Three chefs, one table: JW Garden Dining Series comes to BLT Steak

BLT Steak, the New York-style steakhouse at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, will host a six-hands gala dinner as part of its JW Garden Dining Series on Oct. 29. The event is a collaboration with Kwon Sooksoo, a hansik restaurant that has held two Michelin stars for 10 consecutive years since 2017.

Sponsored by Naver, the collaboration centers on a "Garden to Table" concept — tracing ingredients from garden to plate. The menu draws on herbs and seasonal produce grown in the JW Garden, blending Kwon Sooksoo's contemporary hansik approach with BLT Steak's dry-aging and grilling techniques.

The dinner brings together three chefs: Michael Park, executive chef at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul; Brad In, executive sous chef; and Kwon Woo-joong, owner-chef of Kwon Sooksoo.

The evening opens with a non-alcoholic sparkling tea co-developed by Kwon Sooksoo and Hyo House — the same product chosen as the official non-alcoholic toast at the state dinner during US President Donald Trump's visit to South Korea in 2025.

Four amuse-bouche selections, jointly conceived by BLT Steak and Kwon Sooksoo under the "Garden Essentials" concept, follow.

The courses include a matsutake mushroom and Korean beef tartare, lobster with sea urchin sauce and Prunier Beluga caviar, and nuruk-marinated duck.

A highlight is a 28-day dry-aged 1++ grade Korean beef striploin served alongside six varieties of house-made kimchi from Kwon Sooksoo. The gala dinner is limited to 40 seats, priced at 400,000 won ($296) per person for the special seven-course menu. A sommelier-curated four-wine pairing can be added for 165,000 won.

Following the gala, a four-course collaboration dinner runs from Oct. 30 through Nov. 26. The menu features a welcome amuse-bouche, matsutake mushroom and Korean beef tartare, seasonal fish with perilla sauce, a 28-day dry-aged 1++ grade Korean beef striploin with a Kwon Sooksoo kimchi platter, and a JW seasonal dessert. The price is 250,000 won per person, with a two-wine pairing available for 80,000 won.

Reservations for both the gala dinner and the four-week collaboration dinner are available exclusively through Naver Booking. Some menu items may change depending on the availability of seasonal ingredients.