Foreign tourists enjoy Korean food, find some dishes overly spicy: poll

Foreigners visiting South Korea generally enjoyed eating traditional dishes but said some were overly spicy, a poll conducted by a state-run tourism agency said Sunday.According to the Korea Tourism Organization, 66.3 percent of the 974 people surveyed in February said they were satisfied with Korean food, with 31.4 percent saying it was "alright" and 2.3 percent expressing dissatisfaction. (Yonhap)Among those that complained about local food, 46.1 percent cited the spiciness as a problem, with

June 5, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Seafood buffet at Sheraton Seoul D Cube CityThe Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel will feature a seafood dinner buffet at its restaurant Feast from June 5 through July 27. The “Shell We Feast” promotion offers freshly steamed seafood throughout the week, including snow crab, king shrimp, scallop, abalone, corb shells, middle mussels, short-necked clams and date mussels. The price starts at 84,000 won per person. Seating is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and fr

June 2, 2017

‘Don’t look back in anger’: Manchester’s musical message to the world

MANCHESTER, England (AFP) -- “Don‘t look back in anger.” The now poignant words of legendary Manchester Britpop band Oasis rang out in a flower-filled square on Thursday, as a grieving crowd broke out in song after a minute’s silence to remember the 22 people killed in Monday‘s suicide bombing. In a city with a proud musical heritage, this was a spontaneous message of defiance from people trying to come to terms with the heartbreaking massacre of innocent young victims who were themselves enjoyi

May 26, 2017

Fiber is under the radar, but still boosts health

Dietary fiber is so 20th century.Important research published and widely publicized in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s highlighted fiber’s role in reducing the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders including diverticulitis, and some cancers -- all while helping to control weight. Save the world with fiber.Here in the 21st century, fiber no longer gets the attention it once commanded -- save for the occasional fiber bar commercial. The spotlight now has shifted to the long l

May 26, 2017

Zenzero churning out small batch gelato

Gelato charmed Kwon Jeong-hye when she was studying Italian cuisine in South Korea.Kwon remembers being initially drawn to the canvas of gelato as a conduit through which flavors could be channeled.  Now Kwon is sharing that charm with shopgoers at the small gelateria she opened with her husband in Seoul. Zenzero -- a gelateria that specializes in artisanal, small batch gelato and sorbet -- opened this March in Seoul‘s Samseong-dong (Photo credit: Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)"I went to learn

May 26, 2017

Rose wines to pop open for spring or anytime

It seems almost unfair to rose to start thinking about it, and talking about it, and looking for it when spring comes around. Then again, how many of us think about turkey and stuffing outside of November? Or corned beef and cabbage outside of March? No one is stopping you from planning those meals on any day of the year, calendar be damned. Yet you don‘t. At least most of you don’t.Did my college roommates and I cook up an entire traditional Thanksgiving dinner one spring semester? Sure we did.

May 19, 2017

[Home Cooking] Snack on ddangkong jorim

This is a simple but delicious side dish that’s made with peanuts. Made similar to kongjang (soy braised soybeans), this braised peanut dish is sweet, sticky, savory and nutty with a pleasant chewy texture. It’s a popular basic side dish.For this dish, use raw shelled peanuts with skins. Around here, we’re lucky to have good quality Virginia peanuts, one of the largest varieties. Raw peanuts retain the skins intact and absorb the sauce better with a softer texture as a result, but you can use ro

May 19, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Luxury sedan package at Sheraton Grand IncheonSheraton Grand Incheon Hotel is offering package combining accommodation and rental of a Jaguar XJ Sedan until June 30. Guests can stay at an executive suite, offering a view of the Central Park in Songdo, that comes with breakfast. They can also rent the luxury sedan for driving along the Songdo Coastal Road. The package also features a set of macaron and coffee at the Menagerie bakery inside Shiheung Shinsegae Premium Outlet. Free access to the swi

May 12, 2017

Sleeper hit expands budding burger empire

When Downtowner, a burger spot, first opened in Hannam-dong last year, it was a quiet and uneventful affair. “On our first day, sales were 100,000 won,” said CEO Joon Lee, 36. Lee revealed it took two months for word to spread. Now, people stand in line to get their hands on one of Downtowner’s famous burgers.When a second location opened several weeks ago in Sinsa-dong, there was already a line of people waiting to grab lunch on the first day of business. Word had spread fast. Lee attributes th

May 12, 2017

Seoul becomes a field of salad eateries

With healthy dining options being a big new trend, Seoulites have been looking to eateries that offer fresh salads to quell their appetite for delicious low calorie options. The following is a list of hip, healthy salad spots that have cropped up throughout Seoul recently.  What A Salad (Instagram) What A Salad (Instagram)What A SaladThe Itaewon store offers custom-made North American-style chopped salad. Diners can curate dishes of their liking from a rich assortment of some 40 different salad

