatsia shoots here goes with sliced cuttlefish and pear within, then drizzled with some pine nuts and soybean paste sauce.  

Soy Bean 
A minimalist presentation of black and white, this course is a smooth soybean curd topped with caviar. 

Spring Greens 
Not just a vegetable course, this well-balanced dish is made up of Korean soybean paste and grouper fish where there are nine different spring vegetables with rice paired with a fish bone broth. 

Halfway through my meal, the staff asked if I want to have a tour of the kitchen. Of course!

I was fortunate to have Chef Son to show us around the kitchen and we even nibbled on a dried shrimp cracker with caviar snack in the kitchen! Everything is so well-organised and neat.

Taro 
For mains, it is a showcase of beef in two ways – minced beef and beef layered with abalone, both drizzled with bone marrow jus, served with clear soup and kimchi by the side.  

Yuchae 
The last savoury course is a noodle dish where the buckwheat noodles is paired with yellow Camomile leaves. The cold noodles are tasty on its own, before iced white kimchi is then added to the noodles for an added layer of texture and flavour. 

Mugwort 
Next up for dessert, the rice cake here is mixed with mugwort, served along with a mugwort ice cream by the side as well.   

Mother Of Pearl Box 
Last but not least, petit fours are served in an elegant box, paired with tea. I had the likes of chocolate bonbon with Makgeolli, fruit jelly with apple and mustard leave and dried persimmon with yuzu.

At the end of the meal, the staff even offered if I want an additional refill of the tea which I could not refuse.

Rants Nothing in particular. I blame myself for not being the most familiar with Korean ingredients, so I might not catch the full details of each course being presented. 

Will I Return Again? I had a great meal at Eatanic Garden where the overall dining experience was very pleasant. The dishes look simple but complex, and I appreciate how attentive and professional the staff were, and the service is excellent. The bonus? You also get a good view of Seoul while dining. 

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Overall Experience: 4.5/5

Eatanic Garden 
조선 팰리스(센터필드 웨스트 타워 231, Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea 
Tel: +82 2-727-7610 
 
Opening Hours 
Wednesday to Sunday: 10am to 10pm 
Closed on Monday & Tuesday 

Ranted by The Ranter