Korean Fine Dining in Gangnam | Cuisine.K Belong Review

Quick Answer: Belong by Cuisine.K Project is a Korean fine-dining pop-up in Gangnam, Seoul, for travelers seeking an intimate seasonal dinner with English explanations. Chef Shin Yong-woo presents a 10-course menu for up to six guests, taking around two to two and a half hours. The restaurant is about a seven-minute walk from Seolleung Station Exit 1. Beverage pairings are optional: you can book the dinner course alone or add tea, traditional Korean liquor, or wine pairings.

Last updated: October 2026

In Korea, the dining table changes with the seasons!

One of the highlights of Korean food culture is enjoying ingredients at their best in each season. For a seasonal Korean dinner in Gangnam, Cuisine.K Project's Belong pop-up serves a 10-course menu for up to six guests, with English explanations of the dishes.

Belong, the 10th pop-up restaurant by Cuisine.K Project, is the centerpiece of this project. It is operated by CJ CheilJedang, one of Korea's leading food companies.

Cuisine.K Project supports Korean chefs and explores new possibilities for Korean dining by presenting pop-ups featuring a variety of chefs and themes.

This Cuisine.K Project (Belong) pop-up marks the return of Chef Shin Yong-woo, who received acclaim while running the Cuisine.K Season 3 pop-up and has since gained experience at Michelin-starred restaurants overseas. It will operate for only about six months and welcomes up to six guests per day.

Here, you can experience a 10-course menu that explores Korea's seasonal ingredients and food culture through aroma and progression.

I visited to try all 10 courses. Here is what the experience was like.

👇 Click below to see more about operating hours, how to make a reservation, the refund policy, and important information! 👇

Why choose Belong for Korean fine dining in Gangnam?

Belong serves 10 seasonal Korean courses in an intimate setting for up to six guests, with English explanations from the chef.

• Belong is the 10th pop-up by CJ CheilJedang's Cuisine.K Project, and this exclusive dining experience is available for approximately six months only.
• Chef Shin Yong-woo, who gained experience at Michelin-starred restaurants overseas, presents Korea's seasonal ingredients and food culture across 10 courses.
• You can experience familiar Korean dishes and food culture, including sujebi, agwijjim, banchan, hwachae, and patjuk, reimagined in a fresh new format.
• With a maximum of just six guests per seating, you can enjoy a relaxed meal in a space reminiscent of a small tea room.
• The chef explains the menu and ingredients in English, allowing international guests who are unfamiliar with Korean food to understand and enjoy each course.
• For anniversary visits, services such as lettering may be available upon advance request, subject to what can be accommodated. Corkage service is also available.
• Cuisine.K Project has an overall rating of 4.9 on Catchtable, one of Korea's leading restaurant reservation platforms. I recommend it if you are looking for a distinctive Korean dining experience in Seoul.

What is the dining space like at Belong?

Belong is an intimate space for up to six guests, with low lighting focused on the tables and the chef finishing each dish in front of you.

Cuisine.K Project is a comfortable, understated space that brings to mind a small tea room.

When service begins, the overall lighting is dimmed and focused on the tables, naturally drawing your attention to the food.

Ambient music, carefully placed objects, and lighting throughout the space create a relaxing atmosphere where you can pause and unwind between courses.

The meal lasts approximately two to two and a half hours, giving you time to savor each dish rather than rushing to the next course.

With a maximum of just six guests, the chef and diners are close to one another. You can naturally experience the process of each dish coming together as the chef adds the sauce and finishes the plating right in front of you. Being able to watch the dish come to life right up until the moment it is placed on the table is one of the charms of Cuisine.K Project (Belong).

What is the Gaehwa 10-course menu?

Gaehwa means “Blooming” and is a 10-course dinner exploring Korea’s seasonal ingredients, aromas, and food traditions.

The dinner course I tried was called 'Gaehwa (Blooming)'.

Meaning "flowers in bloom," Gaehwa draws inspiration from the concept of blooming, with the first dish designed to focus on its aromas.

The 10-course menu features a variety of Korean foods and culinary traditions, from seasonal fish and Korean mushrooms to sujebi, agwijjim, banchan, hwachae, and red bean porridge.

Following the course and discovering how Korea's seasons are connected to its food is one of the unique pleasures of dining at Belong.

What is served in the Yuzu Jar course?

Yuzu Jar combines scallop, Jeju Island radish, and yuzu in an aromatic first bite.

Scallop · Jeju Island radish · yuzu

This is the first dish, marking the beginning of "Gaehwa."

Made with scallop, Jeju Island radish, and yuzu, this dish is designed to immerse you in its aromas from the very first bite. Centered around the fragrance of yuzu, it opens the course with an introduction to the flavors that follow.

