La Yeon, The Shilla Seoul’s flagship Korean fine-dining restaurant, has been included in the prestigious list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for a third consecutive year. La Yeon placed at No. 38 on the annual list, rising 12 places from last year. Widely acclaimed in Korea, La Yeon has been awarded the coveted three Michelin stars and is the only restaurant on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list to serve traditional Korean cuisine.
Now in its fifth year, the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is created from the votes of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of over 300 industry experts, chefs, restaurateurs, and food critics across Asia.
“It is an exceptional honour to be acknowledged by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for a third year and I share this accolade with the entire La Yeon team,” says Executive Chef Kim Sung Il. “It’s especially gratifying to see traditional Korean cuisine being recognised on the global stage. Traditional hansik (Korean food) dates back to ancient Korea and at La Yeon we strive to recreate old recipes and share the authentic stories behind them.”
La Yeon’s recognition at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony for a third consecutive year is a testament to the restaurant’s culinary excellence and exemplary service. Since 2013, La Yeon has offered modern reinterpretations of classic recipes and culinary techniques. The award-winning restaurant distinguishes itself with premium, seasonal ingredients and uses only 100 percent Korean-grown ingredients from exclusive sources around the country.
Committed to showcasing the best of Korean cuisine, the restaurant team has continuously researched and developed its own preserving and processing techniques for sauces and pastes that are the foundation of Korean cuisine. La Yeon’s timeless recipes are presented using masterpieces by renowned Korean artists La Ki-Hwan and Lee Ki-Jo that epitomise the beauty of traditional white porcelain with a contemporary touch.
Spring Menu
Launching at the end of March, La Yeon’s spring menu will feature the season’s finest ingredients from Korea’s farms and shores. The new menu comprises distinctively Korean ingredients, such as geoduck, sea bream, king scallops, webfoot octopus, napa cabbage, mulberries and bellflower seeds enticing guests with the fresh, aromatic flavours of spring. A celebration of Korea’s culinary history, these nutritious ingredients have been used for centuries and passed down for generations.
Introduced using a range of traditional Korean cooking techniques, from fermenting and low temperature ripening to steaming and grilling, the meticulous selection of ingredients reflects La Yeon’s commitment to culinary provenance and the spring menu’s revitalization concept.
“Spring in Korea is when the cold gradually starts to fade away and the buds of green come to life,” explains Chef Kim. “The flowers start to bloom – which I wanted to capture in the upcoming menu, inspired by the new buds that can look small and weak but are strong for having endured the cold winter, symbolizing hope and a fresh start.”
Wine pairing will also be available to accompany the new menu, each handpicked by La Yeon’s sommelier to enhance the dining experience. The restaurant’s drinks menu will also be refreshed to include two new types of makgeolli (Korean rice wine), two new types of Cheongju (refined rice wine), while traditional liquors are also offered by the glass, designed for epicureans to savour several different types in one seating.
For more information or reservations, please contact La Yeon at (82) 2-2230-3367 or visit www.shilla.net.