[Joynews24 reporter Lee Ji-young] Chef Ahn Seong-jae has apologized after a wine mix-up at his restaurant.
On the 6th, Ahn posted to Mosu Seoul’s official social media, saying, “I sincerely apologize once again for the subpar service at my restaurant, Mosu, that disappointed our guests.”
He explained what the CCTV footage showed and added, “I received a report on April 21, two days after the incident. Even if I didn’t notice the problem during service on April 18, that’s no excuse. Looking back, our handling—from the moment the mistake occurred through our response—was not appropriate. Considering the level of service guests expect from Mosu, their disappointment was understandable.”
Ahn said the sommelier involved was asked to submit a written statement under company rules and has been removed from the sommelier role that handles guests’ wine. “As the owner-chef who accepts full responsibility for Mosu, I promise to tighten management and take thorough measures so this does not happen again,” he wrote.
The controversy began when a customer posted in an online community saying a wine-pairing mistake occurred during a visit with friends. The guest claimed a 2000 vintage should have been served, but a 2005 bottle—about 100,000 KRW (approximately $75) less—was presented instead, which sparked the backlash.
Mosu issued an earlier apology, saying, “We sincerely apologize for causing confusion by failing to provide accurate guidance during the wine-pairing and for not offering a sufficient explanation afterward, which left you greatly disappointed.”
Below is Ahn Seong-jae’s full statement.
I’m Ahn Seong-jae.
I sincerely apologize again for the inadequate service at my restaurant, Mosu, that disappointed our guests. I especially want to offer a deep apology to the customers who felt deeply let down by this incident.
Everything that happened at Mosu is my responsibility. However, because misunderstandings that don’t reflect the facts seem to be spreading, I feel it’s my duty to explain in detail how this occurred.
Here is what we confirmed via internal CCTV about staff movement and wine service on April 18. Please bear with me—the explanation is a bit long.
The table had four guests. Of the two wine-pairing options, one guest ordered the seven-glass pairing and three guests ordered the four-glass pairing. The wines paired with the hanwoo course were different: the seven-glass pairing should have included Domaine du Collier, La Charpentrie Rouge 2014, while the four-glass pairing was supposed to include Chateau Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien 2000.
However, the sommelier assigned to the table mistakenly served Chateau Leoville Barton 2005 instead of the 2000 vintage and introduced it as 2005. After describing the wine, the staff member realized the mis-pour but did not notify the guests. When the guests asked for a photo of the wine label, the staff made the wrong decision that the photo should show the “correct” vintage. Instead of explaining the situation first, the staff presented a 2000 bottle that did not match the wine that had been served.
For context, the Chateau Leoville Barton 2000 intended for pairing was stored in the second-floor backstage wine area, and the 2005 vintage was also available there by the glass. This backstage space—on both the first and second floors—is where sommeliers check a wine’s temperature and condition right before service. On that day, the two bottles sat side by side in the second-floor area, and the sommelier initially poured the 2005 by mistake. When the guests requested a photo, staff brought the 2000 bottle from the second-floor area to show them.
After showing the 2000 bottle for the photo, the sommelier briefly left to inform the assistant manager. During that time, the hanwoo dish was served, and the issue hadn’t been resolved. The guests then raised the wine concern directly.
At that point, the sommelier should have clearly explained the situation and apologized, but he panicked and made an inappropriate, off-the-cuff remark—saying, for example, that “the 2000 vintage had been ordered by the bottle and was on the first floor.” That response was inaccurate and unacceptable.
When the 2000 vintage was re-poured, the sommelier still didn’t fully grasp the seriousness of the situation and said something along the lines of, “Since you study wine, I hope this gives you a chance to compare the 2000 and 2005 vintages.” Again, we should have offered a sincere apology and a clear explanation first. That comment was inadequate and inappropriate.
The floor manager received only a partial report, confirmed the 2000 vintage had been re-served, and instructed staff to offer a dessert wine as well. Although the four-glass pairing doesn’t normally include a dessert wine (Madeira), we served dessert wine to the three guests who ordered the four-glass pairing as an apology for the service lapse and poor response.
The floor team believed the matter was resolved, and I received a report on April 21, two days after the incident. Even if I didn’t notice the problem on April 18, that’s no excuse. Looking back, our mistakes and our response—from the initial error to how we handled it—were inadequate, and guests who expect a certain standard from Mosu understandably felt disappointed.
The account above reflects what I and the staff confirmed through CCTV. This is not meant as an excuse but to correct distortions and misunderstandings that stray from the facts.
We required the sommelier involved to submit a written statement under company rules and removed that person from the sommelier role that handles guests’ wine.
To all our guests: as the owner-chef who accepts full responsibility for Mosu, I promise to manage the restaurant more rigorously and take every measure to prevent a recurrence.
We will take this incident as an opportunity to return to the fundamentals of hospitality, to remember the proper attitude required of those who work in food service, and to remain sincere about our food and our guests. My team and I will continue to work humbly and give our best.
Once again, on behalf of myself and Mosu, I sincerely apologize for disappointing you.
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