[The Palate] Classic noodles done best at Yurimmyeon

One of the pleasures of eating in Seoul is that you can always find a place that specializes in one particular dish, and when that one such place has done so for more than 50 years, you are guaranteed a tried and true quality that has been time tested. 　Yurimmyeon, near City Hall in Jongno­-gu, Seoul, has been serving the same menu of noodles for more than half a century, strong and steady. A testament to their quality and consistency.　Matriarch and owner Kim Myeong-kyeong, 83, who mans the cash

FoodApril 8, 2016

Best way to cook lobster tails

What’s the best way to cook lobster tails? How do you butterfly them? 　Lobster, once considered food for servants, is now a moderately priced treat. 　The way you prepare lobster tails is paramount. What you don’t want is chewy, rubbery and tough lobster tails that need to be drowned in melted butter.　Lobster’s soft flesh, once cooked, should be pristine white, soft and tender. You should be able to eat it with a fork, from the shell or not. The flavor and texture of the lobster tail is somewhere

FoodApril 8, 2016

[Around the hotels] Round up of hotel events and news

Imperial Palace Seoul presents ‘Ciné & Dine package’　Imperial Palace Seoul presents Ciné & Dine package for guests looking to experience hotel dining and movies at the same time until April 24.　The package features one night stay in Deluxe or Business Room, two movie tickets, restaurant voucher worth 50,000 won, and a 20 percent discount at restaurants. Complimentary access to fitness club and indoor swimming pool will be also included.　The restaurant voucher and 20 percent discount offer can be

TravelApril 8, 2016

[Travel bits] Round up of travel news from around the world

Natural sites in Germany　The theme for this year’s tourism in Germany is “A Vacation in Nature,” according to the country’s tourism office. Germany boasts over 130 natural sites comprised of 16 national parks, 15 UNESCO biosphere reserves and over 100 natural parks.　The office has selected 16 scenic sites to recommend to visitors -– including the orchid-filled Bliesgau UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the serene Elbe riverside, the wild and untamed Black Forest National Park, the Jasmund National Park

TravelApril 8, 2016

Arizona’s wildest ride: the Apache Trail

My hands gripped the steering wheel. My right foot rode the brake. I was easing a four-wheel-drive rental down a steep, narrow, curving dirt road in the Arizona wilderness, and I was beginning to wonder what I’d gotten myself into.　On the passenger side, a towering craggy stonewall threatened to dent the car and make me regret that I had declined the rental company’s insurance cover­age. Still, I stayed as close to that wall as I dared. On the driver’s side was a fate worse than a scrape: an abr

TravelApril 8, 2016

[Album review] Ronnie Spector honors U.K. peers on ‘English Heart’

Ronnie Spector 　“English Heart” 　(429 Records) 　In 1964, Ronnie Spector toured Britain with the Ronettes just weeks before the Beatles arrived in America. “English Heart” is her tribute to that British Invasion, in turn influenced by her band and former husband Phil Spector‘s “Wall of Sound.”　While Spector is often cited for the power of her pipes, these 11 songs are styled more around subtlety and insinuation.　Producer Scott Jacoby has wisely favored the feel of the 1960s originals over the sou

PerformanceApril 8, 2016

[Album review] Pet Shop Boys stay danceable and electric on ‘Super’

　Pet Shop Boys　“Super”　(x2 Records)　Pet Shop Boys take another drink from the fountain of youth on “Super,” offering more dance than pop 13 studio albums and more than 30 years after “West End Girls.”　Written in Berlin and recorded in Los Angeles, “Super” is the second installment of a probable trilogy with triple Grammy-winning producer Stuart Price, and the duo delves into the nightclub scene with their usual aplomb. 　Neil Tennant is a keen observer with sharp storytelling skills, allowing him

PerformanceApril 8, 2016

[Album review] The Last Shadow Puppets still anchored in ’60s, ’70s

The Last Shadow Puppets　“Everything You’ve Come To Expect” 　(Domino)　Alex Turner and Miles Kane have let eight years go by since the debut of their Last Shadow Puppets project, but “Everything You’ve Come To Expect” again reflects their devotion to late ’60s-early ’70s sounds even as the lyrics and themes are decidedly of today.　Turner, of Artic Monkeys fame, and bosom buddy Kane again rely on producer-drummer James Ford and skilled arranger Owen Pallett while adding Zach Dawes on bass and recor

PerformanceApril 8, 2016

[Box office] Latest movie releases

Insane　(Korea)　Opened April 7　Mystery/Thriller. Directed by Lee Cheol-ha　Kang Soo-ah (Kang Ye-won) is admitted to a mental institution against her will and administered various mind-altering drugs by force. Kang begins to keep a record of her experiences, later discovered by TV producer Na Nam-soo (Lee Sang-yoon). Upon investigation, Nam discovers a horrifying truth.  　Steel Flower　(Korea)　Opened April 7　Drama. Directed by Park Suk-young　A girl, Hadam (Jeong Ha-dam) lives on the streets alone. I

FilmApril 8, 2016

Innovative storytelling lifts ‘Louder Than Bombs’

Few actors, male or female, are better at portraying an innate sense of mystery than the great French actress Isabelle Huppert. Her face seems to hold dozens of expressions all at once. You get the sense that there’s always something deeper underneath -- and that you’ll never really know all of it.　And so it should be little surprise that Huppert is the most watchable and, yes, mysterious element of “Louder Than Bombs,” by Norwegian director Joachim Trier -- even though her character is already

FilmApril 8, 2016

Actress Ku Hye-sun to marry in May

Actress and film director Ku Hye-sun will marry her actor fiance Ahn Jae-hyeon in May, Ahn's agency confirmed Friday. The top actress and her soon-to-be husband Ahn will tie the knot on May 21 in a closed wedding, where only a handful of family members and closest friends are invited, HB Entertainment said. (Osen)"We are the most pure and peaceful company to one another, and so we've decided to stand by each other for the rest of our lives starting on May 21," the entertainment agency said in a

TelevisionApril 8, 2016

Future of Asia’s largest film fest uncertain　

Preparations for the Busan International Film Festival have come to a standstill, following a yearlong conflict between the organizers of the global film event and the Busan Metropolitan Government, the event’s major sponsor.　“We can’t stand by and not do anything,” said Lee Hyo-jin, a member of BIFF’s public relations team, in a phone interview Wednesday. “But compared to last year, preparations are not going as they normally would.”　The two sides have been embroiled in a protracted dispute ove

FilmApril 7, 2016

[Herald interview] Andrea Bocelli talks Seoul concert, new album

Andrea Bocelli, the internationally acclaimed blind Italian classical crossover tenor, is gearing up for a solo concert in Seoul next month -- his first in Korea in six years. 　“I am excited and happy to come back. The love your people have shown me is hard to forget,” said Bocelli in an e-mail interview with The Korea Herald. 　Best known for his repertoire of classic operatic arias and classical-inspired contemporary pieces, the 57-year-old Grammy nominee last year released his 15th solo album,

PerformanceApril 7, 2016

Mother-of-pearl art goes modern

Artist Jeong Hyun-sook is presenting her modern interpretation of traditional mother-of-pearl art from April 11-29 at the Korea Economic Daily gallery.　The solo exhibition presents 23 works of the “Before and After” series that the artist has been working on for a decade. The series reinterprets the traditional mother-of-pearl art through contemporary works of art featuring geometric patterns and circles. “Before and After” by Jeong Hyun-sook (Courtesy of the artist)　Jeong, trained in Western-st

PerformanceApril 7, 2016