Chef An Sung-jae's Restaurant Faces Backlash Over Wine Vintage Swap Controversy

Chef An Sung-jae's restaurant is under fire following allegations of swapping wine vintages, with customers sharing similar complaints about their experiences.

The controversy began on October 21 when a post titled 'Wine Vintage Swap at Chef An Sung-jae's Restaurant' appeared on an online community.

The author, identified as A, claimed to have visited the restaurant on October 18 and noticed that the wine served did not match the vintage they ordered. According to A, the sommelier described the wine as a '2005' vintage, but the pairing list indicated it was '2000'.

A explained that they noticed the vintage discrepancy while tasting the wine, which differed in flavor and aroma from expectations. Upon requesting verification, the sommelier allegedly changed their story, claiming there was a separate '2000' vintage bottle. When A asked to photograph the bottle, they were provided with a different vintage, raising suspicions that the error was known from the start.

A further expressed disappointment, stating, "It's questionable for a Michelin two-star restaurant to make such a mistake, but the lack of an apology and the offer to 'let us taste it' was more disappointing."

Other customers shared their experiences on the restaurant's official social media. One user commented, "I also had an unpleasant experience. Despite pointing out the issue on the spot, there was no apology, and they asked if I wanted it resolved," criticizing the restaurant's inadequate service.

Another user shared, "I ordered a wine pairing, but they skipped Dom Pérignon. When I mentioned it, they seemed flustered and served it later," adding, "The atmosphere and food were great, so I gave it 5 stars, but frequent issues like this are problematic."

Online reviews were mixed. Some criticized the young servers' attitudes, while others praised the high-end service, stating, "I felt well-treated for the price."

In response, Chef An Sung-jae's restaurant issued an apology on October 23. However, the apology faced criticism for omitting key details, such as addressing the core issue, discrepancies with customer accounts, actions taken against the sommelier, compensation for affected customers, and specific measures to prevent recurrence.

By Da-yeon Jeong, TenAsia Reporter light@tenasia.co.kr