Sheraton Jinan Hotel’s executive chef Jeffrey She has worked at glitzy establishments such as St. Regis and Le Meridien, but he puts on no airs, creating a first impression that is more in line with the image of the proprietor of a traditional, home-style restaurant. 　He is a big, jolly man with a bright smile. But under that friendly demeanor lies a sharp business mind, as She has honed his skills for 18 years mainly in the demanding hotel business. 　She’s first field of study was hotel managem

March 2, 2016

Mingles restaurant in Gangnam-gu, Seoul has been named as one of Asia’s 50 best restaurants by S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna’s “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” 2016 rankings list. 　Local chef Kang Min-goo’s Mingles ranked 15th this year. It was also voted best restaurant in Korea. 　Since its opening in April 2014 in Seoul’s glitzy district of Gangnam, Mingles has been serving up modern Korean cuisine, fusing traditional Korean dishes and European influences. Kang is one of the most talked about

March 2, 2016

The hold of celebrity chefs over Seoul’s dining scene remains as strong as ever, proving that the era of such culinary stars is far from over. 　With chefs the stars of their own culinary space, dinner as theater has become a part of the dining out experience, with open kitchens serving as a stage for diners to witness chefs in motion. 　Exquis -- a fine dining spot that opened three months ago in Sinsa-dong, Seoul -- takes the concept a step further by seating diners at a counter located above an

March 2, 2016

 In the winter, dried vegetables are a staple in Korean kitchens. Chwinamul (aster scaber) is a popular choice. It is a wild vegetable, with a bitter taste and distinct aroma, that grows in the mountains of Korea. Simply seasoned, chwinamul is delicious as a side dish or in bibimbap. Chwinamul bokkeum (Sauteed aster scaber) (Korean Bapsang)　There are several ways to rehydrate dried vegetables. Some people soak dried vegetables in water for several hours and then boil them, but I like to boil the

Feb. 26, 2016

Korean cuisine has long been associated with the practice of fermentation and the healthful benefits of a variety of pickled and salted foods. As health trends from around the globe are becoming more popular among conscientious eaters, the culinary history of Korea which is rich in flavor and focused on wellbeing, offers much to learn. One dish that stands out among Korea’s most pungent holistic foods is cheonggukjang, fermented soybean, with a unique aroma which makes it an acquired taste.Going

Feb. 19, 2016

Cheese-topped lobster, grilled steak, steaming bowls of Vietnamese rice noodle and deep-fried whole squid on a stick -- these are but some of the foods from around the globe that can be had on the go on Seoul streets.Myeong-dong and Hongdae neighborhoods today boast street foods that have shed any trace of their humble origins as a cheap, quick bite for people short of money and time. Even staple street foods like tteokbokki and fishcakes have been given new twists -- spicy tteokbokki served smo

Feb. 19, 2016

Trying out diverse types of street food may be tempting, especially for tourists who wish to experience Korea‘s unique food culture. About 8,000 street vendors operate in Seoul, mostly food vendors, attracting visitors with a wide variety of offerings ranging from Korean traditional desserts to hot meals.Most of them, however, are illegal, as occupying streets with unauthorized facilities is officially banned in Korea. Acknowledging the public’s complaints over the overcrowding of the city’s maj

Feb. 19, 2016

Korea is famous the world over for its vibrant street food culture, with stalls, carts and booths selling time-tested delicacies at every turn. So it may come as a surprise to some that food trucks -- vehicles outfitted to accommodate cooking facilities -- were just legalized in Korea in August 2014 as a part of the deregulation efforts pushed by the Park Geun-hye administration.Although food trucks were touted as a way to increase opportunities for young entrepreneurs who may not have the capit

Feb. 19, 2016

A city that once saw its street foods limited to greasy fried foods on a stick and traditional doughy dessert snacks, Seoul’s streets are now seeing new culinary creations and out-of-the-box dining options like never before. Like many urban cities, one of the dynamic aspects of Seoul’s city life for both tourists and locals alike is the wide-ranging options of hot-off-the-street eats. And one cannot talk about Seoul street foods without mentioning the city’s street food mecca -- Myeong-dong.Seou

Feb. 19, 2016

Overview of food alley at BIFF plaza, Busan. (Korea Tourism Organization)Along with the spread of social media, there has been a rapid change in street food trends, from previously focusing on taste to being increasingly fixated on providing visual pleasure. People who once enjoyed the food itself are now seeking fancy or extravagant presentations to show off on Facebook or Instagram.Although Busan also has picture-worthy street foods, such as water drop mochi and skewered fruits covered with sy

Feb. 19, 2016

Banyan Tree introduces ‘Taste Odyssey’ diningBanyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul’s Club Member’s Restaurant is presenting “Taste Odyssey V” from Feb. 26-27. Taste Odyssey is held once a month and this month’s featured ingredient is fresh Byeolgyo cockles. This uniquely Korean dining event will use chamkkomak and pikkomak varieties of these little clams, delivered directly from Yeojaman, the area famous for cockles, located in the Byeolgyo coastal area. Chamkkomak is famous as one of the dishes served t

Feb. 19, 2016

Mapo tofu (or mapa dubu) is a popular Chinese dish in which small tofu cubes are braised in a spicy sauce. Mapo tofu recipes typically call for doubanjiang (called dubanjang in Korea) which is a spicy, salty chili with fermented bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns (aka Chinese coriander), but these ingredients are not staples in Korean kitchens.  Mapo tofu (Korean Bapsang)　So, to recreate this dish at home, Koreans often use a combination of doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochugaru (red chil

Feb. 12, 2016

PRAYSSAC, France (AFP) – France’s southwestern Cahors region is a new frontier for foreign investors, from Argentine winegrowers doing the “Malbec tango” to potential investor “ambassadors” from China.　Cahors is the new go-to destination for foreign investors as wine-growing land is becoming scarce -- and therefore exorbitantly expensive -- in other French regions.　“You can’t afford anything in Bordeaux or the Rhone or even in the Loire anymore,” says Chilean specialist Pedro Parra, who works fo

Feb. 10, 2016

Over Lunar New Year, Seollal, there are some traditional foods that herald in the festivities. One of them is Tteokguk, or rice cake soup. It is the first meal one should eat in the new year, as it represents hope and is symbolic of another year lived, or as it is properly known here, the Korean age of reckoning. After finishing the bowl of soup, a person’s age goes up by a year. Manduguk, or dumpling soup, is a North Korean variation of the traditional soup eaten during Seollal, and often both

Feb. 5, 2016

Ritz-Carlton offers Spring Festival packageThe Ritz-Carlton, Seoul is presenting the “New Year’s Prestige Getaway” package in celebration of the Spring Festival, China’s most important public holiday. The package is available from Feb. 1-18.Available to guests staying for two or more nights during the promotion period, the package includes buffet breakfast at The Garden and dinner at Oksan Buffet for two, for the duration of each stay. The price of the package starts from 300,000 won per night.

Feb. 5, 2016

With Lunar New Year upon us, there is no escaping the elbow-to-elbow crowds that flood the nation’s train stations as millions of locals travel out of the cities to reunite with their loved ones. While long lines at ticket booths are not surprising, over the past few years, a new food culture of has also developed there, with long lines at food places have also started appearing in train stations.  Interior look at Daejeon Station‘s bakery Sung Sim Dang. (Julie Jackson/The Korea Herald)Rather th

Feb. 5, 2016