Vinho (*) – Seoul, South Korea

My first visit to a Michelin starred restaurant in South Korea. I found this place through social media actually as they recently received their first star only a few months ago, after only being just over 2 years old. All the ingredients are sourced from South Korea (aside from the Lamb option) which is impressive. Often there was a bit of a language barrier with English however most dishes I was able to for the most part understand how they were put together and what was in them.

The menu had 10 courses:
1. Oyster, which was essentially oyster ice cream
2. Scallop, lovely plated scallops
3. Jack Mackerel, steamed within the leaf
4. Eggplant, black fried eggplant, filled with prawn, and covered in sauce made from the same eggplant skin
5. Quail, deliciously plated with ginseng broth
6. Normally this is eel however due to a dietary restriction I received abalones instead
7. Seasonal fish which in this case was butterfish with a green chilli sauce – my favourite main dish
8. Duck, a perfectly cooked piece of duck, very straightforward, with coconut oil massaged into the skin
9. Sujeonggwa, an exquisite desert of ice cream and the famous Korean drink, possibly one of my favourites of all time so far.
10. Soy sauce, soy sauce icecream with a pate of some sort.

I opted for a few individual glasses of wine as I don’t drink much and the wines I tried were great. The host and sommelier was very pleasant and could speak great English. I loved the counter design above all else and it felt serious yet easy going. Would happily return.