May 11, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Sri Lankan food fest at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s flagship buffet restaurant Cafe 395 will host a Sri Lankan food festival from May 17 to 26 in cooperation with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Seoul. Chef Selliah Karuppan from Colombo Hilton in Sri Lanka will fly to Seoul for the event, which will feature authentic Sri Lankan dishes, including a prawn salad, sting hopper pillaw, beans tempered, egg and plain hoppers with condiments, pumpkin custard and bibikkan. Cafe 395 will al

May 5, 2017

[Home Cooking] Egg fried rice (gyeran bokkeumbap)

This egg fried rice is flavored with lots of scallions. It’s a quick and easy way to whip up a light meal and use up leftover rice and eggs.The key to this recipe is the oil flavored with scallions that’s used to cook the eggs and fry the rice. It gives this simple dish a nice flavor.To keep the eggs soft, first make scrambled eggs that are a bit runny, remove from the pan, fry the rice, and then add the eggs back to the pan to combine with the rice at the end. The eggs remain nice and fluffy th

May 5, 2017

[Herald Interview] Chefs ferment chemistry between Korean, Western cuisines

Chef Federico Heinzmann each day cherry-picks nature’s best ingredients, cooks them using ingenious recipes and delivers his creations on the table in ways uniquely Korean and earthly at the same time. Working with Korea’s renowned Buddhist monks, the Argentine executive chef at Park Hyatt Seoul’s The Lounge has dug deep into the country’s culinary roots in search of innovations, which would satiate even the trickiest bon vivants worldwide.Heinzmann came to Korea seven years ago from his multicu

April 28, 2017

[Eye] Young restaurateur on top of a cloud

Located on the 81st floor of Seoul’s new landmark Lotte World Tower Signiel Hotel Seoul, Michelin one-starred Bicena is the highest situated Korean restaurant in the city.For most restaurateurs, moving locations soon after winning the coveted Michelin star would be a challenge that they would rather avoid. Lucia Cho, 35, CEO of Bicena and the Michelin three-starred Gaon, however, embraced the challenge with open arms. “It presented a new opportunity for us,” Cho said about the decision to move t

April 28, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Chinese buffet at Sheraton Seoul D Cube CityThe Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering a Chinese buffet promotion from Monday to May 16 at the restaurant Feast on the 41st floor. The dishes are prepared by guest chefs from Le Meridien Zhengzhou in China. They include various congees, such as rice congee with preserved eggs and pork, congee with fish fillet and congee with beef and egg. Also included are regional dishes: deep-fried shrimp with spicy salt; baked chicken with shallots and gin

April 28, 2017

Eat, cook, read at Cooking Library

Devoted to all things food, Hyundai Card’s latest project is an establishment where visitors can eat, cook and read about eating and cooking. Called Cooking Library, it is a space that offers an in-depth look into the craft of cooking, where the “production, literature and experience of food come together,” said Lee Mee-young, vice president of the credit card company’s brand division, at the press opening Wednesday. “The idea is that the visitor can indulge in all five senses.”Open exclusively

April 26, 2017

[Home Cooking] Yeongeun Bokkeum (Stir-fried lotus root with peppers and mushrooms)

Lotus root (yeongeun) is the underwater stem of the lotus plant, which is rich in fiber and essential nutrients such as vitamin C and potassium. My favorite way to eat this crunchy and starchy root is to simply stir-fry (bokkeum) it with some other vegetables. To prepare the lotus root for cooking, peel the skin, slice or cut into bite size pieces, rinse, and then soak in the vinegar water. This will remove any impurities inside and the slight bitterness of the lotus root and prevent discolorati

April 21, 2017

Earl Grey espresso and ricotta fig toast at Cafe Halfmoon

Located on a quiet stretch of a Cheongdam-dong street, Cafe Halfmoon looks like it would lead a relatively obscure and tranquil existence as a neighborhood hangout.  Cafe Halfmoon serves up eats and drinks in a communal space with an open kitchen (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)That is not what happened when the cafe opened in January. “The first day of our soft opening we had one customer,” said co-owner Yoon Young-sim, 26. That moment was short-lived.“The second day people started showing up,”

April 21, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Green tea promotion at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul, a newly renovated Korean tea house, is offering a green tea promotion until April 23. The promotion includes a selection of premium green tea for two -- Woojeon, Gokwoo, Sejak and Jukro varieties -- and hwajeon, flat sticky rice cake decorated with flower petals. The promotion is available every day from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with prices starting from 42,000 won. The tea is served in a traditional Korean tea ceremony. Along

April 14, 2017

[The Palate] Gyeongdong Market, the endearing traditional marketplace

The traditional markets scattered throughout the country are important resources for their local neighborhoods. Well-known marketplaces, like Namdaemun and Gwangjang, are examples of where Koreans can find their most basic of needs. But their authenticity is somewhat reduced by having been glossed up for tourists. By comparison, Gyeongdong market in Dongdaemun-gu, northeastern Seoul, is where one can truly experience a traditional marketplace within the city, and feel the honesty and warmth of i

April 14, 2017