Ahn Sung-jae's Mosu hit with valet parking complaint after wine-switching scandal

Mosu Seoul, the fine-dining restaurant run by chef Ahn Sung-jae, has been drawn into another controversy — this time over its valet parking service — following an earlier dispute over alleged wine substitution.

A social media user posted a review of Mosu Seoul on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, sharing their experience at the restaurant.

The user offered a lukewarm assessment of the food, writing that it "felt like it lacked impact," before adding that "on top of that, getting a parking fine after using the valet is legendary."

The post included photos of a notice bearing the words "vehicle subject to a fine" and a yellow parking enforcement notice. The user appeared to have received a fine for illegal parking after handing their vehicle to the restaurant's valet service.

The post did not specify the circumstances that led to the fine or who ultimately paid it.

The post has since spread online and drawn wide attention. Many criticized the incident as unbecoming of a fine-dining establishment, though some suggested the fault may lie with the third-party valet operator rather than Mosu itself. However, others noted that even if the contractor bears primary responsibility, customers hand their vehicles to Mosu — making it difficult for the restaurant to fully escape accountability for the overall management of the service.

Online commenters have been reluctant to dismiss the latest incident as a one-off mistake, pointing to a separate valet-related problem that surfaced at Mosu just months earlier.

In December last year, a customer who used the valet service at Mosu was involved in an accident when a driver from the third-party operator crashed into an exterior wall. The contractor initially paid 20 million won ($14,400) in repair costs, but the bill climbed to around 70 million won after a detailed inspection, sparking a dispute. Mosu reportedly directed the customer to file a complaint against the contractor, saying liability rested with the operator — a response that drew criticism that the restaurant was shirking its responsibility.

Mosu also faced a so-called wine-switching controversy in April, when a customer alleged that after ordering a 2000 vintage wine, they were served a comparatively cheaper 2005 vintage passed off as the 2000. The customer further claimed that when they raised the issue, the restaurant failed to offer a proper apology.

Mosu and chef Ahn issued a statement denying allegations of "intentional and habitual wine substitution" and pledged to prevent a recurrence, but the controversy refused to die down, and Ahn suspended his social media activity for a period.