[Around the hotels] Round up of hotel events and news

Fabulous summer getaway at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul　JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul will present its Summer Breeze package from June 20 to Sept. 4 for those seeking a perfect summer getaway at the center of the city.　The package includes one night’s stay in a Deluxe Room, breakfast for two at the hotel’s buffet restaurant Tavolo 24 and a choice of seasonal fruit bingsu or classic red bean bingsu at The Lounge. Guests will be also given the vervain outdoor body spray from L’OCCITAN

June 10, 2016

An alphabet soup guide to confusing restaurant menu terms

NEW YORK (AP) -- Okonomiyaki, anyone? A survey released Tuesday for the restaurant reservation site OpenTable showed that the savory Japanese pancake is the No. 1 most befuddling term among 2,035 diners, with one in five saying they won’t order something they don’t understand on a menu.Foodies, stand down. Many of the Top 10 most confusing terms you’re likely familiar with. For the rest of us, as chefs in America have expanded their horizons, we bring you gochujang, piri piri, yuzu and bibimbap,

June 9, 2016

Thousands flock to posh Paris flash mob picnic

PARIS (AFP) – It’s the world’s classiest flash mob, when a highly selective group of guerrilla gourmets armed with picnic baskets and linen napkins take over a famous landmark.The latest “Diner en Blanc” (Dinner in White) took place in Paris on Wednesday when some 7,000 people dressed in white from head to toe descended on the swanky Place Vendome to dine al fresco on fine food and wine in the heart of the capital’s luxury district.The venue of the annual event -- which has now spread across the

June 9, 2016

[Eye Interview] 'Hansik is about consideration for others’

Wearing a delicate traditional Korean hanbok made of a light jade skirt and cream top, Yoon Sook-ja, chairwoman of the Korean Food Foundation, is the quintessential host -- elegant and ever so considerate of guests. Aware that the interview schedule precluded lunch, she had her staff pick up kimbap from a store in the building. If she noticed the small paper cup of water was half empty, she paused between sentences to fill it.　“Hansik is about consideration for the diner,” said Yoon, who, before

June 3, 2016

Make this delicious strawberry sauce

One of my long-standing problems in the kitchen is ambition versus execution.That dilemma always comes up during strawberry season.Strawberries are such a fleeting crop. And so, I never pass up an opportunity to bring home quarts and buckets and flats of berries.I try to put up jars of strawberry jam; regular, low sugar and no sugar. I try to make batches of old-fashioned strawberry preserves, where the berries are suspended in sauce. The preserves are so beautiful and make great holiday gifts.

June 3, 2016

High-end mocha, aged cold-brewed coffee at new roaster-cafe

Coffee M Works, a roaster-cafe that opened in Cheongdam-dong this April, merges a hip, snap-worthy interior with solid, artisanal brews.Helmed by head roaster and CEO Moon Jong-chul, the 50-seat, neo-industrial hangout serves up coffee that reflects its owner’s penchant for fragrant brews.   Head roaster and CEO Moon Jong-chul focuses on pour-over coffee, cold-brewed coffee and espresso-based drinks at his new roaster-cafe. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)The shop’s cold-brewed coffee is crafted

June 3, 2016

A guide to New York’s top bagels and schmear

NEW YORK (AP) -- At street carts and bodegas, diners and supermarkets, nowhere is the bagel more ubiquitous than New York City.So exactly what makes a New York City bagel good and, more importantly, where can an eager out-of-towner find the best?A few ideas:Black Seed BagelsThese 2-year-old entries are rolled by hand, boiled in honey water and baked in wood-fired ovens at three downtown Manhattan locations. They’re smaller and flatter than many of the humongous, puffy bagels around today. Black

June 2, 2016

Korea’s first vegan festival offers variety

Korea hosted its first ever vegan festival at the Seoul Innovation Center in Eunpyeong-gu last Sunday where an array of products and foods that are based on the concept of all things void of animal relevance was on display.　Globally, plant-based foods have become integrated in the food industry as much as any other movement of the last 50 years. As their popularity grows and as the vegan diet continues to spread and evolve, Koreans have slowly embraced what may seem a bit esoteric to its meat dr

May 27, 2016

[Home Cooking] Pickled garlic (maneul jangajji)

