Celebration of International Chefs, Seoul Food Festival Starts April 28

Scenes of last year’s Seoul Food Festival (Credit: TV Chosun)

Top chefs from around the world will gather with international cuisine at this year’s Seoul Food Festival. Held from April 28 to May 5, events will take place at locations throughout the nation, including tourist attractions, top hotels and restaurants in Seoul, as well as Busan and Jeju. Visitors will be able to taste outstanding foods made by top chefs from Korea, France, Belgium, Italy and more countries. The dishes available will vary by each festival venue.

The 2017 Seoul Food Festival is largely divided into three types of events: luxurious banquet gatherings at top hotels, grand outdoor picnic events with over 50,000 participants, and cooking shows from Michelin Star chefs. The festival kicks off April 28 on Jeju Island with the opening event “Tasty Jeju.” The event will combine the world’s best chefs with traditional recipes from Jeju for brand-new fusion dishes.

From May 3, the festival will move to the mainland, with four categories of dinner shows (Grand Star Dinner, Grand Gala Dinner, Solo Dinner, Fourhands Dinner) taking place at famous hotels in Seoul and Busan. These dinners will provide a unique experience to enjoy course meals prepared by teams of Korean and international chefs. In particular, the solo dinners taking place May 3-4 are a chance for diners to try signature dishes from Michelin starred restaurants across the globe.

Michelin star chefs will present their recipes and cooking know-how in Master Class and similar events. This will be a special training opportunity for people in the food industry as well as junior chefs looking forward to their own bright future.

On May 5, the festival will wrap up with the large Picnic on the Bridge taking place in Banpo Hangang Park. This grand-scale outdoor event will feature food trucks as well as cuisine from fancy restaurants. The area is divided into Chef Zone, Food Truck Zone, Wine Zone, and Korean Masters Zone, making it easier for people to find food according to their interests. Additional events include performances by idol groups U-KISS and Laboum, as well as cooking classes and other experience activities for citizens to enjoy.

More information on the festival and various events can be found through Seoul Food Festival’s official website.

2017 Seoul Food Festival

☞ Event period & venue
- Outdoor Festival (Picnic on The Bridge): May 5, 2017 / Banpogyo Bridge (Area of Banpo Hangang Park)
☞ Directions (Banpo Hangang Park): Gubanpo Station (Seoul Subway Line 9), Exit 3 -> Cross the street and continue approx. 10min (630m) to Banpo Hangang Park
☞ Seoul Food Festival website: www.seoulfoodfest.co.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
☞ 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

*Information courtesy of TV Chosun