Restaurant in Seoul, South Korea
Michelin-starred Chinese worth the ₩₩₩₩ price.
Yu Yuan holds a Michelin 1 Star (2024) and is the reference point for serious Chinese dining in Seoul. Based on the 11th floor of the Four Seasons, it serves Cantonese-led cooking with regional Chinese specials, including an extensive dim sum lunch and wok-fried Hoengseong Hanwood beef. Book two to three weeks ahead: this is a hard reservation at the ₩₩₩₩ tier.
If you're looking for Michelin-recognised Chinese cooking in Seoul at the leading end of the price range, Yu Yuan at the Four Seasons is the most credible option in the city right now. The restaurant earned its Michelin 1 Star in 2024, and the combination of Cantonese-led cooking with regional Chinese specialities gives it more range than most hotel Chinese restaurants manage. That said, booking here is genuinely difficult, the price commitment is real at ₩₩₩₩, and you should go in knowing exactly what you're coming for.
Yu Yuan sits on the 11th floor of the Four Seasons Seoul, and the room carries the quiet confidence of a hotel restaurant that doesn't need to try too hard. The energy is composed rather than lively: low ambient noise, well-spaced tables, attentive service. If you've been once and found it almost too calm for a celebratory dinner, that's a fair read. It works better for a focused lunch or a dinner where conversation is the point. For a louder, more festive energy, the room won't deliver that.
The sensory register here is controlled throughout. The kitchen's display of Peking duck near the entrance sets an expectation the meal broadly meets: this is serious Chinese cooking with visible craft, not a hotel restaurant coasting on its postcode. The wok-fried Hoengseong Hanwood beef with ginger is documented as a dish worth ordering, and it's the kind of item that shows the kitchen's willingness to anchor regional Chinese technique to quality Korean ingredients. That combination is what separates Yu Yuan from generic hotel Chinese across Seoul.
Yu Yuan doesn't operate a traditional chef's counter in the open-kitchen sense, but the Peking duck cabinet visible on the way to your table functions as a kind of theatre that orients the meal before you've sat down. If you're returning after a first visit, use that signal: the duck is a reliable reference point, and so is the dim sum at lunch, which is documented as extensive and consistently popular with regulars. A second visit is a good time to move beyond the most-ordered items and test the regional Chinese specials, which vary and represent the kitchen's more interesting work.
For solo diners or pairs returning for a second visit, the bar or quieter counter-adjacent seating (where available) lets you observe the room and order more deliberately. The format rewards a methodical approach: start with dim sum if you're at lunch, anchor a dinner with the duck or the beef, and treat the regional specials as the variable worth exploring on repeat visits.
A 2024 Michelin 1 Star in Seoul's competitive dining field is not a routine credential. The city's Michelin Guide covers a dense field, and a Chinese restaurant earning recognition in a market dominated by Korean fine dining and French tasting menus is a meaningful signal. Yu Yuan holds a 4.4 Google rating across 443 reviews, which for a ₩₩₩₩ hotel restaurant reflects consistent delivery rather than occasional brilliance. That's the relevant data point for a returning guest: this is a kitchen that performs reliably, not one that hits peaks and troughs.
For context beyond Seoul, the wider category of ambitious Chinese cooking in global hotel settings is a competitive one. Restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin and Mister Jiu's in San Francisco represent different takes on Chinese cuisine with serious culinary credentials, which gives some measure of what Yu Yuan is reaching for in Seoul.
Yu Yuan is the reference point for serious Chinese dining in Seoul, but it's not the only option worth knowing. Haobin, Crystal Jade, Hong Yuan, Jin Jin, and JUE cover different price points and formats across the city. If you're building a Seoul dining itinerary beyond Chinese cuisine, our full Seoul restaurants guide covers the city's full range. For where to stay, the Seoul hotels guide includes properties across all budgets. And if you're exploring further afield in South Korea, Mori in Busan, Double T Dining in Gangneung, and Doosoogobang in Suwon are worth knowing. Our Seoul bars guide, Seoul wineries guide, and Seoul experiences guide round out the city picture. For more regional Korea options, see also Injegol in Inje County, Pool House in Incheon, and 에버리움펜션 in Cheoin.
