Blue Bottle to debut in S. Korea this week

Blue Bottle Coffee will officially debut in Seoul later this week, a South Korean affiliate of the upscale US coffee chain operator said Tuesday.   The new cafe will open in Seoul's eastern Seongsu neighborhood -- a trendy hangout spot where young artists and designers renovated existing buildings into art spaces, fine restaurants and cafes to woo customers -- on Friday, Blue Bottle Coffee Korea, Ltd. said in a press release.  (Yonhap)The location will house a roastery and a training center for

April 30, 2019

[Graphic News] S. Korean coffee imports expected to fall this year

　South Korea is expected to import less coffee this year for the first time in six years, as demand for the beverage has been hit by sluggish economic growth, according to market watchers here. 　In the January-October period, total imports of coffee stood at 121,019 tons, down 1,031 tons from a year earlier. This is the first on-year decrease since 2012.　Asia’s fourth-largest economy imported 82,446 tons of coffee in the same period in 2012. 

Dec. 10, 2018

Around the Hotels

Gearing up for summer at Sheraton Seoul In early preparation for the summer, Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel presents variations of bingsu, a dessert made of shaved ice, milk and various toppings. Two seasonal fruits -- mango and coconut -- are separately used as main topping ingredients. Both menus provide the signature lamington cake and traditional red bean paste made by the hotel chef.Bingsu can be ordered at the hotel’s Lobby Lounge.Bar, Feast and Fit Cafe until the end of August. Mango an

April 27, 2018

[Graphic News] Per capita rice consumption falls to low in 2017

　South Korea‘s per capita rice consumption hit a record low last year, government data showed.　The average annual consumption of rice per person fell to 61.8 kilograms in 2017, down 0.2 percent from the previous year’s 61.9 kg, according to the data by Statistics Korea.　Daily rice consumption per person also dropped to 169.3 grams last year from 169.6 grams tallied in the previous year, the data showed.　Consumption of non-rice grains edged down 2.2 percent on-year to 9.1 kg in 2017 from 9.3 kg a

Jan. 29, 2018

[Graphic News] Over 33,000 Korean restaurants across the world

　The number of Korean restaurants worldwide, serving bibimbap, bulgogi and other Korean dishes, rose to 33,499 across 90 countries last year, according to a report published by the Korean Food Promotion Institute. The number increased 262 percent from 9,253 in 2009. 　There were 15,985 restaurants in China, 9,238 in Japan and 3,293 in the US.　Taiwan, Indonesia, Europe and the Middle East also had a greater number of Korean restaurants last year compared to 2009. 

Jan. 25, 2018

Michelin-starred chef bets on casual Korean dining

Chef Yim Jung-sik burst onto the world culinary scene nine years ago with then a rather new concept of Korean fine dining.In two years, he tapped New York, the heart of haute cuisine, with his restaurant Jungsik and earned a Michelin star the following year. The restaurant has had two Michelin stars since 2014, and his Seoul store was added to the second edition of the Michelin Guide for Seoul 2018 as a two-star eatery.After nearly a decade of dedication to fine dining, Yim recently embarked on

Jan. 20, 2018

Sitting down for authentic Korean meal before hitting the runway

The first Korean Michelin-starred chef Yim Jung-sik hopes to introduce a new perspective on everyday Korean food with Pyunghwaok, which opened at Incheon Airport’s new terminal Thursday. “Foreign diners will be able to taste real Korean food from the entrance of Korea,” Yim said at Pyunghwaok, which means “peace house” in Korean, on Wednesday, ahead of its official opening. “For me, I can showcase my menu to a more diverse spectrum of people.” The restaurant offers classic food of North and Sout

Jan. 19, 2018

[Graphic News] Foreigners' satisfaction with Korean food lowest in Japan

　Foreigners satisfaction with traditional Korean food, known as “hansik” in Korea, was the lowest in the neighboring country of Japan, one poll showed, amid frayed ties between the two countries over a number of diplomatic issues.　Japanese people’s awareness of Korean food came in at 32.8 percent, compared to an overall average of 64.1 percent, according to a survey from the Korean Food Promotion Institute. The poll was conducted online, questioning 6,000 foreigners living in 10 major cities abr

Jan. 10, 2018

[Weekender] Chicken feet and more -- odd, must-have specialties at Korea’s tented bars

Korea’s pojangmacha, or tented bars, have evolved over the years both in appearance and gastronomical offerings, now more polished and offering a wider array of dishes to go with drinks. 　But some distinctly Korean specialties, featuring odd ingredients unfamiliar to most foreign visitors and even many Koreans -- from chicken feet and cow innards to cartilage and squirming fish -- remain staple dishes at the tarp-covered watering holes.　The food dishes, many of them doused in spicy sauces, are o

Dec. 8, 2017

Off-the-menu eats at new Thai spot

Everything about Krap Pom, a new Thai eatery that opened in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, is underground. Not only is the restaurant located in the basement, the place also sequesters a slew of off-the-menu specialties that one either has to intuitively order or discover by monitoring the restaurant’s Instagram feed, where owner Lee Hyun-jong posts new dishes. “The dishes that have passed the test are the ones we post on Instagram,” said Lee, 34.  Krap Pom’s pla neung manao (back, left) -- steamed fish spi