What is Belong’s mulhoe like?

Belong’s mulhoe pairs winter horse mackerel with cucumber and ginger.

Horse mackerel · Cucumber · Ginger

Mulhoe is a Korean dish made with raw fish and vegetables.

At Cuisine.K Project (Belong), winter horse mackerel is paired with cucumber and ginger to create Belong's own take on mulhoe.

In Korea, even when using the same type of fish, the season when it tastes best is considered especially important. By using horse mackerel at its seasonal peak, this course offers a natural way to experience the meaning of "in season."

The chef personally puts the finishing touches on each course in front of you, so you can watch the dish come together up close.

In addition, the chef explains the story behind each dish, as well as its ingredients and flavors, in English with every course. These English explanations help international guests follow each course.

What is yam tarak?

Yam tarak is a cold yam dish served with sea urchin roe and walnut sauce.

Sea Urchin · Yam · Walnuts

This dish features cold tarak made with yam, served with sea urchin roe and walnut sauce. The yam, a popular ingredient in Korean cuisine, is paired with the contrasting flavors of sea urchin roe and walnuts to create a harmonious course.

Walnut oil was drizzled over the dish tableside, bringing out its rich flavors even more.

The sea urchin roe was smooth and creamy, with a subtle hint of the sea, and paired wonderfully with the savory walnut sauce.

How are seasonal mushrooms served?

Several varieties of seasonal Korean mushrooms and ginkgo nuts are presented in three layers.

Korean Mushrooms · Ginkgo Nuts

This dish features a variety of seasonal Korean mushrooms and ginkgo nuts.

Rather than using just one type of mushroom, several varieties are presented in three distinct layers.

The course showcases several varieties of seasonal Korean mushrooms.

How does Belong reinterpret hand-torn sujebi?

Hand-torn sujebi and rolled shrimp dumplings are served with a spinach sauce.

Spinach · Large Shrimp · Green Onion

Sujebi is a familiar Korean dish made by tearing pieces of wheat flour dough by hand and adding them to broth.

At Cuisine.K Project (Belong), sujebi is served with rolled shrimp dumplings (gullim-mandu), accompanied by a sauce made with spinach grown in the sea breeze.

It was fun to compare how sujebi, a comforting everyday meal enjoyed in Korea, is reimagined as part of a fine-dining course.

Watching the chef carefully plate each element felt like watching a work of art take shape.

The chewy sujebi and tender rolled shrimp dumplings (gullim-mandu) paired beautifully with the spinach sauce.

We dipped the bread served alongside into the remaining sauce, which allowed us to enjoy its rich flavor even more.

What is in the steamed monkfish course?

The dish combines monkfish, monkfish liver, and shishito peppers with doenjang hollandaise and warm monkfish broth.

Monkfish · Monkfish Liver · Shishito Peppers

Agwijjim (steamed monkfish) is one of Korea's most iconic dishes made with monkfish.

At Cuisine.K Project (Belong), monkfish, monkfish liver, and shishito peppers are steamed and served with doenjang hollandaise and warm monkfish broth.

Doenjang, a staple ingredient often used in Korean cuisine, is paired with hollandaise sauce to create a unique take on agwijjim (steamed monkfish) that is quite different from the familiar version.

It was also impressive to see it served in a small bowl resembling a teacup.

The tender monkfish, savory doenjang hollandaise, and warm broth came together to create a wonderfully deep flavor.

How is the straw-fire-grilled duck served?

Duck coated in gochujang and dried for two weeks is served with three types of banchan, or Korean side dishes.

Duck · Gochujang · Side Dishes

This course also introduces you to Korea's banchan culture, an important part of understanding the Korean dining table.

The duck is coated in gochujang and dried for two weeks, then served with three types of side dishes. The restaurant also introduces this dish as a course that showcases Korea's banchan culture.

In Korea, a meal often consists of one main dish accompanied by a variety of side dishes, rather than just a single main dish.

For international travelers, this menu offers the chance not only to taste the food, but also to experience how a typical Korean meal is composed.

What is hwachae at Belong?

Belong’s hwachae is a fragrant dessert made with Jeju citrus, farm herbs, and jasmine tea.

Jeju Island citrus · Farm herbs · Jasmine tea

Hwachae follows the main course.

Hwachae is a Korean dessert made with fruit and other ingredients.

This fragrant dessert is made using a variety of Jeju Island citrus fruits, farm herbs, and jasmine tea.

What is white adzuki bean porridge?

The dessert reinterprets patjuk using Huinnarae-pat, a white adzuki bean, and sogokju, a traditional Korean liquor.

