'3 Great Kings Restaurant' Hanmi Restaurant Wins Grand Prize at Korea Expressway Corporation's Premium Restaurant Awards

At the '2024 Rest Stop Food Festa' hosted by the Korea Expressway Corporation, Hanmi Restaurant at Chilgok Rest Area (Busan-bound) won the grand prize in the 'Premium Restaurant' category. This event was designed to enhance the taste and quality of food at highway rest stops, aiming to provide a more satisfying experience for rest stop users.

This event featured a fierce competition among 11 'Premium Restaurants' and 11 'ex-Food' establishments, which were selected through preliminary rounds, finals, and a public vote held since August. The 'Premium Restaurant' program, introduced last year, allows travelers to enjoy the flavors of famous local restaurants at highway rest stops. Each rest stop showcases unique menus, promoting local specialties.

The competition was judged fairly by external evaluators, including food experts, academics, Korea Expressway Corporation employees, and local residents. The judging criteria included taste, originality of the menu, and utilization of local specialties.

Hanmi Restaurant at Chilgok Rest Area, the grand prize winner in the Premium Restaurant category, is already a well-known establishment, having been featured on the 2018 broadcast of 'Baek Jong-won's 3 Great Kings.' It is popular for its diverse menu, including hamburgers and pork cutlets. At this year's competition, it received top marks for its exceptional taste and quality, showcasing the region's unique characteristics. Boseong Green Tea (Yeongam) Rest Area's Boseong Cockle Bibimbap won the Excellence Award, and Eunjungdong Mookbap at Eumseong (Hanam) Rest Area received the Merit Award.

In the ex-Food category, the grand prize went to Seomjingang (Busan) Rest Area's Wellness Green Plum Jaecheop Bibimbap. This bibimbap, made with the local specialty jaecheop (small clams), was praised for its high nutritional value. The Excellence Award went to Jinyeong (Suncheon) Rest Area's Grandma's Janchi Guksu, and the Merit Award to Naerinchon Rest Area's Healthy Mountain Vegetable Bibimbap.

Hanmi Restaurant's CEO, Jeong-hyun Lee, expressed his delight, stating, "As a representative restaurant of the region, I am incredibly happy to receive such a prestigious award. I will continue to strive to provide customers with satisfying taste and service."

Korea Expressway Corporation President, Jin-gyu Ham, commented, "This Rest Stop Food Festa provided an opportunity for rest stops nationwide to develop diverse menus using regional specialties, raising the overall quality of rest stop food. We will continue to develop new menus and maintain quality control to ensure that customers have the best culinary experience possible."

The winning menus from the 2024 Rest Stop Food Festa, both Premium Restaurants and ex-Food selections, will be available at rest stops nationwide. The Expressway Corporation hopes this event will establish rest stops as cultural spaces where people can savor local flavors, transcending their role as mere resting places.

※ This article is a tidier version of a press release from the company.