Pickled garlic (maneul jangajji) is a staple side dish in Korea. The garlic cloves are first soaked in a vinegar brine for a few days and then pickled in a soy brine. Through this two-step process, the garlic loses much of its pungent bite and becomes slightly sweet and tangy. It’s important to use fresh garlic for pickling. Pickled garlic lasts a long time, and the longer it matures the better it tastes.　The garlic infused soy brine can be used as a dipping or seasoning sauce. Pickled garlic (m

May 27, 2016

[Weekender] ‘Chi-maek’ spuns culture of its own

Move over Colonel Sanders, because KFC is starting to take on a whole new meaning -- Korean Fried Chicken. Korea’s popular pairing of fried chicken with ice-cold draft beer -- or what locals refer to as “chi-maek” -- has spun a culture of its own across the peninsula and international borders. Korean fried chicken is slowly emerging as staple food here along with the likes of kimchi and bibimbap.Scene from last year‘s annual Daegu Chicken and Beer Festival, which attracted nearly one million vis

May 27, 2016

[Weekender] Fried chicken lovers, get your hands busy

Just the sound of it makes one’s mouth water. In every bite -- from the crisp chicken skin to the juicy meat inside -- come plenty of reasons for its nationwide popularity, regardless of age and gender.   Either marinated or covered in batter, golden-brown fried chicken accompanied with cool beer, or “chi-maek,” is always well-suited for a picnic at the Hangang Park -- where you can get it delivered -- or an after-work get-together.  (123RF)It is not difficult to spot chicken restaurants full of

May 27, 2016

Celebrity chef helms kitchen of highly anticipated new restaurant

Less than a week remains until celebrity chef Song Hoon’s newest culinary endeavor, S-Tavern, launches in Seoul. 　Master Chef Korea Season 4 judge Song and team are busy preparing for the grand opening, tweaking sauces and working the grill, making sure that all the details, including the extensive menu, are worked out to perfection. 　The hard work seems to be paying off.  The grilled seasonal fish with zucchini, fried eggplant and lentils is served straight off S-Tavern‘s state-of-the-art grill

May 20, 2016

How did tortillas become the new white bread?

Ah, the humble tortilla. It’s been around for thousands of years -- a soft, pliable flat bread that was a cornerstone of the Aztec diet.　And now it’s the fastest-growing segment of the baking industry. Last year, tortilla sales reached $12 billion, dethroning white sandwich bread as America’s No. 1 choice for turning meat, vegetables and/or condiments into finger food.　How did that happen? Simple demographics is part of the reason. The Hispanic population in the U.S. has swelled and so has the i

May 20, 2016

Local bounty highlight of Jeju Food & Wine Festival

SEOGWIPO, Jejudo Island --The sundrenched southern Jejudo Island is known for its seafood plucked from the seabed by women divers and served up fresh and raw at beachside eateries. 　Yet, for visitors from the mainland, local food can be challenging to the palate. Slices of raw fish in cold soup is not to everyone’s liking and some food is just too bland for taste buds used to stronger seasonings.　This difference in tastes is not lost on Kim Ji-soon, founder of the Institute for Preservation of J

May 19, 2016

‘Soviet chic’ restaurant favored by KGB spies reopens in Moscow

MOSCOW (AFP) -- Moscow’s Aragvi restaurant, once the legendary haunt of KGB spies and cosmonauts, has reopened with its Soviet-era grandeur restored.　The high-end eatery on the main Tverskaya Street, which opened in 1938 at the height of Stalin’s purges, has relaunched under the same name after a $20 million restoration.　The restaurant opened on the initiative of Stalin’s notorious security chief Lavrenty Beria for the use of officials from his NKVD agency, the Soviet secret service later rename

May 17, 2016

[Weekender] Is brown sugar healthier than white?

In the world of sugar, frankly speaking, color makes no difference at all. The misconception may stem from some generalized ideas that brown rice is healthier than white rice, and wheat bread over white loaves. But brown sugar is not healthier than white sugar -- they are basically similar both nutritionally and in calories, experts say.The reason why they look different is because their manufacturing processes are different. After the extracting juice from sugar cane, the original sugar soup is

May 13, 2016