The Seoul Shilla Hotel partnered with renowned Buddhist monk Jeong Kwan to present a four-hands gala dinner featuring temple cuisine made with native Korean ingredients. The event aimed to showcase the excellence of Korea's indigenous produce.
The Seoul Shilla Hotel said Sunday that it held a four-hands gala dinner on January 24 and 25 through a collaboration between its Korean restaurant La Yeon and Jeong Kwan, a master of Buddhist temple cuisine. A four-hands gala dinner refers to a collaborative dining event between two chefs or restaurants. The event sold out on both nights.
The dinner was organized under the main concept of "From Temple Offering to Fine Dining." Jeong Kwan is a master of temple cuisine who prepares food based on the philosophy that "every process of making and sharing food is a form of spiritual practice." She is known for delivering a meditative gastronomic experience through dishes that use seasonal ingredients, follow the natural order and express gratitude toward nature.
The course was composed of four stages: △ "Emptiness," the welcome dish; △ "Ascension," the main course; △ "Transition," the balwu gongyang (traditional Buddhist communal meal); and △ "Memory," the climax of the dinner. At the end of the course, Jeong Kwan personally gifted guests with homemade soy sauce and seasoned dried radish strips.
The event was planned based on La Yeon's philosophy of discovering native ingredients and promoting their value. La Yeon partners with designated farms for key ingredients to ensure a stable supply of premium native produce. The restaurant operates a "Farm to Table" system in which hotel chefs visit farms each season to observe the cultivation process and participate in harvesting and selection during harvest periods.
La Yeon's Farm to Table system was also used to source key ingredients for this four-hands menu, including △ Guuk napa cabbage, △ perilla seeds and △ heritage rice varieties. Guuk napa cabbage is a native variety that has been grown for generations in Guuk-ri, Daejeong-eup, Jeju Island, and is known for its firm texture and crisp bite. "We plan to continue presenting new Korean fine dining experiences through collaborations that highlight diverse culinary philosophies and the value of ingredients," a Seoul Shilla Hotel official said.
