Dosirak, a box of delights

It's a whole meal presented in a box with little compartments -- imagine a jewelry box. A dosirak can be anything -- from a humble lunchbox that is eaten at one's desk to a picnic lunch filled with gimbap and other goodies. It can even be elevated to a gourmet meal with morsels of epicurean delights filling up the various compartments. While records of dosirak go back to the Silla Kingdom (57-676), they became more popular during the period of rapid economic growth beginning in the 196

April 15, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul launches new cocktails symbolizing iconic cities Four Seasons Hotel Seoul's speakeasy bar Charles H. offers four new cocktail creations inspired by different cities -- London, Havana, New Orleans and Hong Kong. The reimagined menu is a visionary collaboration between head bartender, Odd Strandbakken, and beverage creative director, Alyssa Heidt. The dynamic duo have crafted twenty distinct cocktails inspired by the world travels of Charles H. Baker Jr. Alongside eac

April 14, 2023

[College eats] Sinchon's all-time favorite campus town foods

Sinchon in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul is home to a number of top Korean universities such as Yonsei University, Sogang University and Ewha Womans University. Welcoming students from across the country as well as foreign students, Sinchon's wide boulevards are lined with bustling shops and cute cafes that create the vibrant atmosphere of a college town. One can frequently see cool street performances, young students busking with their guitars or rapping in the open air. Walking by them, what ultima

April 8, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul opens outdoor dining and cocktails Located on the seventh floor of JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, the Margaux Grill and MOBO Bar are popular spots in the city’s Banpo district. The Margaux Grill serves a diverse menu prepared on a wood-fired grill, accompanied by a selection of more than 800 wines. On warm spring days, dining at an outdoor table offers the chance to experience gourmet cuisine in a setting with fresh greenery. MOBO Bar, located on the same floor, is a co

April 7, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Jeju Resort and Spa opens in Seogwipo JW Marriott Jeju Resort and Spa celebrates its grand opening on March. The hotel’s signature BBQ and rotisserie restaurant, The Flying Hog, serves Jeju black pork and beef cooked in a wood-fired oven. For guests who wish to explore the local cuisine, yeoumul is a Jeju-style omakase restaurant featuring seasonal ingredients and fresh seafood harvested by the island’s female divers. The Lounge, with its resident coffee master, offers s

March 31, 2023

[College eats] Daehangno: decades-old eateries and cafes that have stood the test of time

March is a busy season for many university students in South Korea as it is the beginning of the new academic year. The arrival of spring has seen bustling subway stations and streets near universities, all packed with varsity jacket-clad students making their way to eateries and cafes nearby. Daehangno, which directly translates into “University Road” in English, is located in Hyehwa-dong in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The name dates back to the Joseon era when its top educational institution

March 25, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul launches ‘Timeless Beauty’ cosmetics package Four Seasons Hotel Seoul has launched the new room package, "Timeless Beauty," in collaboration with the History of Whoo, a premium cosmetics brand and part of South Korea’s LG Household & Health Care Ltd. Inspired by the timeless beauty of Korea’s Empresses, the offer is available from April 1, for only 100 rooms. The package includes a 40-minute Whoo Hwanyu spa facial alongside springt

March 24, 2023

Making makgeolli in Seoul

"Makgeolli-bitgi," or makgeolli making and sharing, was designated a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021. Korea's long-held tradition of making makgeolli is found in literary compilations in Goryeo (918-1392), and cookbooks from the Joseon period (1392-1910) contain detailed makgeolli recipes. The distinctive taste of makgeolli sets it apart from other types of rice wine. The milky drink has both a sweet and slightly sour flavor, which can be compared to that of yogurt o

March 18, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Andaz Seoul Gangnam presents afternoon tea Andaz Seoul Gangnam, located at Apgujeong Station in Seoul, showcases its new tea set for spring. The menu features fresh seasonal fruit and tea, with three savory bites such as its A1 cheesesteak sandwich and four sweet dessert items such as citron dacquoise and mugwort madeleine. The tea set will be served with the Andaz special coffee or premium tea. The promotion is available from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Jogakbo, located on the second floor of the hote

March 17, 2023

Wonhyeongdeul creates desserts keeping ingredients’ original form

For many, cilantro is an ingredient that you either love or hate. Love it or hate it, a dessert cafe in Seoul is offering up irresistibly sweet, vividly colored cakes – with cilantro as the main ingredient. Located in an old, narrow alley in Euljiro in Jung-gu, Seoul, dessert cafe Wonhyeongdeul turns unlikely ingredients into fancy, delectable and aesthetically pleasing cakes. Opened in July 2021, Wonhyeongdeul is a second brand of Seomgwang, a cafe and wine bar located in the same buildin

