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Jung Sik Dang: A Michelin-Starred Korean Fine Dining Experience (with Wine Pairing!)

I don’t usually drink much alcohol, but today’s video is about Jung Sik Dang, one of the most Michelin-starred Korean fine dining restaurants in Korea. Located in Apgujeong Rodeo, Jung Sik Dang is famous for having a total of five stars, including three stars from its New York location. It’s also known for its ₩60,000 (approximately $45 USD) kimbap. Honestly, I was incredibly impressed with Jung Sik Dang – even more so than Choidot, Mosu, or Mingles!

I was joined on this food tour by Wine King, a wine YouTuber with 660,000 subscribers. This video was supported by Lifeplus, and a social dining event hosted by Lifeplus will be held at Jung Sik Dang on June 14th. Regardless of the event, this review of Jung Sik Dang is unbiased and contains no promotional content. Feel free to enjoy it as is.

Jung Sik Dang can be booked through Catch Table, and the dinner course I’m introducing today is the ₩300,000 (approximately $225 USD) dinner menu per person. While there were four of us, the total bill came out to ₩2,600,000 (approximately $1950 USD). Before we find out why, please subscribe and like this video! Let’s dive into the Jung Sik Dang dinner course.

Amuse-bouche: A Symphony of Flavors

I’ll briefly describe the dishes in order. First, there’s a small cup with warm water in the center. To the left is homemade tofu with nutty perilla oil and salted pollack roe topped with sea squirt. Above that, there’s Hokkaido scallop tartare, followed by beef tartare, grilled eel, and finally, a foie gras tart. The foie gras tart is filled with grilled pine nuts and topped with a refreshing citron tea jelly.

Banchan: Six Bites of Korean Delights

The first course is called “Banchan,” featuring six bite-sized Korean delicacies. It’s paired with a Stellare Brut Champagne, a premium Champagne made by Alexandre Chaix. In this video, I won’t be addressing recent issues surrounding Jung Sik Dang. Jung Sik Dang has already internally reviewed and improved upon those issues, and as a recent customer, I can say that the improved service was noticeable. Issues are inevitable, but how a restaurant responds and improves is crucial.

The course is called “Banchan,” but it’s more like Spanish tapas, a selection of bite-sized dishes. From the first course, it’s clear that the food is designed to be enjoyed with alcohol. While Mingles and Mosu were enjoyable with or without alcohol, Jung Sik Dang actively encourages pairing the meal with drinks. The rich, warm-colored soup warms the stomach and has a deep umami flavor that makes you want to cleanse your palate with Champagne.

The base of the second banchan is tofu, topped with clear perilla oil and a mixture of sea tangle and salted pollack roe. The presentation reminds me of chawanmushi (savory egg custard). The scallop has a rich, sweet flavor and the refreshing lemon juice is prominent. The beef tartare with Parmesan cheese is served on brioche. Although it’s called “yukhoe” (beef tartare), the strong Parmesan flavor, pepper, and salty, buttery brioche make it more like a tartare. The next bite is grilled eel with gochujang (Korean chili paste) and a bibimbap filling. The eel is surprisingly tender, and the bibimbap adds a vibrant kick, making it another great accompaniment to alcohol.

Finally, there’s a foie gras-filled tart topped with citron tea jelly. From the first dish (mushroom soup) to the last (foie gras tart), the appetizer to dessert creates a complete and perfect course. It’s like a small course within a larger course.

Seafood Symphony: Sea Bream and Caviar

Next, we have sea bream, presented with the fish bone broth used as a sauce, artistically drizzled on the plate. The green element is herb oil. Pickled cucumbers are placed underneath, meant to be enjoyed together. The second course features caviar. The Simmachi, in season from May, is topped with caviar, creating a flavor profile between a clear broth and ceviche. It was paired with two white wines: Diveesberg Grand Cru and Stellare Campus Chardonnay.

The broth, made with sea bream bones and mixed with dongchimi broth, provides a balanced acidity and weight that prevents the caviar and Simmachi from overpowering each other. The dish is great with wine, though perhaps slightly lacking without it. Whether or not to opt for the wine pairing is a matter of preference, but Jung Sik Dang is certainly more enjoyable with wine.

Wine King brought a 1975 vintage wine (his birth year) for corkage, which we’ll be introducing later in the course, so please stay tuned.

Abalone Delight: A Taste of the Sea

The next dish is Wando abalone, steamed in a dashima (kelp) broth for an hour to achieve maximum tenderness and then seared for a smoky aroma. The abalone is served with aged white kimchi and beurre blanc sauce, to which we added abalone stock for extra umami. It is garnished with perilla oil and lemon zest.

Initially, the abalone dish seemed ordinary in appearance, but the taste was surprisingly impressive. The classic pairing of tender steamed abalone and beurre blanc sauce worked incredibly well. I usually associate beurre blanc sauce with white fish, so I was surprised by how well it complemented the abalone. The hidden white kimchi provided a familiar Korean touch.

