Bartender shakes things up with Korean booze-infused cocktails

Ever imagined a glass of whiskey mixed with soybean paste and tofu? While the combination may surprise many, the drink won the top prize at a local bartending competition. Leo Seo, also known as Seo Jeong-hyun, the 28-year-old head bartender at The Griffin in JW Mariott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, concocted the highly unusual cocktail and topped the local 2018 Jameson Bartender’s Ball held last month. In the global edition of the competition, he took fourth place.  Bartender Leo Seo (Park Hyun-koo

July 12, 2018

All about watermelon at this year’s Dessert Festival

People with a sweet tooth can rejoice as the 17th Seoul Dessert Fair returns this weekend.This year’s fair will run from Saturday to Sunday at the Setec Exhibition Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The closest subway stop is Hangnyeoul Station on Line No. 3.With watermelon as the main theme of the event, the organizers will set up a zone dedicated to a variety of watermelon-inspired desserts and fusion snacks.  (Seoul Dessert Fair)In addition, there will be homemade pastries, goods such as handcrafted

July 12, 2018

Specialty and micro-lot coffee roasted and brewed in-house

At Gray Gristmill, one of the latest additions to Seoul’s ever-growing cafe scene, getting a caffeinated brew is an interactive process. After perusing a selection of 12 different single-origin coffee and blends, cafe-goers choose their coffee and how it will be brewed. All coffee is displayed in vacuum-sealed, single portion packages at the counter with placards detailing their flavor profiles. For instance, there is Gray Gristmill’s single-origin Honduras coffee with “lemongrass tea,” “dried m

July 6, 2018

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Mango bingsu at Grand InterContinental Seoul ParnasGrand InterContinental Seoul Parnas added a new addition to its bingsu list, the Cloud Mango Bingsu.The new bingsu menu comes with cotton candy on top of a pole-shaped mango biscotti. The shaved milk ice is topped with mango puree, mango ice cream and fresh mango slices. Finnish-style berry cheese cake and mango jelly are served as side dishes along with the bingsu. The menu is served in a glass bowl, decorated with a dewdrop-shaped design, from

July 6, 2018

[Epicurean Challenge] Ugly fish’s spicy twist, aguijjim

Aguijjim (often misspelled as agujjim) is a braised spicy monkfish dish. When cooked, the ugly fish takes an unexpected gourmet turn with a delicate texture.Monkfish, or anglerfish, is usually described as one of the ugliest fish in the deep ocean. Koreans often call it “devil fish” due to its huge head and tiny eyes. An enormous mouth filled with numerous needle-like teeth completes its gruesome appearance. (Shot and produced by Lim Jeong-yeo)Surprisingly, the fish’s texture is quite the opposi

July 5, 2018

‘Kimchijeon’ over ‘kimchi pancake’

The Korean dish often referred to as kimchi pancake should be instead called by the romanization of its actual Korean name, kimchijeon, claimed a cyber organization promoting online diplomacy, Wednesday.Voluntary Agency Network of Korea is raising questions over the readymade packages by firms here that label their products as kimchi pancake in English.According to VANK’s field research, Ottogi and Sajo, as well as most of the food firms, are promoting kimchijeon as kimchi pancake. (VANK)“Just b

July 4, 2018

[Weekender] Take a bite with your eyes and ears

A golden-brown sponge cake is laid on a wooden table, basking in the warm afternoon sunshine. A red plastic brush moistens the genoise with syrup, and then heavy cream covers the sliced sheets layer by layer. Spinning the cake turntable slowly, the patissier spreads cream evenly on every side of the cake. The 5-minute mesmerizing baking journey ends when sugar-coated strawberries are gently placed on top of the cake. Chef Kook Gabie demonstrates how to make strawberry pavlova (Gabie Kook’s YouTu

June 29, 2018

[Weekender] The rise of gummies

Among mouthwatering sweets, the jelly candies industry is thriving. The surging popularity has led to diverse forms of the chewy sweets, delighting Korean consumers not only with their taste but also low calories. “In this harsh world, soft jelly candies are a streak of light in my life,” said Hwangbo Kyung-sun, an office worker in Seoul. Soft and chewy jelly products that were once perceived as treats for young children have now become one of the most favored types of sweets among adults.  Gumm

June 29, 2018

[Weekender] Sweet side of life

Kim Ha-jin, a 30-year-old working professional in Seoul, loves buying chocolates after work. “I don’t buy boxes of chocolates,” she told The Korea Herald. “I usually buy one or two pieces at high-end chocolatiers, such as Godiva or Laderach. It usually costs about 5,000 won. It’s a treat that I give myself after long, grueling hours in the office.”Before getting into chocolates, Kim said, she was into “luxurious but small” beauty products. “I would get the cheapest products, such as pink lipstic

June 29, 2018

[Weekender] Beautifying Korean rice cake with flowers, new flavors

Tteok has a reputation of being traditional food that often appears outdated with the same old taste. But Korean rice cakes can be transformed into delicate desserts that are pleasing to the eye if they are handled in a different way. Jang Yeo-jin is one such person offering a fresh take. The owner and instructor of Morak Morak Table, a tteok cooking studio in eastern Seoul, has come up with new versions of Korean rice cakes. “Fusion tteok is making tteok with a new perspective, adding elements