Aug. 11, 2017

[Home Cooking] Gaji bokkeum (stir-fried eggplants)

In the summertime, Korean tables are full of vegetable side dishes. Here’s a quick and easy summer side dish made with eggplants. Asian eggplants have tender skin and sweet flesh. Look for slender eggplants with a rich purple color and shiny skin, and without any soft or brown spots. To add a pop of green color to the dish, I used a couple of green chili peppers for this recipe. Garlic chives (buchu) works really well with this dish as well. Sometimes, I also add a handful of mushrooms (oyster,

Aug. 11, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Skincare, spa at Sheraton Seoul D Cube City The Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering a package of luxurious spa and skincare treatments with the Swiss company Valmont, a leading skincare brand with over 30 years of experience, at its Aequalis Spa.Valmont’s signature product Energy Ritual features four different facial treatments designed to replenish the skin using glacial water and reduce wrinkles. Guests can receive a treatment for 30, 90, 110, or 120 minutes. The 30-minute treatment s

Aug. 11, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Fusion bingsu at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul, located on the 24th floor and offering a wide view of downtown, is offering two new types of the icy traditional Korean dessert bingsu -- cold-drip coffee bingsu and peach bingsu -- through Aug. 31, every day from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The new varieties follow the signature makgeoli bingsu, which was developed by the restaurant and teahouse. The coffee bingsu at 37,000 won uses Yirgacheff coffee beans, almond milk and shaved ice, t

Aug. 4, 2017

[Home Cooking] All purpose Korean marinade (manneung ganjang)

This marinade is all you need for Korean barbecue this summer! It takes less than an hour to put this large batch together. You don’t need to assemble a marinade or run to a store to buy a jar of pre-made marinade every time. All the flavor enhancing ingredients are boiled together, so the marinade is very flavorful and the shelf life is naturally long. To make this all-purpose marinade, the ingredients are boiled with umami-boosting vegetables such as dried shiitake mushrooms and dashima. Korea

July 28, 2017

Healthy-ish grain bowl and other new eats at Bimbom’s second outlet

In a residential area of Seongsu-dong rapidly morphing into a clutch of eateries and cafes, Bimbom owners Sim Ka-young and Kim Tae-kyung found a second home for their famous brunch-friendly eats. “We came here by chance and had that feeling right away,” said co-owner and designer Kim, 43. “It felt like the neighborhood I grew up in.”  Bimbom’s Seoul Forest outlet serves up new additions like “eggnolia” -- a pesto quinoa and barley grain bowl topped with pickled red beets, avocado and a poached e

July 28, 2017

Around the Hotels

Champagne, sparkling wine at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul, offering a panoramic view of the city from the 24th floor, has a promotion of champagne and sparkling wine at discount prices.Two types of champagne -- Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque and Billecart-Salmon, Extra Brut -- and nine types of sparkling wine -- including Fantini Gran Cuvee Rose Swarovski and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rustico -- are available along with snacks. One glass costs 24,000 won or a bottle is 61,00

July 28, 2017

Making more than makgeolli

Julia Mellor’s first experience with makgeolli was, by her own admission, terrible. The cheap green bottle she had purchased from a local convenience store here left such a bad aftertaste that she gave up on Korean alcohol there and then. So it’s surprising that now, almost 10 years after her first and what she thought would be her final sip, she finds herself at the helm of a company dedicated to educating and spreading awareness of traditional Korean alcohol.Daniel McLaughlin (left), managing

July 19, 2017

Revitalizing Seoul through food

The evolving dining industry in Seoul has transformed blue-collar communities into hipster havens, where artists and expats alike relocate to open their restaurants and cafes. With food comes locals, drawn by the aesthetically pleasing interiors and foods on a platter, housed inside abandoned warehouses and narrow alleyways.Industrial neighborhoods, like Mangwon-dong, are only in their beginning stages of revival. Mangwon-dong’s main roads are crowded with open-air markets and low-cost produce,

July 18, 2017

Maison M’O launches new bakery near Seoul Forest

If one walks into A Cote du Parc at 10 in the morning, one is greeted with the intoxicating scent of freshly baked brioche, a warm, toasty, buttery scent that is hard to resist. The spread of pastries, bread and cakes on display makes it even more tempting to walk away with an armful of carbs from this new bakery, which opened in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong this April. The second offshoot of Maison M’O, a dessert shop that opened over two years ago, A Cote du Parc differentiates itself from its well-kn

July 14, 2017

Kkaennip Jjim (Steamed Perilla Leaves)

This steamed perilla leaf side dish (kkaennip jjim) is enjoyed in the summer when fresh perilla leaves are plentiful. The fragrant perilla leaves are lightly seasoned with a simple mixture of seasonings. Briefly steaming mellows the taste of this strong flavored vegetable while keeping the freshness of the leaves. If you find fresh perilla leaves a bit too strong, try this steamed version. Once you clean the leaves, it only takes a few minutes to put the sauce together and steam the leaves eithe

July 14, 2017