Korean Chef takes Michelin to court over inclusion in guide

A chef in South Korea is suing the company behind the coveted Michelin guides after it mentioned his restaurant against his will.

Eo Yun-gwon, who owns Ristorante Eo in Seoul, has lodged a "public insult" complaint — similar to suing for defamation — against Michelin Travel Partner in a South Korean court, CNN reported.

Michelin included Ristorante Eo in its 2019 guide to Seoul and praised the Milan-trained chef, who it said "delivers highly accomplished modern Italian cuisine".

It added "each dish clearly demonstrates his insight into the integrity and simplicity of Italian cooking".

Insult: The glowing guide review was unwanted by the Korean chef. Photo / Supplied

But the chef was unhappy Ristorante Eo had been listed against his will and accused Michelin's notoriously secretive method for judging restaurants as "the cruellest test in the world".

Mr Eo took to Facebook to explain his decision, saying he did not support the way Michelin judged restaurants.

"There are thousands of restaurants in Seoul that are on the same level or better and more honest than those listed on the Michelin guide," he wrote on Facebook in a translation provided by CNN.

"It is a sad joke that a mere 170 of them are representing Seoul."

In another post, he confirmed he had resorted to filing a criminal complaint against Michelin's "behaviour of forcibly listing (restaurants) against their will and without a clear criteria".

Eo in Seoul is one of the leading Italian restaurants in the city. Photo / Supplied

"Including my restaurant Eo in the corrupt book is a defamation against members of Eo and the fans," Mr Eo continued.

"Like a ghost, they did not have a contact number and I was only able to get in touch through email. Although I clearly refused listing of my restaurant, they included it at their will this year as well."

The chef said he told Michelin in his email to the company: "Numerous restaurants and the workers are wasting away their soul (money, time, and effort) to pursue the mirage that is Michelin star."

Despite praise for his food, Mr Eo told CNN that Michelin's guide was a "cruel system".

"It's the cruellest test in the world," he said. "It forces the chefs to work around a year waiting for a test (and) they don't know when it's coming.

The Restaurant serves Italian inspired fare from the Milanese-trained chef. Photo / Facebook, 이상헌

"It is humiliating to see my restaurant given a rating in that unwholesome book."

Last year, a Bangkok grandmother who became the first street food chef in Thailand to be awarded a prestigious Michelin star told news.com.au the honour had been a curse.

Jay Fai became a national celebrity in December 2017, with her face splashed across Thai and international media.

Eo was included in the first edition of the 2017 guide when it launched in Korea. Photo / Facebook, Wine Nara

But a few months after the honour, she told news.com.au she had been harassed by government auditors and her staff had struggled to deal with the increased pressure associated with the restaurant's new-found fame.