June 29, 2018

[Video] Like cars, houses and clothes, kitchens can be shared, too

It has been a while since the sharing economy became the next big thing, mainly with companies like Airbnb, Uber and WeWork. But how about sharing a kitchen that supports a community? Located in Huam-dong, central Seoul, Huam Kitchen is a shared kitchen that can be loaned to users for a few hours. The space is basically an ordinary kitchen with everything you need for cooking prepared, including basic condiments, spices, cooking utensils and tableware. (Shot and produced by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Kor

June 29, 2018

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Healthy Korean food at JW Mariott DongdaemunJW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul’s restaurant Tavolo 24 offers the promotion Summer 8, featuring dishes inspired by regional food across the nation. Recreating traditional tastes, chefs whipped up the dishes with stylish techniques. Guests who dine at the lunch and dinner buffets can enjoy the promotion. The menu may differ depending on the timeslot. Other European and Oriental menu items have been prepared as well. The promotion will continue until

June 29, 2018

[Epicurean Challenge] Loach soup for stamina, chueotang

Loaches or mudfish may not be the first thing that come to mind when thinking of healthy food. But in Korea, when people are exhausted, many look for loach soup, or chueotang. Chueotang is prepared by purging sand out of live loaches by boiling them in salted water. The loaches are then boiled again with various vegetables, such as chives and dried radish greens.  (Shot and produced by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald) The soup can be enjoyed with either whole or pureed loaches. A

June 29, 2018

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Italian getaway at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul presents its Summer at the Park package for guests looking for a staycation. The package includes a breakfast buffet for two people at the hotel’s Italian restaurant Cornerstone. Italian-style popcorn and beer are prepared in the rooms and guests in a suite will receive a bottle of red wine.A limited number of family guests with kids younger than 7-year-old will be provided special kids’ amenities. The price starts from 325,000 won for a standa

June 22, 2018

When dining alone, can you be carnivorous?

K-pop act Mamamoo’s Hwasa sparked a gopchang craze earlier this month with her appearance on the MBC reality show “I Live Alone.” She visited a gopchang restaurant by herself and devoured the dish of cow’s small intestines. The very next day, people lined up in front of the featured eatery, waiting for two to three hours. Sales also soared at other gopchang restaurants across the nation. In reality, however, eating gopchang alone is not easy. Most of the people who lined up to have gopchang came

June 22, 2018

[Epicurean Challenge] Pickled seafood with salt, jeotgal

Many Korean dishes contain jeotgal whether we realize it or not. Jeotgal refers to a category of seafood pickled with salt. When naming a specific type of jeotgal, the word “jeot” is used as a suffix. A wide variety of seafood can be used as a jeotgal ingredient, including oysters, clams, fish, roe and tiny shrimps, as well as fish gills and intestines. Depending on the ingredient, fermentation period may differ, from a few days to three months. But most Koreans these days purchase jeotgal at lo

June 21, 2018

Wolfgang‘s Steakhouse sponsors Kia Women’s Open

Wolfang‘s Steak House Korea said Friday it is sponsoring the Kia Motors 32nd Korea Women’s open through offering gourmet meals for its guests. The restaurant said it offered a special lunch package for 1,000 guests of the K-lounge, who had a taste of the famous eatery‘s dishes as they attended the event. (Wolfgang`s Steakhouse Korea)The event was attended by star golfers including Kim ji-hyun and Park In-bee. “It holds a special meaning to us because we are giving the guests an opportunity to ex

June 15, 2018

Sharing taste of modern Singapore with Seoul

The eyes of the world turned briefly to Singapore early this week, with the historic summit between the United States and North Korea. Now those who became interested in the city-state can go for a Singaporean gourmet experience in the heart of Seoul. Millennium Seoul Hilton is hosting the Singapore Food Festival, offering authentic Singaporean cuisine to diners in Seoul. It has invited chef Bryce Li from the Beast & Butterflies restaurant at M Social Hotel Singapore, a lifestyle design hotel ru

June 15, 2018

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Summer afternoon tea at Sheraton SeoulSheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel’s Lobby Lounge Bar presents a new afternoon tea set for the summer season. The afternoon tea set, served in a uniquely tiered tray, offers eight desserts, two snacks and a refreshing punch cocktail. The tea set is priced at 22,000 won and can be ordered from Monday to Friday between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sheraton Sweet Collection, consisting of nine signature mini desserts, is available for takeout, targeting guests who want to e

June 15, 2018

[Home Cooking] Slow cooker spicy braised pork ribs (maeun dweji galbijjim)

Korean braised dishes are so easy to cook in the slow cooker, and this spicy braised pork rib (maeun dweji galbijjim) is no exception! You throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and forget about it until the meat is fork tender and ready to be served. Maeun galbijjim (spicy braised ribs) is a popular braised dish in Korea. I like to use baby back ribs for this recipe. They are tender and meaty. This recipe is spicy, but you can certainly make it spicier by adding more gochugaru (Korean red chi

June 15, 2018