Mott 32 Seoul: Modern Hong Kong Glamour Meets Imperial Chinese Flavours in the Heart of Gangnam

An amber-lit corridor draped in velvet leads diners into another world. It is a world where Peking duck is roasted in a kiln-inspired oven of red brick and brass, craft cocktails bloom with osmanthus honey, and every pendant light or antique display cabinet whispers a fragment of Chinese history. Welcome to Mott 32 Seoul—the Korean outpost of the celebrated Hong Kong restaurant group that has redefined luxury Chinese dining from Las Vegas to Vancouver. 

From 32 Mott Street to Sinbanpo-ro

The brand’s name pays homage to 32 Mott Street in New York, where the city’s first Chinese convenience store opened in 1891, sparking the rise of Chinatown. That spirit of migration and cultural exchange threads through every Mott 32 location, including Seoul, which opened in 2022 in partnership with Josun Hotels & Resorts. Co-founder Malcolm Wood—whose step-mother and sister are Korean—jumped at the chance to bring the concept to Seoul, joining fellow founders Matt Reid and Xuan Mu in the venture. 

Wood’s childhood memories of his Taiwanese grandmother’s homestyle dishes, his British grandfather’s emphasis on sourcing, and his mother’s work ethic underpin the restaurant’s mission: elevate authentic Chinese cuisine in a setting as stylish as any marquee Western dining room. 

Design: Storytelling in Steel, Velvet & Birdcages

Décor is never a mere backdrop at Mott 32; it is narrative. Seoul’s branch was imagined as an “elegant social hub” where Chinese DNA meets New York industrial chic. Guests pass a graffiti-splashed concrete wall and a metal-screened antique cabinet before reaching a bar crowned with custom glass-insulator chandeliers and a jade-stone counter. In the main dining room, an octagonal gazebo ceiling frames booth seating beneath an arresting birdcage light installation, while an open kitchen and signature duck oven animate the space. 

Three private rooms—The Ramie Room, Blue Painting Room, and Secret Lock Room—each riff on cross-cultural trade, from hanging ramie fabric to a hidden mirror door flanked by vintage locks. Every corner invites guests to linger and explore. 

The Culinary Duo: Chef Won Jung Liu & Chef Lee Man Sing

Running the Seoul kitchen is Chef Won Jung Liu, who has devoted his career to Chinese gastronomy since the age of 19 and has amassed medals in international competitions in Japan and Hong Kong. He collaborates with group Chinese executive chef Lee Man Sing, the Hong Kong-based maestro whose 35-year résumé spans Michelin-starred stints and pioneering East-West techniques. Together, they uphold an uncompromising standard: local, seasonal ingredients wherever possible, no endangered seafood, no cage-farmed animals, and a wide selection of plant-based dishes that sacrifice none of the richness for which Chinese cuisine is known. 

Signature Plates & Seasonal Surprises

• Apple-wood-roasted Peking Duck — carved tableside, its lacquered skin crisped to perfect mahogany.

• Barbecue Ibérico Pork Glazed with Yellow Mountain Honey — a cult favorite in every city the brand touches.
• Ma Po Tofu Lobster — Szechuan heat meets ocean-sweet crustacean.
• Dim Sum Symphony — hand-pleated dumplings that rotate with the seasons. 

Menus shift twice a year—Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer—so regulars can chase new inspirations, such as the recently launched Celebration Duck: eight prime cuts nestled on custom bao, crowned with caviar, followed by classic pancakes and condiments, currently available only at our Hong Kong location.  

Liquid Luxury: Cocktails & Cellar

While ilovewine.com readers will appreciate the curated global wine list, many come for cocktails conceived to echo the kitchen’s flavors. Try the Hanami, perfumed with Sakura and shiso, or the Forbidden Rose, bright with goji and pomelo. A dedicated sommelier and mixologist team stands ready to pair Grand Cru Burgundy with Peking duck or suggest an aged Tieguanyin oolong for dim sum brunch. 

Service that Anticipates Every Craving

Mott 32’s hospitality philosophy is built on five pillars: warm, personalized interactions; relentless culinary consistency; atmospheric storytelling; smart technology via platforms such as SevenRooms; and “moments of delight” (think surprise amuse-bouches or a chef’s tableside visit). The result is a restaurant equally suited to corporate power lunches, milestone celebrations, and globe-trotting gourmets checking the next luxury address off their lists. 

Weekday regulars should note three promotions:

• A Peking Duck Package (order four dinner courses, receive a complimentary duck).
• Graduate Weekday Lunch Discounts up to 30 percent.
• 20 percent off Peking Duck at dinner Monday-Friday. 

Sustainability at the Core

Long before “green” became industry gospel, Mott 32 banned single-use plastics, introduced plant-based versions of iconic dishes, and committed to responsibly sourced seafood. By vetting local farmers and rejecting threatened species, such as bluefin tuna and shark fins, the group positions itself as a sustainability leader in Asian fine dining—a stance that resonates with Seoul’s eco-conscious diners. 

Practical Details

• Address: 176 Sinbanpo-ro, Seocho District, Seoul
• Phone: +82 2-6282-0320
• Website: mott32.com/seoul
• Reservations: Online, phone, and—when luck strikes—walk-in

Why It Matters

Seoul’s dining scene has no shortage of high-design spaces, but few marry storytelling, craft, and environmental stewardship with quite the élan of Mott 32. For oenophiles mapping their next gastronomic vacation—or expatriates craving a taste of modern Hong Kong glamour—this is one reservation to secure before the secret gets out.

Whether you sink into the velvet-lined Ramie Room with a glass of Premier Cru Chablis, or share bao-topped duck and caviar under the glow of birdcage chandeliers, one truth remains: at Mott 32 Seoul, every detail is choreographed to turn dinner into theatre—and every bite into a cultural bridge between East and West.