A quick look around the Google-sphere, and I don’t believe this has been posted yet–the Korean part, I mean. So maybe this is a scoop.
Here are the Top 5 Restaurants in Korea for 2010/2011, according to the Miele Guide:
1. Table 34, Grand InterContinental Seoul (My interview with Executive Chef Nick Flynn)
2. Pierre Gagnaire a Seoul, Lotte Hotel
3. Kitchen, W Seoul – Walkerhill (Featured here and here on ZenKimchi. My interview with Executive Chef Ciaran Hickey)
4. Poom Seoul
5. Jung Sik Dang (ZK Dining review)
It’s changed a lot since last year, which was this:
1. Pierre Gagnaire a Seoul, Lotte Hotel
2. Seasons, Millennium Hilton
3. Akasaka, Grand Hyatt Seoul
4. Yongsusan, Chungdam location
5. Table 34, Grand InterContinental Seoul
Even though at least two of them are primarily western cuisine restaurants, every one of the restaurants in the top five this year have featured Korean menus at one time or another, which I think is progress.
In case you’re interested, here are the Top 20 in Asia for 2010/2011:
1. Iggy’s, Singapore
2. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Hong Kong
3. Robuchon à Galera, Macau
4. Jaan, Singapore
5. Antonio’s Cavite, Phillippines
6. Mozaic, Bali, Indonesia
7. Zuma, Hong Kong, China
8. Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar, Kuala Lumpur
9. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Tokyo
10. Caprice, Hong Kong
11. Les Amis, Singapore
12. Yung Kee, Hong Kong
13. Gunther’s Modern French Cuisine, Singapore
14. Bukhara, New Delhi
15. Tippling Club, Singapore
16. Nobu, Hong Kong
17. Dum Pukht, Mumbai
18. Ku De Ta, Bali, Indonesia
19. Bo Innovation, Hong Kong
20. Beijing Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant, Beijing