Fine dining courses, desserts served up at Seoul's Korea House this summer

Cultural complex Korea House in Jung District, central Seoul, is serving up a renewed fine dining course infusing local summer delicacies through Aug. 31.

Dishes from the renewed summer menu at the Korea House in Jung District, central Seoul [KOREA HERITAGE AGENCY]

Cultural complex Korea House in Jung District, central Seoul, is serving up a renewed fine dining course infusing local summer delicacies through Aug. 31.

Its signature dinner course (250,000 won or $180) includes 11 dishes, including dessert. Appetizers are braised butterbur with seafood, deep-fried eggplant with soy sauce, stuffed summer squash with shrimp and lotus roots and noodles in cold bean soup. The main dishes are cold-sliced abalone with spicy sauce, steamed stuffed bamboo shoots, grilled croaker, royal hot pot and grilled braised beef with a side of ginseng chicken soup.

The lunch course (150,000 won) runs from noon to 3 p.m., and dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Shorter courses for lunch (88,000 won and 100,000 won) and dinner (200,000 won) are available as well.

Cultural complex Korea House in Jung District, central Seoul [KOREA HERITAGE AGENCY]

Korea House is a historical government building founded in 1957 that has since been transformed into a cultural complex run by the Korea Heritage Agency (KHA). Its fine dining restaurant within the complex focuses on traditional court cuisine, with dishes helmed by the establishment's culinary adviser Cho Hee-sook, veteran chef and winner of Asia's 50 Best's Top Female Chef Award in 2020, and Kim Do-seop, certified trainee of national intangible cultural heritage royal cuisine and the head of the KHA's Korean Food Research Team.

Kohojae dessert set at the Korea House [KOREA HERITAGE AGENCY]

The cultural complex is also offering a slew of traditional desserts inside one of its hanok (traditional house), separate from the fine dining course. Running through Aug. 31, Kohojae dishes are available both as a course (25,000 won) or a la carte. Dishes include tteok (rice cake), gangjeong (deep-fried rice puff), bingsu (shaved ice) and Korean tea. Three 120-minute sessions are open for up to 24 groups each day. Operating days differ by month.

More information and reservations for Korea House's fine dining course and the Kohojae dessert set can be found on CatchTable Globalor by calling (02) 2266-9101.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]