Cortados and madeleines at Coffeed

Cortados are on the menu at Coffeed, a new outpost of the New York-based cafe chain of the same name. At just over 100 ml, this caffeinated brew of Spanish pedigree is dainty but potent. When the first overseas outlet of Coffeed opened in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong this January, however, cortados were nowhere to be seen. Coffeed Korea’s head Steve Goh added it to the menu last month.  Coffeed’s cortado (front) — two shots of espresso topped with “less than a centimeter of steamed milk” — pairs well

FoodMarch 13, 2015

Dandelion salad

This recipe is a simple Korean-style dandelion salad, mindeulle muchim. Dandelion is a wild spring vegetable that is used various ways in Korean cuisine. It’s packed with vitamins A, B, C and D as well as minerals such as iron, potassium and zinc. Dandelion has been used in herbal medicine to treat infections and kidney, liver and stomach problems. Look for the ones that are young and tender. The salad is lightly dressed with a basic Korean sauce, which is slightly spicy, sweet and vinegary. I u

FoodMarch 13, 2015

Around the Hotels

Millennium Seoul Hilton offers Spring package Millennium Seoul Hilton is offering a spring package promotion until April 5 in celebration of the upcoming spring season. The Deluxe Room package is priced at 190,000 won and the Premium Room package at 220,000. Both include a one-night stay for two and, for an additional fee of 50,000 won, breakfast for two at Cafe 395. The Executive Room package for 300,000 won offers breakfast for two with access to the Executive Lounge, where guests will be serv

FoodMarch 13, 2015

Radio legend Bae Chul-soo celebrates 25 years on air

Korea’s oldest and arguably most popular radio show, “Bae Chul-soo’s Music Camp,” has been introducing Western pop music to Korean listeners for more than two decades. Its playlist covers an array of genres and eras, playing everything from classic bands like The Beatles, Queen and ABBA to the more recent Maroon 5 and Coldplay. Celebrating 25 years on air, legendary DJ Bae Chul-soo will host live shows entitled “Live is Life” for three days, accompanied by 12 leading Korean bands. From March 13-

PerformanceMarch 13, 2015

Korea’s top orchestras in trouble

Trouble is deepening at Korea’s two biggest orchestras ― the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and the KBS Symphony Orchestra. At the Seoul Philharmonic, the rebellion of employees against their boss last year led to a police raid of the orchestra’s office while its music director, Chung Myung-whun, faces a possible police investigation. Over at the KBS Symphony Orchestra, which is on the brink of losing 70 percent of its musicians, the trouble has a more familiar cause. It’s about job security. On W

PerformanceMarch 12, 2015

[Herald Review] New visuals enliven ‘Andrea Chenier’

In his first ever opera production in Asia, Italian opera mastermind Stefano Poda has revitalized the seldom-staged tale of poetry, love and betrayal, “Andrea Chenier.”Having worked on nearly 100 opera productions throughout his illustrious career, Poda has taken his relentless and scrupulous eye for visual and artistic perfection in Umberto Giodano’s masterpiece.Although the repertoire is often noted as encompassing the essence of verismo opera, “Andrea Chenier” is all too often overlooked by m

PerformanceMarch 12, 2015

Kim Hyun-joong may join Army in late March

South Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong confirmed that he will enlist in the mandatory military service on March 31, local media reported Thursday. Kim, 28, will reportedly undergo training at the 9th Army Battalion in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, at the end of the month, before going on active military duty.“Kim planned to enlist in the Army within this year. He appears to have made up his mind after winding up his schedule,” a news outlet quoted a source as saying. Kim’s label KeyEast Enter

March 12, 2015

Park Jung-ah in ‘serious’ relationship with pro-golfer

Actress Park Jung-ah is in a relationship with professional golfer Jeon Sang-woo, Park’s agency confirmed Thursday.The agency, WM Company, confirmed in a statement that the 34-year old entertainer has been dating Jeon for about three months.“Park and golfer Jeon Sang-woo, who is two years (her) junior, have been seeing each other as more than friends for about three months,” the agency said in a press release. The agency, however, also expressed an element of caution in referring to the two as a

