A Korean-run French cuisine restaurant in Lyon has been honored with a star from the Michelin Guide, the most recognized reference on dining out, a first among restaurants run by Koreans in France.

The 2016 Michelin Guide announced on Feb. 1 that Le Passe Temps, a French restaurant run by chef Lee Young-hoon, had received one star. The guide decorates a select group of restaurants with stars, from one to three, in recognition of high quality and service. Lee’s restaurant has now joined the guide’s “one-starred” group this year, an elite club of 42 restaurants across France.



The chef graduated from the Korea Tourism College, moved to France, and studied culinary arts and restaurant management at the Institut Paul Bocuse in 2009. In April 2014, he opened Le Passe Temps, using the phrase “a change in the air” for his restaurant's name.

The restaurant itself is somewhat small, only 90 square meters and with seating for only 26 diners, and all the staff are Koreans, including Lee’s wife and a sommelier. Although there were some financial difficulties when he started the business, Lee continued to create delicacies using only the freshest of ingredients, attracting a growing number of gourmets.

One of his specialties is foie gras, a popular pâté made from goose liver.

Lee has also included the occasional Korean dish to his menu, such as sujebi, a traditional pasta-like soup based on anchovy stock, adding such ingredients as scallions in season and seaweed flakes.

By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Institut Paul Bocuse, Michelin Guide
jiae5853@korea.kr