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Chef Ahn Seong-jae — the star judge from Netflix’s hit show Black & White Chef — is caught up in a fine-dining drama after guests accused his restaurant, MOSU Seoul, of swapping an expensive wine for a cheaper bottle and mishandling the fallout. Instead of the polished, trustworthy service you expect from a Michelin-rated spot, diners say they were left feeling misled.
The controversy kicked off on the 21st when a user posted in an online community claiming they’d been handed a different vintage than the one ordered at MOSU. The poster, identified only as A, said they visited on the 18th with friends and ordered the wine-pairing service — only to notice something was off.
According to A, the wine listed to accompany a Korean beef course was a 2000 vintage, but the sommelier brought out and described a cheaper 2005 vintage instead. At MOSU’s listed prices, those two vintages are roughly ₩100,000 apart (about $75).
A, who describes themselves as an experienced wine drinker, said the wine in the glass tasted, smelled and looked noticeably different from what they expected a 2000 vintage to be. They asked the sommelier to check, and the sommelier later admitted the vintage error.
A was most upset by what they saw as the restaurant’s evasive behavior. They said when they asked to see the bottle for photos, the sommelier briefly went to the staff area and then returned with a 2000 vintage bottle, placing it on the table. Since a 2005 vintage had already been poured, A suspected the staff knew about the mistake from the start and were attempting to cover it up.
Critics also called out the lack of a sincere apology. After A raised the issue, the sommelier reportedly said the 2000 bottle had been taken downstairs and offered, “I’ll let you taste the 2000 vintage,” but did not issue a formal apology. A said it’s one thing for a Michelin restaurant to make an error; it’s another to treat giving a diner the correct wine as if it were a favor.
MOSU currently prices dinner at about ₩420,000 (roughly $315), and a two-person meal with wine pairings can easily push the bill past ₩1,000,000 (around $750).
The post sparked a heated online debate. Some people blasted the restaurant, asking where the “basics” and attention to detail Ahn emphasized on TV had gone, and saying that fine dining sells trust — and MOSU disappointed. Others urged caution, calling for readers to wait for the restaurant’s official statement before judging.
MOSU Seoul, once a three-star Michelin restaurant and recently reopened with two stars, has been in high demand along with Chef Ahn’s growing reputation. With questions now raised about service quality, MOSU Seoul has not yet released an official response to the controversy.
iMBC Entertainment Kim Kyung-hee | Photo Ko Dae-hyun
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