More than a decade after opening, Mingles restaurant in Seoul has been elevated to three-Michelin-star status in the Michelin Guide Seoul & Busan 2025.
It earned a second star the following year, which it has held until its elevation in the latest guide. In 2019, the restaurant relocated from Cheongdam to its current address in the South Korean capital’s moneyed Gangnam district.
“It’s still hard to believe that something I’ve always wished for and imagined is actually happening,” Kang says in an emotional video produced by the Michelin Guide Asia in which the chef is informed his restaurant has earned its third star via a video call with the guide’s international director, Gwendal Poullennec.
“I’ll keep working hard, challenging myself, and pushing to make sure this restaurant is one I can be truly proud of,” Kang adds.