Restaurant Solbam

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where Pine Trees and Moonlight Meet the Plate

The name Solbam translates to the pine-forested hometown of Chef-Owner Tae-Jun Eom, and that sense of personal rootedness runs through everything the restaurant does. "Through deep insights into Korea's nature and ingredients," the team writes, "Solbam presents Neo-Classic Korean Cuisine, a reimagining of time-honored traditions with a new perspective." That phrase is not marketing shorthand — it describes exactly what arrives at the table in Gangnam's Hakdong-ro.

Chef Tae-Jun Eom and His Team

At the center of Solbam is Chef-Owner Tae-Jun Eom, supported by Head Sommelier Yeonggil Choi and Junior Sommelier Seohwa Song — a front-of-house structure that reflects how seriously the restaurant takes its beverage program. Wine Spectator recognized that commitment with its Best of Award of Excellence for 2025, a distinction that speaks to both the depth of the cellar and the precision of pairing. Solbam has also been welcomed into the Dom Pérignon Society, a global chef community of the Champagne house, further underscoring the restaurant's standing in fine dining circles.

The Menu: Korean Ingredients, Classical Discipline

The tasting menu — called "Solbam's Drawing Room" — reads as a study in seasonal Korean produce handled with French-influenced technique. Courses move from Horse Mackerel, Pork Belly and Chicken Liver through Caviar with Asparagus and Calamari, then on to Abalone with Sea Urchin and Barley, and Hanwoo beef paired with Baek-hwa-go mushroom and Red Swiss Chard. Desserts lean into distinctly Korean flavors: fermented soybean paste (Doen-jang), soy sauce (Gan-jang) and vanilla appear together, as do Cham-oe melon, red bean and green citrus. Each course is framed by the season — spring's vitality, summer's heat — making the menu a living document rather than a fixed list.

The beverage pairing evolves alongside the food, and the restaurant's collaboration with Bang & Olufsen on "THE SOUND TABLE" — a dining experience where curated audio became part of the course — shows how broadly Solbam defines the idea of a meal.

Atmosphere and Ethos

Solbam describes a meal as something that should "linger in memory," and the team structures the evening accordingly. Smart casual dress is the recommendation; the space accommodates private parties and outdoor seating alongside the main dining room. The kitchen has also run a K-Stage mentorship program in partnership with CJ CheilJedang, bringing young chefs into the fine dining environment — a signal that the restaurant thinks beyond its own four walls.

Now in its fourth year, Solbam has built a reputation that extends to collaborative dinners abroad, including a guest appearance at Michelin-starred Au Jardin in Penang. The Korean-French approach that defines the restaurant travels well — and the recognition it has earned at home in Seoul is increasingly echoed internationally.