If you’re looking to splurge, Seoul has you covered with Michelin-starred restaurants like Mosu, Jungsik, and Mingles—all of which artfully present contemporary cuisine through a Korean lens. For a sweet treat like no other, drop by one of Nudake’s locations. The boundary-pushing dessert concept by hip eyewear brand Gentle Monster bakes up whimsical creations like Birth, a snow-white layer cake topped with edible egg-shaped candles, and Fog, a black-white ombre cake layered with cheddar-cheese cream and black-olive bits in a gallery-like setting.

Mosu has consistently wowed diners with its exceptional service. Mosu's staff, including sommelier Lee Chae Mi, devote a lot of time and attention to planning and executing every aspect of the service, to leave a lasting impression on their guests.

Mosu is a renowned two-Michelin-star restaurant that relocated from San Francisco to the north side of the Cheonggyecheon River in Seoul. Head chef Sung Anh draws inspiration from his grandmother's traditional North Korean and Japanese cooking style, infusing modern techniques to create innovative dishes that showcase the best of South Korea's seasonal produce. The menu features Anh's signature dish, Burdock bark, a dehydrated burdock root crisp coated in syrup, along with other highlights such as roasted sesame tofu in dashi, toasted acorn noodles, and turbot with fermented vegetables.

Upon bringing Mosu from San Francisco to Seoul, Chef Sung Anh sought to infuse a distinct culinary diversity into the city’s gastronomic scene. Despite the unique nature of the cuisine, Anh remains dedicated to showcasing the subtle intricacies of seasonal produce. A standout on the menu is the Burdock Bark, a signature dish featuring a meticulously prepared burdock chip, achieved through a process of coating, dehydrating, and repetition to achieve an exceptionally crisp texture.

In 2017, head chef Sung Anh decided to move his renowned two-Michelin-star restaurant, Mosu, from San Francisco to the north side of the Cheonggyecheon River to be closer to his family. Born in South Korea, Anh grew up inspired by his grandmother’s traditional North Korean and Japanese style of cooking adopted during the Japan-Korea annexation. The talented chef uses modern techniques to create original plates of food that elevate the best of South Korea’s seasonal produce.

Chefs Ahn Sung-jae of Mosu and James Park (also known as Park Moo-hyun) of Muoki both bring experience from overseas to Korea, and have each run their respective restaurants for about a year. Ahn used to run a restaurant of the same name in San Francisco, where he earned one Michelin star before moving back to Korea. Park worked at The Test Kitchen in South Africa, where he became the No. 2 chef in the kitchen after having started out at the bottom of about 20 chefs.

For a mouth-watering experience, head to Mosu, a fine dining Seoul restaurant. Serving course meals for both lunch and dinner, the food here is sure to make any foodie give it a thumbs up. The current incarnation of Mosu was brought to Seoul by Chef Ahn Sung-jae from his successful San Francisco location, where he serves cuisine with a modern twist on Korean ingredients and traditions.

MOSU Seoul is a quaint Korean-style bistro with a cute staff who aims to give topnotch hospitality. Their dishes are creative, artistic and meld many different worldwide cuisines with traditional Korean-style foods. They have eel, sea urchin, pork, abalone, tacos and a variety of vegan-friendly dishes.

What it is: Mosu is a top spot for food in Seoul, located at Itaewon-ro 55ga-gil, 45 2층. It's not just a place to eat; it's where meals become exciting experiences. Why we love it: Mosu mixes a cool and modern vibe with a cozy feel, making it the perfect place for amazing Korean food.

Chef Sung Anh of Mosu, which had first opened in San Francisco before relocating to Seoul and expanding to Hong Kong, also received the peer-voted Inedit Damm Chefs’ Choice Award in this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants accolades for his role in Korea’s gastronomic renaissance.

In 2023, four Korean restaurants—Mosu (15th), Onjium (23rd), Mingles (28th), and Born & Bred (47th)—were featured on the top 50 list; they were also featured in the “100 Taste of Seoul” rankings shortlisted by the city for four consecutive years.

Mosu was initially located in San Francisco before Chef Anh decided to move back to Korea. Both Mosu incarnations were awarded Michelin stars. It is worth a visit to witness and experience Chef Anh’s precise techniques.

Retaining its 2 Michelin stars for the Michelin Guide Seoul 2022, Jungsik is one of the 7 restaurants in Seoul to have 2 stars, alongside restaurants like Mingles, Kwonsooksoo, and Mosu.

Two restaurants -- Mosu and L'Impression -- were newly added to the latest edition ranked at two stars each, joining five others such as Mingles and All Prima, it said.

Chef Anh Sung, first opened in San Francisco, a little more than a year after its opening Chef decided to move back to Korea and opened Mosu in Itaewon, Seoul.