Huinnarae-pat · Sogokju

Red bean porridge is a dish especially enjoyed in Korea during the winter.

Using Huinnarae-pat, a white variety of adzuki bean, and Sogokju, a traditional Korean liquor, the chef has reimagined patjuk, a classic Korean winter treat, as a dessert.

How does the Fruit Basket course finish the meal?

Seasonal fruit soaked in champagne syrup provides a refreshing end to the 10-course dinner.

Seasonal Fruit

The 10-course meal ends with seasonal fruit.

Seasonal fruit soaked in champagne syrup provides a refreshing finish to the meal.

Are beverage pairings required at Belong?

No. Beverage pairings and individual drink orders are optional; you can enjoy the dinner course on its own.

At Cuisine.K Project (Belong), beverage pairings are optional, and you can enjoy the dinner course on its own.

You can choose from Tea Pairing, centered around tea, Full Pairing, which combines traditional Korean liquor and wine, or Half Pairing, selected to complement the main courses.

Tea Pairing is offered in collaboration with SANSUWHA Tea House, while Full Pairing consists of traditional Korean liquor and wine. Half Pairing is curated by a sommelier from a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Since Cuisine.K Project (Belong) places great importance on the aromas and flow of the course, be sure to notice how each drink complements and carries the flavors of the dishes.

Can English-speaking guests enjoy the meal?

Yes. The chef explains each course, its ingredients, and its flavors in English.

If this is your first Korean fine dining experience, you may come across unfamiliar names such as sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup), sogokju (traditional Korean rice wine), and banchan (side dishes).

At Cuisine.K Project (Belong), the chef explains the menu and ingredients in English, so you can understand each dish and fully enjoy the course.

We especially recommend it for those who want to take their Korean food experience one step further during their trip, learning not only what they are eating, but also why these ingredients were chosen and how the dishes are traditionally enjoyed in Korea.

Is Belong suitable for an anniversary dinner?

Yes. The calm, six-guest setting suits an intimate celebration, and custom lettering may be available when requested in advance.

Cuisine.K Project (Belong) offers a calm, intimate atmosphere with a maximum of six guests per seating, making it a great choice for couples and anniversary dinners.

If you mention it in advance when making your reservation, anniversary services such as custom lettering may be available, subject to what the restaurant can accommodate.

Corkage is also available, so you can enjoy a special bottle you have prepared for the occasion.

If you are looking for a memorable dinner in Seoul, such as a birthday or anniversary meal during your trip, be sure to mention it when making your reservation.

How do you get to Cuisine.K Project Belong?

Walk about seven minutes from Seolleung Station Exit 1; the photos below show the route.

Take Exit 1 of Seolleung Station. It takes about 7 minutes to walk to Cuisine.K Project (Belong).

Go straight.

Turn right at the alley.

Go straight.

Turn left.

Go straight.

You've arrived at Cuisine.K Project!

What should you know before booking Belong?

Reserve at least two days ahead for the 6:30 p.m. dinner, bring your passport or foreign registration card, and allow two to two and a half hours; pairings are optional.

How much does the dinner course cost?

The dinner course costs 170,000 won per person, paid in advance when booking. Beverage pairings are separate and optional. The meal includes 10 courses exploring seasonal Korean ingredients, from seafood and sujebi to duck and desserts, rather than a choice of individual main dishes.

Do I have to order a beverage pairing?

No. You can have the dinner course without a pairing or any individual drink order. Optional choices include Tea Pairing, Full Pairing, and Half Pairing. Pairings can be requested in advance without an advance pairing payment; the pairing charge is paid at the restaurant.

How long should I allow for dinner?

Allow around two to two and a half hours for the meal. Dinner starts together at 6:30 p.m., with up to six guests. Arriving more than 15 minutes late can limit the courses or pairing service you receive, so leave enough time for the walk from the station.

Is English available during the meal?

Yes. English service is available, and the chef explains the ingredients, flavors, and story behind each course in English. This makes dishes such as sujebi, banchan, and patjuk easier to follow if you are new to Korean food, while watching the finishing touches adds context to the explanations.

When should I book, and what should I bring?

Book at least two days before your visit and bring your passport or foreign registration card. Dinner operates Tuesday through Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are confirmed within one to two business days after payment, and you should show your reservation details and identification when you arrive.

Can the restaurant accommodate dietary restrictions?

Mention allergies, ingredients you cannot eat, and religious dietary restrictions when booking; accommodation is possible only within the restaurant’s capabilities. The menu described here includes seafood, nuts, duck, and ingredients such as sogokju and champagne syrup. Seasonal ingredients and availability can also affect the course composition.

For the latest menu, availability, and booking conditions, see the Cuisine.K Project reservation card above.