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Onjium

Seoul

Chronicling Korea’s culinary past

On the Pass

Cho Eun-hee and Park Sung-bae

An edible archive: Onjium is a restaurant, of course, but it's also an institute dedicated to preserving Korea's rich cultural heritage. Officially known as the Food Studio, its culinary branch is a little like a historic cookbook come to life; centuries-old recipes are studied, forgotten fermentation techniques are revived, and time-honoured culinary traditions are reinterpreted for the modern age. The result? A dining experience that doesn't just recreate the extraordinary dishes of Korea's past, but brings them bang up to date.

What's on the menu? Onjium's offering is as diverse as it is thought-provoking, drawing heavily on the cooking traditions of the noble classes, Joseon Dynasty royal court cuisine, indigenous seasonal ingredients and humble regional recipes from across the country. No matter the particular dish of the day, you can rest assured that it's been meticulously researched and reimagined by chefs Cho Eun-hee and Park Sung-bae and their expert kitchen team – ensuring a level of historical authenticity that's difficult to find anywhere else.

Imperial connections: What better place for a restaurant so deeply connected with the methods and motives behind Joseon royal court cookery than opposite one of the walls surrounding Gyeongbokgung Palace? Found on the fourth floor of Onjium's purpose-built HQ, the Food Studio is contemporary and minimalist, accessorised with classic Korean elements like warm timber ceilings and pale stone cladding – a setting that's every bit as considered as the dishes themselves.

While you're here: Don't miss the opportunity to complete your cultural education by exploring the institute's other floors, home to a Clothing Studio (showcasing textile exhibitions and displays of historical and contemporary hanbok) and a Housing Studio – a live workspace for architects, craftspeople and researchers lined with architectural drawings, scale models of traditional Korean houses and shelf after shelf of research books. 

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