The world is being influenced by South Korea more than ever before. Hyundai Kia is one of the biggest automotive companies by sales and K-pop is the fastest growing mainstream music genre globally. In hospitality, Korean restaurants are following a similar trajectory with global interest in Korean cuisine almost doubling in 2021 according to data supplied by The Food Institute. Meanwhile, at the ceremony for Asia’s 50 Best Bars in July this year, Seoul was the most represented city behind the traditionally dominant Hong Kong and Singapore while Zest, despite finishing runner-up, was one of the favourites to top the list.
Odd Strandbakken, head bartender at Charles H in Seoul’s Four Seasons, moved to the city in 2022 having spent a number of years at Oslo’s Himkok.
“I love Seoul, my wife and I have been welcomed with open arms and it’s been so special to help train the next generation of bartenders,” says Strandbakken. “The buzz around the city is constant and you can have a great cocktail at any time of day 24/7. There’s lots of different styles, from speakeasies to more elaborate and energetic spaces, it really is a combination of everything. Over the past decade it’s transformed from bars that only really sold Scotch whisky into a booming cocktail scene and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.”
Strandbakken’s predecessor Lorenzo Antinori, who owns Bar Leone, spent two years at Charles H just prior to the pandemic.
“The team that worked with me at Carles H all travelled the world, discovered their own flair and the brought it back to Seoul where they’ve opened their own bars,” says Antinori. “I think the bar community has also got tighter, which is helping it grow together and I think Seoul is one of the most exciting scenes in Asia right now.”
Today Charles H is an institution for the city’s hospitality sector and a two-time member of The World’s 50 Best Bars. However, the Covid-19 pandemic acted like a refresh for much of the city’s hospitality.
“There’s a set of core bars where the majority of emerging bartenders stem from, including Charles H, Le Chamber and Alice Cheongdam. This has created a really intimate, supportive network of bartenders,” adds Strandbakken.
“Training was one of the big things I focused on when taking over at Charles H. It was right after the pandemic so lots of bartenders had left the industry and we needed to train a new wave. We have an hour training session every week and it’s proved to be attractive for other bartenders. We’ve had five bar managers quit their jobs to join us as regular bar staff and we’re now fully staffed for the first time since before the pandemic.”
According to Strandbakken, the bar is made up of 80% walk-ins, which is unusual for a luxury hotel and highlights the thirst for quality cocktails in Seoul.
“We have a strong base in classic cocktails,” says Strandbakken. “It’s important that when you walk into a luxury bar like Charles H you can get a good Old Fashioned or Martini, but with our own creations we’ve put a strong emphasis on garnishes. They’re functional and minimalistic but super-tasty with zero waste.”
Generational change
Strandbakken says millennials make up the majority of the bar’s guests and one thing which impressed him early on was how well educated and curious they are. However, their relationship with foreign culture is changing.
“I think the older generations in Korea still celebrate and admire the US and other western countries, whereas this attitude has changed over the years. The younger people, especially in Seoul, are very proud of their culture and heritage. They’ve grown up being influenced by Korean platforms, essentially the country’s own versions of Spotify, YouTube and Instagram, which means they don’t necessarily admire western culture as much today. K-Pop is also so big that many of the younger generations don’t listen to anything else – they’ve never heard of Michael Jackson or Madonna and actually Korean culture is having a bigger influence internationally than the other way around.”
Charles H is the international cocktail bar at the Four Seasons but the hotel also has Oul, which is totally Korean. All the staff, the glassware, ingredients, music – everything is Korean.
“Of course, as a westerner I’m not there to teach them Korean recipes, I’m there to teach them techniques to make their own drinks with Korean ingredients, but the bar is really popular because people like to celebrate all things Korean.”
One of the most progressive aspects of Seoul’s bar industry is the influence of female bartending, which Strandbakken believes is due to the safety of the city.
“In Korea the crime rate is very low so people feel safe working late in bars. This makes bartending more attractive to women and in fact nearly all of the upper management in the bar are female.”
As Korea’s cultural influence continues to infiltrate the world, so too will Seoul’s bar scene. As Antinori mentioned earlier, many of the city’s top bartenders have returned after spending recent years travelling and learning from the very best in the business. This year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars announcement provided proof that the city’s stock is rising regionally, and it’s only a matter of time before we see more Seoul bars demanding spots on the global list.
