Most Popular
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3 suspects apprehended for selling celebrity deepfake porn: police
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Xiaomi takes 2nd spot after Samsung in August smartphone sales
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[Herald Interview] Kim Woo-bin grew to appreciate ‘unseen’ heroes with ‘Officer Black Belt’
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Hybe acquires US PR agency
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Yoon, Fiala seek wider range of cooperation beyond nuclear energy
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Heavy rain, strong winds to lash Korea this weekend
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'Music Bank' team demands apology from Real Madrid for cancellation of Madrid concert
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[Exclusive] [Herald Interview] MBK incapable of running Korea Zinc’s Australia business: Aussie renewable energy CEO
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Car crashes into restaurant; 1 dead, 5 injured
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600 evacuated as heavy rain floods roads, homes in southern regions
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Eating my way through Sokcho
SOKCHO, Gangwon Province -- A bustling port city on the east coast with Seoraksan in the backdrop, Sokcho, a three-hour drive from Seoul, is a much-favored summer destination for South Koreans.Defined by its lively beaches, abundant seafood and vibrant city atmosphere, the city is packed with vacationers in summer. Its recent rise as a surfing destination has led to even more visitors. Though Gangwon Province does not have a thriving culinary scene, Sokcho is still home to various delicacies cre
Aug. 8, 2019
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Summer nights at Seoul’s rooftops
The night can hold a beauty unseen in the daytime, especially in Seoul. Though the capital city is often defined by its towering skyscrapers and busily rushing people, the atmosphere abruptly changes as darkness descends on a summer evening.And when the mercury does not fall even after the sun does, a visit to a hip rooftop bar can help beat the heat.Though rooftop bars have long been the thing for cities with warmer climates -- Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong -- more spots in Seoul are now embrac
Aug. 5, 2019
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[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions
Stylish afternoon tea time at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s Cilantro Deli presents a stylish afternoon tea set consisting desserts that resemble fashion items.On top of their choice of coffee or tea, customers can enjoy either a blue high heel shoe or a pink clutch bag, both made out of chocolate, along with other miniature sweets in the shape of a lipstick, a perfume bottle and other accessories. Also included in the set are “fatcarons,” or thick macarons st
Aug. 2, 2019
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Locally-sourced, wet-aged tonkatsu at new Seoul hotspot
Still in its pre-opening stage, newly minted tonkatsu restaurant Hoshi Katsu, which soft-opened in early June in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong, has diners lining up for a taste of its fried pork cutlet. Even if one doesn’t know chef Im Yong-jae only uses Jeju black pork that has been wet-aged for 15 days and uses crumbs made from custom-made bread, one might take notice of these fried-to-order cutlets with their shaggy, golden crusts and incredibly juicy interior. “It has to be f
July 26, 2019
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[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions
Caribbean summer at Novotel Dongdaemun Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotel & Residence’s rooftop bar Gourmet Bar presents the Summer in Caribbean promotion featuring rum-based cocktails. Three cocktails are being offered at 23,000 won each: mojito, pina colada and Cuba libre. They can be paired with Cuban snacks, from sandwich Cubano to beef quesadilla to a Cuban platter, priced between 25,000 to 38,000 won.For more information or reservations, call Gourmet Bar at (02) 3425-8102.
July 26, 2019
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[Weekender] Summer on ice
In South Korea, summer isn’t summer without ice. On sizzling hot days, Koreans cool down with refreshing drinks filled with ice cubes. And ice -- finely shaved until it becomes satiny -- takes center stage in the season’s most beloved dessert: bingsu. It wasn’t always like this in Korea. According to food columnist Yoon Deok-no, the country has a long history of harvesting and storing ice for cooling purposes. But there appears to be hardly any record of people in the pas
July 26, 2019
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[Weekender] Decadent, minimalist, galactic - Bingsu is anything but boring
Bingsu -- finely shaved ice mixed with red bean, sweet milky sauce and various garnishes -- is an iconic summer dessert for South Koreans. Every year, experimental chefs come up with creative new renditions, and at the vanguard of the traditional treat’s evolution are luxury hotels. Seoul’s Hotel Shilla’s signature apple mango bingsu, introduced in 2011 and now costing 54,000 won ($46), still has fans lining up. Other establishments are trying to duplicate this success, taking
July 26, 2019
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Korean Food Promotion Institute helps farmers as onion prices plummet
Amid an unprecedented onion crisis, the Korean Food Promotion Institute held an event Tuesday to promote sales of the vegetable.A record harvest of onions, despite a decrease in farmland that grows the vegetable, has resulted in a heavy drop in prices.To help farmers, restaurateur Paik Jong-won shared recipes using onions on his YouTube channel. Individuals, companies and local governments are also supporting farmers by purchasing large amounts of onions.Joining the movement, the Korean Food Pro
July 25, 2019
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[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions
Summer treats at Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul presents summer desserts to beat the heat.Mango coconut bingsu and green tea bingsu are being offered at 38,000 won. They can be ordered at lounge cafe Gallery and all-day buffet restaurant Terrace. The hotel’s bakery Deli presents homemade soft-serve vanilla and chocolate ice cream, with 15 different toppings available at 500 won each. Ice cream served in a cone costs 4,500 won and 9,500 won in a cup. For more information, call Grand H
