Gaon (restaurant)

Fine dining restaurant in Seoul, South Korea

Gaon

Restaurant information
Established| 2003 (2003)
Closed| 2023 (indefinite hiatus)
Food type| Korean cuisine, Korean royal court cuisine
Rating|
Street address| 317 Dosan-daero, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea
Coordinates| 37°31′21″N 127°02′10″E﻿ / ﻿37.5226°N 127.0362°E﻿ / 37.5226; 127.0362

Gaon (Korean: 가온; lit. center[1]), stylized as GAON, is a fine dining restaurant in Seoul, South Korea. As of 2023[update], it is the only South Korean restaurant to receive three Michelin stars for seven years in a row,[2] from when the Michelin Guide Seoul first began to be published in 2016. In 2023, it went on an indefinite hiatus.

## Description

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The restaurant first opened in 2003.[3][4] It is operated by the Gaon Society, a dining subgroup of the Korean pottery brand Kwangjuyo Group (광주요그룹); the restaurant features pottery from the brand.[3] The restaurant closed several years later, and reopened in January 2015.[1] In late 2016, when the Michelin Guide Seoul first began to be published, the restaurant received three stars.[5]

The restaurant's head chef is Kim Byoung-jin (김병진).[2][5] Kim studied traditional Korean cuisine at Hallym Polytechnic University in his native Chuncheon, and worked as a restaurateur for nearly 20 years by 2016.[1] Kim reportedly intentionally gives his dishes mild flavors in a manner that resembles the style of his native Gangwon Province, and attempts to rely on simple condoments such as salt, soy sauce, and doenjang.[1] He reportedly acquires ingredients from the restaurant from a variety of places, including directly from farmers[5] and from Garak Market and Noryangjin Market.[1] In a 2016 interview, Kim claimed to begin each day's work around 8 a.m. in order to prepare for the restaurant's dinner service. Dinner service began at 5:30 p.m. and continued until 11 p.m.[1]

The restaurant reportedly has the concept of "a day in the life of the king", and serves elevated Korean royal court cuisine.[5][1] A meal involves a number of courses, and each are individually invented using inspirations from Korean cuisine. According to a 2016 article, there were several course menus with different options.[1]

The restaurant temporarily closed on January 1, 2023, with the stated goal of reorganizing and researching the practices of other restaurants around the world.[2] A number of newspapers claimed that the closure was possibly linked to a fine dining industry downturn in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4][6]

## See also

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* List of Michelin-starred restaurants in South Korea

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f g h Kim, Ji-soo (November 25, 2016). "Gaon to take Korean fine dining to new level". The Korea Times. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
2. ^ a b c Kim, Da-sol (January 1, 2023). "[Korean Flavors] Chef Kim Byoung-jin of Gaon believes Korean 'haute cuisine' is all about authenticity". The Korea Herald. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
3. ^ a b "Gaon (가온)". VisitKorea.or.kr. November 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
4. ^ a b 양, 범수 (December 16, 2022). [단독] 국내 유일 미쉐린 3스타 한식당 가온, 올해 끝으로 영업 종료. ChosunBiz (in Korean). Retrieved August 9, 2024.
5. ^ a b c d Lee, Julia (September 7, 2021). "An Endless Journey of Innovation: Chef Kim Byoung-jin of Gaon". Michelin Guide. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
6. ^ 가온 이어 모수도… 미쉐린 3스타 서울서 사라진다. The Seoul Economic Daily (in Korean). November 23, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

## External links

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* An Endless Journey of Innovation: Chef Kim Byoung-jin of Gaon on YouTube – Michelin Guide documentary on the restaurant

*[lit.]: literal translation