New York's 'Kkot, Sugil, Jua' and Paris's 'Sambuja, Masitda' Among Newly Selected Outstanding Korean Restaurants Abroad

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute announced on the 5th that they have additionally selected five outstanding Korean restaurants located in New York and Paris.

Following the first designation in January, the newly designated overseas outstanding Korean restaurants include Cote, Soogil, and Jua in New York, and Sambuja and Ma-shi-ta in Paris, totaling five establishments.

Cote, located in New York, is a Korean-style premium meat grill restaurant that received one Michelin star from 2018 to 2023. It leads the introduction of Korean food culture by offering steamed eggs, scallion salad, and pickled vegetables made with domestic products such as soy sauce, chili, and salt, accompanied by a variety of side dishes. Sambuja in Paris is characterized by its interior that evokes Korean sentiment and its use of domestic products such as gochujang, maesil-cheong (plum syrup), and buchimgaru (Korean pancake mix) to recreate the deep flavors of Korean dishes like gukbap, sundae, and hangover soup.

The overseas outstanding Korean restaurant designation project, promoted to improve the quality of Korean food and protect consumers, focuses on 21 key evaluation criteria including suitability to Korean food culture, use of domestic ingredients, cooking qualifications, and hygiene. Designated Korean restaurants receive a certificate and benefits such as support for purchasing ingredients and tableware.

Yang Ju-pil, Food Industry Policy Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "The expectations and roles placed on outstanding Korean restaurants leading the spread of Korean food values are significant," adding, "We will continue to discover outstanding overseas Korean restaurants to enhance the competitiveness of Korean food and strengthen its global status."