July 19, 2019
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Michelin star-winning chefs go to luxury hotels
With 26 restaurants boasting highly coveted Michelin stars, Seoul’s fine dining scene is definitely on the rise. Streets in posh neighborhoods of Seoul are dotted with eateries serving cuisines from around the world. By comparison, the restaurant scene in hotels seems to have lost its luster. Up until the 2000s, hotel restaurants were where one headed here for the upscale, fine-dining experience. But today, star chefs at independent restaurants are the trendsetters leading the fine-dining
July 18, 2019
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Half the guilt, double the pleasure
Ice cream and eating healthy have never quite gone hand in hand. But some alternative brands are trying to bridge the seemingly opposite ideas, producing low-calorie ice cream. Among them is Halo Top, an ice cream brand based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2012, it boasts a “better for you” ice cream. Created by two former lawyers interested in healthy lifestyles, a pint of Halo Top’s ice cream has 285 to 330 calories, one-fourth that of typical ice cream product
July 18, 2019
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[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions
Charging summer energy at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s Chinese restaurant presents a summer meal course.Taipan offers a seven-course meal featuring summer health and vitality foods. The meal will start off with a special seafood appetizer with caviar, followed by turtle soup with ginseng and Chinese matrimony vine. The soup will be followed by stir-fried chicken and neungi mushrooms, and then live freshwater eel with garlic and chili sauce. Diners will be served st
July 12, 2019
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[Weekender] Behind South Korea’s ‘fatcaron’ sensation
Around 8 o’ clock on a recent Sunday morning, more than 30 people waited in line outside a building in eastern Seoul. At the end of the line stood a sign reading “You will not be able to buy from here on.” Just before 9 a.m., a man came out, opened the door and started clearing the street where people stood in line, as they rushed into a small shop. Inside, there’re no tables, just a stack full of very fat and thick macarons. In less than 50 minutes, the door closed again
July 5, 2019
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[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions
Korean bingsu with Danish flair at Grand InterContinental Seoul ParnasIn celebration of its 30th anniversary, Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas presents bingsu in collaboration with Danish porcelain brand Royal Copenhagen.Retro Mugwort Bingsu will be served in an exquisite bowl from Royal Copenhagen until the end of August. The bingsu comes with mugwort jelly, mugwort-flavored fresh chocolate, mugwort-flavored condensed milk, injeolmi rice cake, adzuki beans and granola on top.Those who order
July 5, 2019
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Housemade pasta and more at It’el JAE
When the tajarin arrives tableside at the newly minted It’el JAE, it is a decadent, mouthwatering affair -- a sumptuous tangle of handmade pasta bathed in sage-infused butter, strewn with translucent slices of black truffle and showered with pungent Pecorino and Grana Padano cheeses. A barely poached yolk, golden and glossy, is nestled in the center. After politely waiting for diners to document the dish in photos, the servers use a fork and spoon to break the yolk and delicately blend eve
July 5, 2019
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[Weekender] The dessert craze
Beside a coin launderette and a convenience store inside a dowdy, two-story building in a not-so-fancy residential neighborhood in Gayang-dong, Seoul, nestles a small dessert shop specializing in French macarons. Selling the colorful confections for 1,800 ($1.55) to 2,300 won apiece, shop owner and baker Kim Hyun-seo also makes party favor boxes and occasionally hosts macaron-baking classes. “Being a dessert lover myself, I have been baking at home for years and recently decided to open a
July 5, 2019
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‘Sommeliers are no longer just about serving good wine’
Though sommeliers are evaluated on their expertise on wine and service skills, for hotel sommeliers, there are other qualities to consider, too. Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas’ sommelier Yoo Seung-min, 43, was recognized for his competence in May, being honored as the Asia Winner of Sommelier of Stelliers. The Stelliers is formally known as the Hotelier Awards. Hoteliers from more than 100 hotels from 19 countries participated in the event, competing in 19 different categories related
June 26, 2019
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[Weekender] A game of chicken
Ask South Koreans how they unwind after a long day at work, and many will say chimaek -- deep-fried chicken paired with cold beer. Neither of the two originated here, but the combination has become so popular that chicken bars are almost ubiquitous in Korea now. From an economic point of view, however, the trend may be overdone. According to Statistics Korea and a study by the KB Financial Group Economic Research Institute, there were nearly 87,000 chicken eateries as of February this year. That
June 21, 2019
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[Weekender] What would you do for fried chicken?
A majority of Koreans love fried chicken, but some take it to a whole new level. For instance, those who attend BBQ Chicken University, dedicated to the art of the deep-fried dish. Established by the fried chicken franchise Genesis BBQ, the institute is not a real university. It is a training camp for new employees and franchisees. But it also welcomes those who would like to know more about the secret to delicious fried chicken. According to the institution, its one-day program instructed
June 21, 2019
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[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions
Going vegan at Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul has introduced its new vegan burger at its poolside barbecue station.The Beyond Burger vegan patty that is nearly indistinguishable from meat comes with vegan cheddar cheese, vegan mayo and a variety of fresh vegetables. It is made from 100 percent plant-based ingredients.Listed on the Grab & Go menu offered at the poolside barbecue station, the burger can be ordered alongside other salads, sandwiches and low-calorie options. There are also
June 20, 2019