Our Story
The gastronomic partner leading the globalization of K-Food—delivering Korea's deep history and culture to the world in a single dish.
The Culinary Cultural Bridge
Seoul Dining Group is a Korean food enterprise that aims for the global expansion of K-Food, which has emerged as a new mainstream in the global gourmet market.
Beyond the simple supply of food, we fulfill the role of a "culinary cultural bridge" that delivers Korea's deep history and culture to the world in a single dish. Korean food has moved beyond a simple fad to become a genre of its own; its core lies in moderation and storytelling.
The refined dignity and deep taste unique to Korean food are powerful weapons that will capture the hearts of gourmets around the world. Seoul Dining Group goes beyond being a simple consultant to become a reliable business partner helping your business secure an unrivaled status in the global market.
A to Z One-Stop Solution
Complete support from planning to operation for your Korean restaurant business.
Strategic Planning
Store location selection, commercial area analysis, and optimal menu concept development tailored to your market.
Infrastructure Setup
Kitchen equipment optimized for Korean cooking methods, interior consulting, and space design.
Expert Training
Professional chef training at Seoul headquarters ensuring authentic taste implementation.
Supply Chain
Stable high-quality ingredient sourcing and efficient inventory management systems.
Marketing
Global marketing strategies and continuous operational post-management support.
Partnership
Long-term partnership for sustainable growth and maximum profit creation.
Our Team
Food Entrepreneur documenting and spreading the value of gastronomy, Julian Kim
The beginning of Seoul Dining Group stemmed from the persistent recording and exploration of founder Julian Kim.
Founder Julian Kim as a CEO is a gourmet, traveler, food critic, and cookbook author but not a chef who has built a database by running through the philosophy and fields created by a 30-year global gastronomic journey. He is a friendly food entrepreneur.
Global Expertise: Starting with his college years in London for 6 years in the 1990s, he developed an aesthetic eye by experiencing multinational cuisines from around the world. The gastronomic archive that began in Soho, London, in the 1990s—a melting pot of global gastronomy—established the standards for "good food" by mastering everything from authentic European cuisines to local Asian foods. Even during times when Korea's presence was minimal, he harbored a dream of one day bringing our food to this rank. He gained insight into understanding the culture and characteristics of each country through food
Life as an Expat: His life as an expat in Shanghai and Almaty in the 2000s led him to contemplate deeply about the history and cultural traditions of Chinese food, and he became immersed in the simple yet meaningful food of Almaty. His approximately 7 years of living in Dubai allowed him to go through luxury gourmet culture and experience fine dining; this accumulated insight became the foundation of Seoul Dining Group.
Record of Data and Passion: Since the early 2000s, he has digitized the memory of taste by recording tens of thousands of food photos with a digital camera. While residing in the UAE, he analyzed the Dubai gourmet market where the world's top capital gathers. By interacting with experts such as the F&B manager, Yuichi, of Etihad Towers, and Masakazu, a professional Japanese chef as friends, he built numerical data on taste, service, visuals, and the operational structure of fine dining.
Conviction in K-Food: Korean food, which once stayed on the periphery, has now become a cultural content loved by people worldwide, reaching beyond New York and London. In this era-defining flow, Seoul Dining Group proposes the taste of Korea, imbued with the craftsmanship of ancestors, in the most sophisticated way.
Proven Influence: His book, A Day In Seoul, published by the world-renowned Smith Street Books in Melburn, Australia, is currently receiving attention from gourmets worldwide through Amazon pre-orders.
Strict Standards: He translates the essence of fine-dining levels—satisfying the chef’s craftsmanship, visual perfection, and profitability simultaneously—into a business model.
Experimental Creativity and Tenacity: He did not stop at simply eating; he took tens of thousands of photos, researched combinations of ingredients, and constantly asked himself, "How would I make this more valuable if I were to do it?" That 30 years of tenacity is the most powerful recipe of Seoul Dining Group.
Our Brands
Seoul Dining Group is located in Jongno, the very centre of Seoul, Korea. Our headquarters is situated in the absolute heart of areas visited by numerous foreign tourists, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanghwamun, Insadong, Gwangjang Market, Namdaemun, and Myeongdong. Jongno, which can be called the heart of Seoul, has been a center of commerce where many businesses have taken place since the Joseon Dynasty.
Due to the characteristics of a city centre that encompasses Michelin-starred restaurants, long-standing local eateries (Nopo), and history and time, it is an area where one can understand the latest Korean fashions and trends. We currently operate the following businesses:
Seoul Cooking Club
Hands-on cooking classes for foreign tourists, MNC corporations, collaborations with various enterprises.
Seoul Bundt Cakes
The first Bundt cake specialty & bakery in Korea
BapZip
Global Korean restaurant franchise brand
A Day In Seoul
Cookbook publication released for 2026