This undated photo provided by Hotel Shilla Co. shows dishes from Ariake, a Japanese Restaurant located at The Shilla Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Two premier luxury hotels in South Korea grapple with the dilemma of managing their Japanese restaurants as Japan initiates the release of contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The Japanese restaurant Ariake, situated within The Shilla Seoul, announced in 2011 that it would cease the use of Japanese ingredients in the wake of the Fukushima power plant disaster.
Upon perusing Ariake’s current summer menu, one can observe that all seafood — excluding Spanish and Moroccan tuna — is sourced locally.
Despite having previously encountered customer apprehension due to concerns about contaminated water following the 2011 Japan quake, which precipitated the nuclear crisis, the restaurant remains cautious even though it made prior arrangements.
In contrast, Sushi Cho, the Japanese restaurant at Westin Josun Seoul, has consistently depended on Japanese ingredients.
Nevertheless, in the aftermath of the release of contaminated water, the restaurant would encounter escalating challenges in continuing to access crucial ingredients procured from Japan.
Naturally, the establishment must now secure ingredients that closely resemble those used before, either domestically or from other countries excluding Japan.
According to a survey conducted by Consumers Korea involving 525 individuals in April, a staggering 92.4 percent of the respondents expressed their intent to curtail their seafood consumption following the discharge of the contaminated water.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
