Kkaennip (perilla leaf) jeon

Kkaennip (perilla leaf) jeon (Korean Bapsang)Kkaennip (perilla leaf) jeon is a type of jeon that’s pan-fried in egg batter, similar to jeon dishes such as hobakjeon (zucchini) and saengseonjeon (fish). It’s a variation that’s stuffed before being coated with the egg batter. The perilla leaves lend a distinct, robust flavor to the mildly flavored filling and provide an overall textural contrast. You can also stuff zucchini rounds (by cutting out the middle interior) or green chili peppers with th

FoodJune 13, 2014

[Weekender] Around the hotels

South American delicacies at InterContinental Seoul CoexInterContinental Seoul Coex is offering the “Viva! Wonder Hour” promotion until July 12 in celebration of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The hotel’s lobby lounge will be decorated with soccer-themed items and traditional South American artwork. Various South American dishes including churassco from Brazil, asado (BBQ) from Argentina, cazuela de ave (chicken soup) and curanto from Chile, and ceviche as well as quinoa salad from Peru will be availa

FoodJune 13, 2014

Team sheds light on architectural differences between two Koreas

Deviating from past editions, this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale asked all 66 participating countries to respond to a common theme ― to focus not on architecture itself but on architectural “history” in order to examine how different nations adapted to modernity in design over the last century.The Korean Pavilion has spotlighted differences in the architecture of South and North Korea since national division, for which it was awarded the Golden Lion for Best National Participation on June

Arts & DesignJune 13, 2014

Big Bang’s Taeyang 112th on Billboard 200 with album “Rise”

Taeyang, a member of K-pop band Big Bang, landed on the Billboard 200 chart on Friday with his new album “Rise.” (YG Entertainment)“Rise” placed No. 112 on the chart, surpassing all the Korean male singers who have made it to the chart before him. Earlier, “Overdose” by the subunit of idol group EXO, EXO-K, was No. 129, the previous highest ranking for a Korean singer.Taeyang also placed first on both the Billboard World Albums Chart, which ranks albums in terms of sales in non-English speaking

CultureJune 13, 2014

Actor Park Hae-Jin poses for special collaboration editorial

   Korean actor Park Hae-Jin posed for fashion magazine Ceci, wearing suits that came in a series of bright colors.For the editorial, a special collaboration with Samsung Smart Camera NX mini, the actor posed in various unique suits. By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo Credit: Ceci)

June 13, 2014

Lee Seung-gi to return to ‘You’re All Surrounded’

Actor Lee Seung-gi will reappear on show after receiving treatment for eye injury.“Lee will continue to act in ‘You’re All Surrounded’ on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning,” an SBS film crew member was quoted as saying. Lee Seung-gi in "You're All Surrounded" (SBS)“He has not recovered completely, but has almost recovered. He will continue to film according to schedule,” the source added. The announcement came after Lee was accidentally poked in his left eye by a fake sword while filming on M

June 13, 2014

D.O. dances for success of his drama ‘It’s OK, That’s Love’

 EXO member D.O. performed a funny dance as a shamanistic ritual for the success of his first and latest television series “It’s OK. That’s Love,” broadcaster SBS said on Thursday. The event took place in Incheon, Gyeonggi Province, on June 6 when the scriptwriter, production staff and cast members gathered to attend the traditional ritual, “gosa” in Korean, for the success of “It’s OK, That’s Love.”When each participant made a short speech at the ceremony, the boy band member delivered his own.

June 13, 2014

Ha Ji-won to release song for fans

South Korean actress Ha Ji-won turned into a singer for her dear fans, with the track “Now Here I Am,” to be unveiled on June 13. The song was produced and written by Jung Jae-yoon from the R&B group Solid, which was popular in the 1990s. Scriptwriter Jung Kyung-soon of the MBC-TV drama “Ki Empress” wrote the lyrics. The song was specially made for fans who still cannot let go of Ki Seung-nyang, the main character of the drama “Ki Empress,” played by Ha. The veteran actress worked on the song de

June 13, 2014

G-Dragon describes Taeyang's new song as 'red sunset'

