Nangpoonbopsang, a restaurant that continues the tradition of Jeju food culture, was selected as one of the best traditional restaurants in Asia.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants announced its “The Essence of Asia” list through its website on March 16th. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is an organization that has been selecting renowned restaurants from around the world since 2002. It is headquartered in Crawley Borough, UK.
The Essence of Asia is a list of famous restaurants distributed in 49 cities and 20 countries in Asia. The list is determined based on the names from last and this year’s “Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants,” which has been compiled for the ninth year by World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and recommendations from local gourmets and the executives of 50 Best’s Academy, which has 1,000 professional members in the food industry around the world.
The evaluation criteria were defined as “places that honor culinary traditions, revive indigenous cuisines or rediscover centuries-old recipes, as well as many that play a key role supporting and connecting their communities,” considering values beyond their fame.
Out of the total of 77 restaurants listed in the Essence of Asia, four were selected from Korea. Of these, three are located in Seoul, and only Nangpoonbopsang made it as a non-metropolitan Seoul restaurant.
The Essence of Asia raved about the restaurant as follows: “When eating on Jeju island, seafood reigns supreme – and has done for centuries. Chef Kim Ji-soon, at the helm in the Nangpoonbopsang kitchen, has been selected as the island’s local food master and culinary educator, so you know you’re in good hands here. Almost all of the ingredients used in his flavor-packed traditional dishes come from the island itself, from succulent pork to red pepper powder, bringing true local flavor to every plate. After your multi-course meal, head upstairs, where cookies and tea will be sure you leave with a big smile on your face.”
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Nangpoonbopsang is a local restaurant that presents the prototype of Jeju cuisine while reinterpreting it to the preferences of modern people. Jeju’s local cuisine master No. 1 Kim Ji-sun and her son chef Yang Yong-jin are running it together. As the president of the Jeju Local Cuisine Preservation Research Institute and the Jeju branch of Slow Food Korea, Yang has worked hard to list Jeju cuisine in the organization’s “Ark of Taste.” Ark of Taste is an international slow food project to preserve traditional food and culture. |