Jungsik ***
- Kira Jabri
- May 1
- 2 min read
In our effort to visit all of the current three-star restaurants, Jungsik was one of the final two on our list. Three-star Korean cuisine feels like a meaningful addition to any culinary passport, and from the moment we arrived, it was clear this experience fully earns its place. This was fine dining at its most elegant refined, intentional, and effortlessly luxurious. A beautifully composed experience that ranks among our most memorable meals in recent memory.
What we might typically refer to as snacks or amuse-bouches, we came to understand as banchan, a foundational element of Korean cuisine. It was a beautiful and delicious introduction to the meal.
The yellowtail kimbap stood out immediately. Presented with tweezers, allowing you to place the fish over the kimbap yourself, it was both interactive and refined. Definitely a dish that we will remember for a long time, and hope to enjoy again.
We’ve learned to be selective with online reviews, particularly those that miss the nuance of a restaurant like this. For anyone questioning a “wow factor,” it may simply be a matter of understanding where to look. At Jungsik, the impact isn’t loud, it’s controlled, intentional, and deeply executed. The kind of experience that builds course by course rather than relying on a single moment.
We opted for the elevated wine pairing (as we often do when there’s even a hint of Château d'Yquem on the horizon), and it delivered. These were wines that felt rare not just in selection, but in context knowing you may not encounter them again in quite the same way adds to the experience. One descriptor that caught our attention was “energetic,” used for an Emidio Pepe Pecorino. Not a term we hear often, but one that made sense once we were able to experience the wine and a profile we be thinking about for some time.
Service was engaging without ever feeling overdone. Present, knowledgeable, and aligned with the pacing of the evening. Jungsik has firmly earned a place in our three-star rotation.