Lunch is the stronger value proposition. The dim sum menu is extensive and well-regarded, and the midday slot at a ₩₩₩₩ hotel restaurant typically runs lower per head than dinner. Dinner makes sense if you want the full Peking duck experience or the regional Chinese specials, which tend to feature more prominently in the evening. If it's your first visit, lunch gives you the leading read on the kitchen's range at a lower commitment. If you're returning, dinner is worth the upgrade.
Book at least two to three weeks out for dinner, more if you're visiting during peak Seoul travel periods or public holidays. A Michelin-starred hotel restaurant at the ₩₩₩₩ tier in a city like Seoul fills its evening slots fast, particularly on weekends. Lunch is marginally easier to secure, but the dim sum reputation means weekend lunch is competitive too. Don't rely on walk-ins at either service.
Yes, with the right expectations. The room is quiet and service-forward, which works well for solo diners who want to eat deliberately rather than socialise. The dim sum format at lunch is well-suited to solo ordering: you can work through several dishes without the volume commitment of a shared table dinner. At ₩₩₩₩, a solo lunch here is a real spend, but it's a focused, comfortable experience rather than an awkward one.
No specific dietary restriction policy is available in our current data. Given it's a Four Seasons hotel restaurant, the standard expectation is that the kitchen can accommodate common requirements with advance notice. Contact the Four Seasons Seoul directly to confirm specific needs before booking — don't leave this to the day, especially for serious allergies. The Cantonese and regional Chinese format does mean shellfish, pork, and gluten are present throughout the menu as standard ingredients.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yu Yuan | Chinese | ₩₩₩₩ | On your way to your table, you’ll walk past a cabinet of Peking duck that’s a favorite order of many of the guests here at this handsome and comfortable Chinese restaurant at the Four Seasons hotel. While the menu leans towards Cantonese cuisine–lunchtime dim sum is always popular and the choice is extensive–the kitchen also offers specialities from a number of Chinese regions. Wok-fried Hoengseong Hanwood beef with ginger is a dish to look out for.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| 7th Door | Korean, Contemporary | ₩₩₩₩ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Solbam | Contemporary | ₩₩₩₩ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Onjium | Korean | ₩₩₩₩ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| L'Amitié | French | ₩₩₩ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Zero Complex | Korean-French, Innovative | ₩₩₩₩ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Lunch is the stronger value case. The dim sum service runs 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM daily and the selection is extensive, making it a more accessible entry point into a Michelin-starred kitchen at a lower spend than dinner. Dinner opens up the fuller regional Chinese menu, including dishes like wok-fried Hoengseong Hanwood beef, which suits those who want a more complete meal. If you're deciding between the two, lunch is better for groups; dinner is better for a focused meal around the kitchen's range.
Book at least two to three weeks out for dinner, longer for Friday and Saturday evenings. Yu Yuan operates inside the Four Seasons Seoul, which means hotel guests compete for the same tables, so availability tightens faster than standalone restaurants at this price point. Lunch slots are generally easier to secure on shorter notice, particularly mid-week.
Yes, with a caveat on format. The dim sum lunch works well solo since dishes are ordered individually rather than shared across a large spread. Dinner at the ₩₩₩₩ price range is harder to optimise alone, as many of the regional Chinese specialities are built around table sharing. The room has the quiet comfort of a Four Seasons hotel restaurant, so you won't feel conspicuous dining alone, but the menu format is designed with groups in mind.
The venue data doesn't confirm specific dietary accommodation policies, so contact the Four Seasons Seoul directly before booking if you have strict requirements. What the database does confirm is a broad menu spanning Cantonese dim sum and multiple regional Chinese styles, which typically offers more flexibility than a fixed tasting format. For a completely allergen-controlled experience at this price tier, confirming directly with the kitchen in advance is the right move.
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