Alla Prima is the creative brainchild of Chef Kim Jin‑hyuk, a Korean chef who trained in Japan before coming back to Korea, launching his own concept in 2015. His style blends international influences, not only Japanese, but also French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and a lot of his own wild creativity. The resultant tasting menus are interesting journeys into unusual combinations, surprises, and great fun.
Alla Prima earned its first Michelin star in 2017 just two years after opening, and has maintained two stars since 2019. In 2024 it ranked #51 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Chef Kim has his own touching story about the challenges that he went through during the early days of the restaurant, from dealing with thymus cancer to financial struggles.
We didn't know what to expect, but we both ended up loving the meal. Chef Kim certain has some crazy ideas, but they work. And even for seasoned diners like Bryan and me, we were often delighted and amazed at his creativity. We finished the meal both being very impressed and very pleased with the meal. Better yet, the meal wasn't nearly as expensive, perhaps because the US dollar is so strong against the Korean Won right now.
Chef's Tasting Menu
Starting Bites
On the right: Sea bream. Taro. Cherry blossom 도미. 토란. 벚잎
Raw sea bream came served with taro on the bottom and Koji inside. On top was a delicately placed cherry blossom leaf. It was a creative interpretation of "nigiri", with taro replacing the rice. This bite was light and fine, but didn't necessarily stand out.
I never would’ve thought these flavors would go together, but it’s actually really nice.
Hanwoo Steak + Seafood
Korea's coveted and most famous beef, Han woo beef, 1++ (the highest grade) came served with Korean orange marmalade and a lotus root pancake that reminded me of a Korean pancake (pajeon) topped with a thinly sliced pickled lotus root. It also came with a savory jus, though I decided I liked the beef by itself better. This was solid, but it was hard since we had just had Hanwoo beef at one of Seoul's most famous Korean BBQ places recently.
Yet another fusion dish, we enjoyed wok fired spaghetti served with Chinese chives and tomato with Japanese shimichi spice on top.
Dessert
We ended with a light and refreshing strawberry and eucalyptus foam.
We ended the meal with some simple mignardises paired with coffee or tea.
Alla Prima Seoul Korea
What a memorable meal! We were indeed often delighted and surprised at Chef's Kim's creativity. We finished the meal both being very impressed and extremely satisfied with the entire experience.
Highly Recommended!
Like most Michelin starred restaurants, you need to book in advance, using the same Catchtable app (which requires credit card deposit).
Alla Prima Seoul
1F, 13, Hakdong-ro 17-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
(1F, 42-6, Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)
reservations
