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French palate takes to Busan flavors
Mayor Park and Michelin officials announce Michelin Guide Busan.
The famed, red-covered bible of gastronomy gets a new edition as Busan Metropolitan City becomes the latest Michelin Guide city. Busan is the second city in Korea, after Seoul in 2016, to feed the French company's team of anonymous inspectors.
The company held a press conference on June 1 at the Park Hyatt in Haeundae-gu district. Company officials and Busan City leaders were on hand to announce the arrival of the Michelin Guide in Busan.
Speaking on Busan as a culinary destination, Gwendal Poullennec, the international head of the Michelin Guides, stated: "We are thrilled to welcome Busan to the Michelin Guide family. Busan has a charm of its own, with a natural marine environment and smooth supply of food ingredients through its famous port. It is definitely a city with high expectations for growth as a gourmet city. We are grateful to put the spotlight on Busan's gourmet culture and we hope it will be a great opportunity to promote the culinary landscape of Korea to the world together with Seoul."
With Busan added to the Michelin list, the company's famously mysterious eaters will recognize the best culinary talents and restaurants citywide. Inspectors evaluate the restaurants by the Michelin Star rating system; One Star for a very good restaurant in its category; Two Stars for restaurants with excellent cooking and worth a detour; Three Stars for restaurants that offer exceptional cuisine and are worth a special journey.
Each restaurant is assessed using the Michelin Guide's traditional and universal methodology, based on five criteria: The quality of the ingredients; the mastery of cooking; the harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef through the cuisine; and the consistency both over time and across the entire menu.
When the Busan guide is published in February 2024, the city will officially be recognized as a global gourmet destination, adding to the list of reasons why Busan is the best candidate to host the 2030 World Expo.
Cafe de Busan served as a promotion site in Paris.
Taste of Busan in Paris
The fifth edition of Taste Korea! is currently open in Paris. The Korean Cultural Center in the French capital offers visitors an interactive experience in the history, food, culture, arts and tourism of Korea.
In support of Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, this year's event is Busan-focused. The city's gourmet specialties, cultural performances and history are being introduced to the French public. The goal is to raise awareness of Busan and foster an atmosphere of support for its Expo bid in Paris, where the Bureau International des Expositions, the governing body of World Expos, is based.
During a special event on May 30, more than 500 people, including cultural figures, journalists and social media influencers, dined in "pojangmacha," or street-food tents found throughout Korea. Participants sampled Busan specialties such as "Dongnae pajeon," or scallion pancakes, "eomuktang," or fish cake soup, and "ssiat hotteok," or pancakes filled with honey, nuts and seeds. Taste Korea! Busan Special is open until Sept. 16.
Busan street food is on hand at Taste Korea!
Paris pop-up Busan Cafe is inspired by Mildawon, a famous teahouse frequented by intellectuals during the Korean War.