Where a Two-Michelin-Starred Chef Loves to Eat in Seoul
Meet one of Korea’s Most Exciting Chefs
Welcome to The Relisher’s Seoul edition! This week, I met with Chef Jun Lee—owner and executive chef of SOIGNÉ (two Michelin stars) and Doughroom in Seoul, South Korea.
Chef Lee has trained at some of the world’s best kitchens, including Per Se, Chef Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. In 2013, he returned to Seoul to open SOIGNÉ, which has consistently held its Michelin stars since 2017. It’s also been a regular on the Taste of Seoul Top 100 list since 2021—a prestigious guide for the city's best restaurants.
Below is an eye-opening look at Seoul’s food culture—far beyond the lists you’ll find online. Jun reveals the Seoul only a chef knows: late-night kimchi soup, seafood straight from the market to your table, the city’s most inventive bar, and shops redefining chocolate, perfume, and donuts. It’s a side of the city few outsiders ever experience. A Google Map with all the locations is included at the end of the article.