
Top chefs showcase their cuisine in Seoul next month ahead of Best Restaurant Awards
Renowned overseas chefs to collaborate with Seoul restaurants March 22-26
Top chefs of Asia will be serving up new flavors in Seoul next month.
Fifty Best Signature Sessions, a special dining experience featuring collaborations between top chefs and Seoul restaurants, will run March 22 to 26 at restaurants throughout Seoul as a celebratory event ahead of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Awards.
Reservations for Fifty Best Signature Sessions opened on restaurant reservation app Catchtable, Thursday.
For those gravitating toward fusion, try exploring the taste of Macao and Seoul. Chef Tam Kwok Fung of Macanese fine dining restaurant Chef Tam's Seasons will team up with chef Min Kyung-hwan from Born & Bred in Seongdong-gu for dinner priced at 500,000 won ($349) on March 22.
Coming all the way from Chile, chef Rodolfo Guzman, who runs Borago, will team up with local one-star Michelin Evett, headed by Australian chef Joseph Lidgerwood, on March 23, to offer Asian and Latin American flavors. The fusion dinner is priced at 350,000 won.
On the same day, a dinner course priced at 750,000 won will be prepared by the chefs of two Michelin two-star restaurants in Seoul, Mingles and Alla Prima, and chefs from Hong Kong's The Chairman and Bangkok's Sorn at Mingles.
Freshly crowned Asia's Best Female Chef 2025, Chudaree Tam Debhakam will bring her culinary expertise to Seoul, collaborating with chefs Kim Hee-eun and Yoon Dae-hyun of Soul. The three chefs will showcase a Korean and Thai-style lunch menu on March 24, priced at 350,000 won.
Teppan, a teppanyaki restaurant at Grand Hyatt Seoul, will also serve dinner on March 26, but further information has yet to be announced.
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Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Korea Herald
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Korea Herald
03-06-2025
- Korea Herald
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Korea National Opera, dedicated to introduce 21st-century works, promises vibrant fusion of global, local talent 'L'Amour Des Trois Oranges,' or 'The Love for Three Oranges,' a satirical opera by Ukrainian-born composer Sergei Prokofiev, will get its first full-scale production in Korea more than a century after its 1921 premiere in Chicago. Adapted from an 18th-century play by Carlo Gozzi, the opera blends absurdist comedy, fairy-tale fantasy and biting political satire. A melancholic prince, cursed by the witch Fata Morgana to fall in love with three oranges, embarks on a surreal quest to find these magical fruits. When he opens them, each orange reveals a princess. Two die of thirst; the third, Princess Ninette, survives. After magical and political mishaps — including a case of mistaken identity and a kidnapping — Ninette and the prince are finally reunited. 'We chose this piece to bring joy to opera lovers, rather than presenting something overly serious or weighty. At the same time, we are committed to introducing 21st-century operas to broaden the repertoire,' said Choi Sang-ho, artistic and general director of the Korea National Opera, at a press conference Monday at the Seoul Arts Center. 'Though its fairy-tale structure and satirical humor may initially feel unfamiliar, audiences will quickly be drawn in by its unique charm,' he added. The upcoming Korea National Opera production promises a vibrant fusion of global and local talent, featuring an international creative team, rising Korean vocalists on the international stage and the national opera company's own soloists, as well as American mezzo-soprano Karis Tucker in the role of Princess Clarice. Originally written in French, the opera has previously been performed in Russian, German and English. However, the Korean production will remain in French, partly to accommodate the cast's familiarity with the language. Returning to the podium is Felix Krieger, who led the opera company's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' last year. He will conduct the Korean National Symphony Orchestra. 'In Prokofiev's imaginative world, the music draws from many different musical languages,' said Krieger. 'It weaves together elements of traditional classical music, modernist experimentation and both poetic and grotesque qualities.' Stage director Lorenzo Fioroni, known for productions at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, Staatsoper Berlin and Luzerner Theater, brings his imaginative vision to this surreal opera under the theme of "a theatrical machine that tells fairy tales for adults" in tandem with set designer Paul Zoller and costume designer Katharina Gault. Fioroni reimagines the prince's quest for three magical oranges as a fantastical road trip, incorporating video footage shot on location on Korean urban streets. 'Korean streets have a surreal, fairy-tale quality that perfectly suits the opera's world,' Fioroni said, adding that he and Zoller have created a highly visual production that integrates fantasy elements with complex technical effects. The cast features two alternating ensembles. On June 26 and 28, bass Choi Woong-jo will perform as Le Roi de Trefles, with tenor Kim Young-woo as the prince. On June 27 and 29, the roles will be performed by bass Kim Il-hoon and tenor Shin Hyun-sik, respectively. 'L'Amour Des Trois Oranges' will be staged June 26 to 29 at the Opera Theatre of the Seoul Arts Center. The performance on June 28 will be livestreamed via Naver TV. Ticket prices range from 20,000 won to 150,000 won.


Korea Herald
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- Korea Herald
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