TelevisionMarch 12, 2015

Traditional memorial service to honor Ulrich Beck in Seoul

A memorial service honoring the late sociologist Ulrich Beck, considered one of Germany’s most renowned intellectuals for his academic works on modernity and future society, will take place in Seoul next week.Joongmin Foundation for Social Theory will hold a commemorative event for Beck, who recently died at age 70 on Jan. 1, under the title “Beyond Risk Society” at the Korea Press Center on Mar. 17, the foundation announced Thursday.Beck first gained prominence for his work “Risk Society: Towar

PeopleMarch 12, 2015

Accor bets on Korea’s tourism growth

South Korea may soon join the ranks of the world’s top tourism destinations such as Thailand, if it continues to achieve double-digit growth in the number of inbound travelers over the next five years, said the Asia-Pacific chief operating officer of French hotel operator Accor. The country attracted some 14 million foreign visitors in 2014 and has seen an average 12 percent growth in foreign arrivals for the past three years.“That’s heavy growth,” said Patrick Basset, who oversees Accor’s busin

TravelMarch 12, 2015

Madonna adds another Paris concert after first sells out

Madonna performs at the Brit Awards 2015 at the 02 Arena in London, Feb. 25. (AP-Yonhap)PARIS (AFP) – Madonna has added a second concert date in Paris in December after the first that went on sale this week sold out in five minutes, the promoters said Wednesday."Given the demand, Madonna has added a second concert in Paris as part of her worldwide 'Rebel Heart Tour': Thursday December 10, 2015," the company Live Nation said.The 56-year-old diva is playing at the Bercy stadium in the French capit

PerformanceMarch 11, 2015

Holi fest to brighten up Busan beach

Busan’s Haeundae Beach is set to get an early splash of color this month as thousands of revelers descend on the city in celebration of the Indian festival of Holi.The Holi celebrations at Haeundae have been running for five years, with a varied crowd of about 1,500 participants last year. Holi is a traditional Indian festival marking the end of winter and is celebrated by throwing colored powders and dyes on each other. The official date this year was March 8 but the Busan event organizers have

Expat LivingMarch 11, 2015

Celebrating the legacy of Bach through modern movement

In homage to the legendary German composer Johann Sebastian Bach and his countless masterpieces, the Universal Ballet Korea will be staging its upcoming production of “Multiplicity, Forms of Silence and Emptiness.”Devoted to the retelling of Bach’s life and death through a two-act modern ballet, “Multiplicity, Forms of Silence and Emptiness” is the brainchild of artistic director and choreographer Nacho Duato of the Staatsballett in Berlin.According to the director, the production is an expressi

PerformanceMarch 11, 2015

Forget the villain: Lee returns as doting mom in new rom-com

Last year was a remarkable one for actress Lee Yoo-ri, who nabbed the grand prize at the MBC Drama Awards for her infamous role as Yeon Min-jung in TV drama “Here Comes Jangbori.”While people still recall her heartless character, the 35-year-old is poised for her new role in the upcoming tvN series “Super Daddy Yeol,” which will hit the airwaves Friday. Lee plays Cha Mi-rae, a successful doctor and single mom of a 9-year-old child. Cha is diagnosed with terminal-stage cancer. Soon after she hear

TelevisionMarch 11, 2015

Director Im laments fate of Busan film fest

Im Kwon-taek, one of South Korea’s most renowned film directors, voiced strong concern over the future of the Busan International Film Festival, whose longtime programmer and chief is stepping down after clashes with government authorities over censorship issues. “The current situation is simply deplorable,” Im, 79, said at a public hearing in Seoul on Tuesday regarding recent events surrounding the festival. “As a director who creates and submits his works to film festivals, I wonder who would

FilmMarch 11, 2015

Yang In-mo wins Premio Paganini violin competition

Local violinist Yang In-mo, 20, has become the first Korean to ever win first place at the annual International Violin Competition Premio Paganini in Genoa, Italy. The young Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation violinist not only took home the top prize at this year’s 54th International Violin Competition Premio Paganini, but was also awarded three secondary special awards including the “Prize in memory of Dr. Enrico Costa” for being the competition’s youngest finalist. Yang will receive 25,600 euro

PerformanceMarch 10, 2015