A premium modern Japanese restaurant at Four Seaons Hotel in Seoul
By Tourism Editors Lee Sam-sun, Joseph Rhee
The modern Japanese restaurant, Akira Back, at the Fours Seasons Hotel in Seoul is introducing a special autumn Gaiseki dinner course featuring the exquisite 'natural pine mushrooms.'
According to Public Relations Director Inyoung Moon at the Hotel, the Gaiseki dinner course (a high-end Japanese course meal featuring various dishes served sequentially in small portions) showcases seasonal ingredients of autumn, primarily focusing on the precious natural pine mushrooms harvested exclusively from nature. This special menu is available until November 30th.
Pine mushrooms, often referred to as an 'Autumn Treasure' due to their rich content of protein, minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, and unique flavor, are a rare ingredient collected solely from nature.
Notably, pine mushrooms are highly esteemed among edible mushrooms for their distinct aroma and taste, unlike any other mushroom. To elevate the overall taste and flavors of the course, they have incorporated rare ingredients from both land and sea, such as Hanwoo beef, sea urchin roe, caviar, tuna, and abalone.
This seven-course dinner begins with Zensai, which is a traditional Japanese appetizer comprising one-bite delicacies using four different cooking techniques. It includes dishes like sweet potato tofu with Osetra caviar, roasted scallops with matsutake mushrooms and sea urchin roe, and soft abalone cooked for four hours with a rich yolk sauce.
The meal continues with a premium sashimi platter, including Honmaguro (tuna), followed by grilled eggplant and lobster served with a special oil sauce.
The tender Hanwoo beef, grilled to enhance its natural flavors, is served with a miso sauce that includes lightly grilled pine mushrooms and yuzu, creating a delectable combination of taste and texture.
The meal features two different styles of dishes: the first is a delicate "Pine Mushroom Goto Udon" with thin and chewy udon noodles, and the second is "Crab and Salmon Roe Rice," made by mixing crab meat and salmon roe into the rice, and is available with an additional 20,000 won for caviar topping. Finally, the dining experience concludes with Akira Back's signature dessert, Harumaki, along with a choice of tea or coffee.
The 7-course dinner is priced at 250,000 KRW per person, including VAT.
Additionally, there's an extensive wine list featuring the 2019 vintage of Château La Ponchonière from France, available by the glass or bottle to perfectly complement the course. You can also choose from a variety of other options, including Japanese or domestic sake, cocktails, spirits, beer, and wine, based on your preferences.
Akira Back, the signature restaurant of the globally acclaimed star chef Akira Back, operates in various locations worldwide, with the only one in South Korea being at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. The restaurant presents a diverse menu, including signature dishes like Tuna Pizza, AB Hanwoo Taco, Matsutake Mushroom Croquette, Brother from Another Mother Roll, as well as sushi, sashimi, udon, soba, and other dishes incorporating local ingredients
(For further details, call Tourism Editor Lee Sam-sun at 010-5201-1740.)