A video providing a glimpse of Taeyang’s album-making process was released Wednesday. (YG Entertainment)YG Entertainment, Taeyang’s Korean label, posted a 4-minute video titled “Journey to Rise” on its official blog. The video is composed of a series of comments from the idol’s close friends, fellow members of K-pop boy group Big Bang and his company staff. It starts with Taeyang saying, “I have learned a lot, there were good times and bad times. Now, I would like to tell you my story.”G-Dragon,

June 13, 2014

Culture Ministry seeks to revitalize arts scene after Sewol disaster

Korea’s performing arts scene suffered a major blow when the ferry Sewol sank in April with over 300 people trapped inside. Concerts, musicals and various other stage performances were canceled, postponed or scaled down, as the nation mourned. Even those who avoided such a fate struggled with low ticket sales. About two months after the disaster, the country is slowly returning to pre-Sewol normalcy, but many artists are still grappling with financial hardship and a bitter taste of the reality o

CultureJune 12, 2014

Lovely visuals, smart writing in ‘Dragon’

You thought it was tricky to train a dragon? It’s even trickier to take a much-admired animated film and make a sequel that feels satisfying and worthwhile. And it’s harder still to balance the competing needs of stretching the story in new directions but retaining the guiding spirit of the original enough to make fans happy. It’s nice to be able to report that “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” written and directed by Dean DeBlois, does all that tricky stuff pretty darned well. And you’ll be happily

FilmJune 12, 2014

Placido Domingo to sing before World Cup final

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) ― Placido Domingo will sing before a World Cup final for the sixth time, announcing Wednesday he will perform at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena on July 11. The concert featuring the 73-year-old classic musical star will take place two days before the final at Maracana Stadium. The show also is scheduled to include pianist Lang Lang, soprano Ana Maria Martinez, conductor Eugene Kohn and the Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira. Domingo has attended every World Cup final since 1970 w

PerformanceJune 12, 2014

‘For the Emperor’: Vanity of wealth, power

In June, movie theaters have been dominated by Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise in “Edge of Tomorrow,” Hugh Jackman and the other “X-men” characters and Angelina Jolie in “Maleficient.” They attracted 70 percent of movie goers so far this week, according to the Korean Film Council, leaving little room for Korean films to edge in.So when Korean action film “For the Emperor” opened in theaters Wednesday, it was dogged by one question: Will it differ from the other action films premiered in the past

June 12, 2014

Following the beat of her own drum

This is the fourth in a series highlighting women and their accomplishments in the various facets of the Korean entertainment industry. ― Ed.For salon owner Bang Ji-young, who also goes by Sarah, styling hair is not just a job ― it’s her life’s passion and an avenue for her to express herself. She considers herself an artist and often collaborates with other artists outside of her salon’s doors.Her salon, There’s Salon in Gyeongnidan, is a physical expression of her passion for all things art an

PerformanceJune 12, 2014

‘100 Ideas That Changed Street Style’ is eclectic

Josh Sims’ “100 Ideas That Changed Street Style” is the latest in a “100 Ideas” series of books from Laurence King Publishing (other titles include “100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design” and “100 Ideas That Changed Photography”), and the lavishly illustrated softcover book strikes an entertaining balance between encyclopedia and field guide as it sprints through some 70 years of street style.Many of the movements, trends, fads, statements and style tribes highlighted, cross-sectioned and decons

BooksJune 12, 2014

Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices’ makes for compelling reading

She hasn’t decided yet.Or if she has, she’s not telling.But if Hillary Rodham Clinton does run for president in 2016, her new book “Hard Choices,” a chronicle of her four years as secretary of State, leaves no room for doubt about how she might conduct foreign policy (pragmatically), how she will defend herself against charges that she mishandled the attack on the American compound in Benghazi, Libya (robustly) and about how much she regrets giving President George W. Bush carte blanche to wage

BooksJune 12, 2014

‘Harry Quebert Affair’: Better in French?

“The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair” By Marion Winik (Newsday)I just finished “The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair,” by 28-year-old Swiss writer Joel Dicker, and all I can say is, God save Europe.According to the jacket copy, this book sold a million copies in France, won three literary prizes there and was a finalist for the Prix Goncourt, while knocking Dan Brown from No. 1 spots in Italy and Spain. I am not a Brown fan, but this book makes him look like Marcel Proust.Let’s assume t

BooksJune 12, 2014