Kimbap Reimagined: A Signature Dish

Next is Jung Sik Dang’s signature kimbap. The basic course includes a spring vegetable kimbap served with three types of namul (seasoned vegetables). For an additional ₩60,000, you can upgrade to the “everything” kimbap, which includes seven toppings like Hanwoo beef tartare, sweet shrimp, namul, cuttlefish, and caviar. The kimbap itself features rice seasoned with ganjang (soy sauce) or doenjang (fermented soybean paste) and sesame oil. The grains of rice have a distinct texture, and the seaweed is crispy and savory. It is a sophisticated interpretation of kimbap. If you ask if it’s delicious, it is! Although, the ₩60,000 upgrade doesn’t necessarily translate into a proportional increase in satisfaction. The basic kimbap is delicious enough. While the “everything” kimbap is topped with a generous amount of caviar, we had already enjoyed plenty of caviar earlier.

The kimbap was paired with a 2019 vintage, Carillon Pac Malsanne. The kimbap is even better with alcohol.

Fish Broth and Fried Sandfish: A Comforting Bowl

Next, we have fish broth with fried sandfish. The crispy sandfish is coated with glutinous rice flour for texture. Given that it is a fish soup, it was paired with a distinctive wine of the Jura region, Goutte d’Or Savagnin. The dish is reminiscent of the anchovy noodles I had at Mingles, but while Mingles focuses on bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients, Jung Sik Dang’s anchovy broth offers a more concentrated and delicious flavor profile. The contrast between the mild fish and the salty fried sandfish is also pleasant, and the Savagnin pairing was excellent. I think pairing it with a full-bodied Champagne would also be great.

Main Course: Duck vs. Hanwoo

For the main course, you can choose between Hanwoo steak and duck steak. The basic option is duck steak, and you can upgrade to Hanwoo steak for an additional ₩30,000. It was paired with the same 2019 vintage Carillon Pac Malsanne as before. Personally, while the Hanwoo was also delicious, the duck steak was surprisingly amazing. The dry-aged duck has a subtle savory aroma reminiscent of fried chicken from a pressure cooker. It had a unique aroma that was slightly elevated compared to what you would expect, and the duck’s juiciness and compatibility with the sauce were outstanding. The Hanwoo was tasty, but the duck exceeded expectations by far.

Buckwheat Noodles with Seaweed: A Palate Cleanser

Next, we had buckwheat noodles with seaweed broth, using seaweed to make both the noodles and the broth. The broth is based on Hanwoo brisket stock with homemade white kimchi and radish kimchi. Of all the dishes, this one was slightly disappointing. The combination of seaweed and pine nuts didn’t quite work for me. It’s not that the flavors clashed, but seaweed has a strong character and shouldn’t lose its taste, while the pine nut has a pure and luxurious image that should be enjoyed alone. The advantages of both ingredients conflicted, especially because the strong flavour of the seaweed was killed.

A Special Wine: 1975 Vintage

At this point, Wine King finally opened his wine. Because it’s a 1975 vintage, the cork was extremely fragile. Here, the sommelier’s skill was revealed. Using a special tool called an Ah-So, he carefully removed the cork without leaving any residue. It took about five minutes to remove the cork completely. Because this 1975 vintage is a rare wine that can’t be found in stores, we all got to sample it at Wine King’s discretion. Even after so many years, the wine still has a delicate finish. It was a great learning experience.

Dessert: A Sweet Ending

For dessert, we started with an ice cream made from makgeolli (Korean rice wine) residue, and then we were given a choice of two main desserts: Dol Hareubang and Ulleungdo Maple. Honestly, I was incredibly impressed with Jung Sik Dang’s desserts – even more so than Choidot, Mosu, or Mingles! While Choidot has an amazing pastry chef that makes all the desserts worthwile and Mingles’ dessert trio is signature, and Mosu’s dessert is creative and good, Jung Sik Dang’s was better. The Dol Hareubang and Ulleungdo Maple were both excellent, but the Dol Hareubang was slightly better. Since two people are ordering, you can order one of each and share.

The next dessert was a small sandwich made with chestnut paste and chestnut ice cream, along with small Korean sweets to enjoy with tea. After the course, I was very full.

Final Thoughts

So, how was the meal at Jung Sik Dang? For those who enjoy alcohol, it was a flawless Korean fine dining experience. Fine dining is expensive, and I often see comments comparing restaurants. One comment will say “This restaurant is better than that restaurant,” while another says “I don’t know why this place has a Michelin star.” While valid criticism is vital, I believe people nowadays are too quick to rank everything. They quickly assume restaurants are terrible. It can feel invalidating.

However, it’s possible that one restaurant is great, but another could be even better. If people view food with more openness, Korea could have the Michelin stars it deserves.

Thank you for watching today’s video.

Google Search & General Assessment

A quick Google search for “Jung Sik Dang Apgujeong Rodeo” reveals consistently high ratings and reviews across various platforms. Patrons frequently praise the innovative take on Korean cuisine, the attentive service, and the elegant ambiance. Criticism, when present, often centers around the price point, which is to be expected for a restaurant of this caliber. The restaurant’s website and online menus confirm the dishes and pricing discussed in the review. Based on this general assessment, Jung Sik Dang maintains its reputation as a top-tier dining destination.