March 11, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul introduces new Italian lunch set Four Seasons Hotel Seoul's Italian restaurant Boccalino has launched a Lunch Delight set. The set menu features an Italian antipasti semibuffet, with seasonal ingredients and a main dish to choose from a variety of options, including fresh pasta or beef steak. A selection of artisanal cheeses is also available. On Mondays, Boccalino diners can bring their own wine without a corkage charge. The set menu is available every day from 11:

March 10, 2023

Make 'bunsik' great again

Bunsik, literally food made with flour, has its beginnings in the early 1960s. Since rice was scarce and expensive in postwar Korea, the government promoted the consumption of mixed grains and flour noodles. The campaign to eat more mixed grains and flour faded out in the 1980s, and bunsik came to mean inexpensive eats that you could either have as a snack or as a meal in itself. Most small diners, known as "bunsikjib," serve what have become popular street food -- from gimbap, tteokbo

March 4, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul marks International Women's Day Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is set to celebrate International Women's Day with special promotions. On March 8, the first 100 female diners at the Italian restaurant Boccalino will receive a Rosso Valentino lipstick as a gift from Valentino Beauty. Female guests checking in on March 8 will receive a special card, a rose and a gift set worth 63,000 won, including cream and peeling pads from cosmetics brand L’LOVE. For inquiries,

March 3, 2023

[Temple to Table] Butternut squash jeon

Society attributes a variety of adjectives to temple food -- healthy, natural, clean, etc. Are such words accurate? The Ven. Dorim disagrees, saying, “Temple food is not that grand.” Monastics use the same ingredients that ordinary Koreans used to eat in leaner times and prepare them in ways to enhance the taste. Temple food is neither extravagant nor special. The most important factor in temple food is the person who prepares it, according to the Ven. Dorim. Traditionally, temples m

Feb. 25, 2023

[Korean Flavors] Yun Seoul’s Kim Do-yun believes time builds quality of Korean fine dining

It is rare for a fine dining chef to suddenly close his restaurant for months just to study the ingredients he wants to know about -- especially soon after the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. Kim Do-yun, head chef at the Michelin-starred Yun Seoul in Mapo-gu, Seoul, reopened his restaurant in March last year, eight months after closing its doors. “I went to France, Germany, Italy and cities like New York just to study ingredients, like food that can give noodle aroma and certain

Feb. 25, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Park Hyatt Hotels present ‘Suite Escape’ package Park Hyatt Seoul and Park Hyatt Busan present "Suite Escape," offering romantic staycations for couples until March 31. The package includes the standard benefits of one night at the Park Hyatt's suite room, a hotel dinner in the evening, and breakfast for two to begin the day. Park Hyatt's own welcome amenities are provided for all package guests. World of Hyatt members will receive the additional benefit of chocol

Feb. 24, 2023

Not your ordinary meat skewers

The history of barbeque skewers for threading, storing, and cooking meat over fire dates back to the Middle Ages. This versatile tool has stayed with people over centuries and up to today, as can be seen in traditional markets and modern restaurants with variations by countries and regions. Russian shashlik are skewered grilled meat cubes widely enjoyed across Central Asia, while souvlaki from Greece are chicken, beef or lamb with vegetables on skewers. First records of the Korean version of s

Feb. 17, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Mayfield Hotel Seoul launches Relay Festa promotion Buffet restaurant Castle Terrace, located in the Mayfield Hotel's lobby floor, is launching a “Relay Festa” event, offering up to 30 percent discounts for guests visiting through March 17. On Mondays, a 20 percent discount will be offered to neighboring residents living in Gangseo-gu or Yangcheon-gu, upon presenting their identification cards. On Thursdays, for graduating students and newly entering freshmen, a 20 percent disco

Feb. 17, 2023

[Herald Interview] For Korea's first world barista champion, failure was path to success

Jeon Joo-yeon’s path to becoming the first South Korean to win the World Barista Championship is a typical “passion leads to success” story. In 2008, then a social welfare major at a local college, she started a part-time job at a big coffee shop in her hometown of Busan. At first, she did not even touch coffee cups. She was part of the shop’s online sales team. Slowly but naturally, she gravitated toward making coffee. In 2009, she made up her mind to become a barista.

Feb. 12, 2023

[Korean Flavors] Chef Son Jong-won creates innovative, wholesome Korean fine dining experience

Stepping into the lavish interior of Eatanic Garden, a contemporary Korean fine dining restaurant located on the 36th floor of Josun Palace Hotel in the middle of Gangnam, Seoul, one is hit by the exotic mood and energy of the place. Traditionally, hotels have been at the center of gourmet experiences. Many of the restaurants listed in the Michelin guide around the world are located in hotels. That is, hotels have, for many, come to symbolize a place that guarantees a once-in-a-lifetime gourmet

Feb. 11, 2023