BUSAN, South Korea’s increasingly buzzy beachside city and shipping hub, has a couple more reasons to visit, via the Michelin Guide.

On Thursday (Feb 22), the famed dining arbiter awarded stars to restaurants in its inaugural guide to Busan, South Korea’s second-biggest city. 

But despite the fanfare of the inaugural Michelin guide, only three Busan restaurants – Fiotto, Mori and Palate – received a star. Fiotto, which specialises in homemade pasta made with Korean ingredients, also received a Michelin Green star in recognition of its sustainable mentality. 

“Facing the sea – the perfect gateway to the world – Busan has demonstrated, over its long history of commerce, the ability to bring people together, be open to new ideas, and influence the world,” said Jerome Vincon, managing director of Michelin Korea, during the award ceremony at the Signiel Busan hotel. “These chefs, together with their teams – nobody could dream of better ambassadors of Busan with their generosity, creativity, courage and excellence.”

Star rankings for Seoul were also announced at the event. The city now has only one three-star restaurant, Mosu. Last year, there were two: Gaon closed earlier this year because of financial constraints, and Mosu has been temporarily closed as it goes through operational changes. 

Two new two-star restaurants also joined the list: Mitou, which features a Japanese-accented menu, and Restaurant Allen, which offers modern, seasonal cooking. Both were promoted from one star. One two-star restaurant dropped off the list: Joo Ok in the Plaza Hotel has closed in Seoul and is relocating to New York City later this year. 

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Seoul now has a total of 33 starred dining rooms, one more than last year. 

Almost eight years after publishing the inaugural Seoul guide, Busan has become South Korea’s second city with a Michelin guide. (The state-run tourism agency reportedly paid the guide 2 billion won (S$2 million), to bring it to Seoul.) The seaside city has increasingly garnered attention from travellers and foodies around the world in recent years with a wave of new hotels and ambitious restaurants. Its cultural clout exploded in the fall of 2022, when K-pop boy band BTS performed their “final concert” in the city before going on hiatus.

The inaugural guide on Thursday underscores the rising profile of Busan, which has rapidly expanded with the city’s major development projects. It’s home to the world’s biggest department store along with a 342-metre skyscraper, and a new airport, slated for 2029. 

Even during the pandemic, Michelin has continued to expand its universe by adding up-and-coming cities around the globe. Since publishing its first Asian guide, Tokyo, in 2007, Michelin has moved into over a dozen cities in the region, including Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore.

And it’s continuing its expansion worldwide: In 2024, the French tire maker plans to announce inaugural guides for Mexico. 

Although Michelin first began producing guides in 1900 for chauffeurs, it didn’t start awarding stars until 1926. Three stars mean “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”; two are given for “excellent cooking, worth a detour”; and one denotes a “very good restaurant in its category”.  

An asterisk (*) denotes a new entry.

Following are a list of Busan’s starred restaurants:

One star 

*Mori *Palate *Fiotto 

Following are a  list of Seoul’s starred restaurants

Three stars

Mosu

Two Stars

Alla Prima, Jungsik, Kojima, KwonSookSoo, La Yeon, Mingles, *Mitou, *Restaurant Allen, Soigne

One Star 

7th door, Bicena, Eatanic Garden, Evett, Exiquisine, Goryori Ken, Hane, *Haobin, Kangminchul Restaurant, Kojacha, L’Amant Secret, L’Amitie, *L’impression, Muni, Muoki, Onjium, Solbam, Soseol Hannam, Soul, Sushi Matsumoto, *Vinho, Yun, Zero Complex. BLOOMBERG