[Around the Hotels] Grand Hyatt Incheon introduces year-end signature dishes

Grand Hyatt Incheon introduces year-end signature dishes　Restaurant 8, located on the first floor of the East Tower of Grand Hyatt Incheon, has launched the “Signature Menu of the Year” until Dec. 31.  　The course includes five dishes from around the world which were the most popular from Restaurant 8’s “Journey” promotion, which took place throughout the year.　The main dish is the black chicken soup, originally presented during the summer, to give guests strength in the freezing winter. Strawbe

Dec. 4, 2015

Hwayo soju heads to Hong Kong

Hwayo range of premium soju by KwangJuYo (KwangJuYo)Premier Korean liquor brand Hwayo is now available in Hong Kong at celebrity chef Judy Joo’s newly opened contemporary Korean restaurant, Jinjuu.The Korean-American “Iron Chef” winner Joo celebrated the grand opening of her restaurant on Tuesday in Central Hong Kong’s California Tower, where she will be serving up Korea’s top-shelf Hwayo soju. Offering a modern twist on traditional and modern Korean food, the chef opened up her flagship Jinjuu

Dec. 2, 2015

Around the hotels

‘Year-end Getaway’ at Conrad Seoul Don’t miss Conrad Seoul’s specially priced “Year-end Getaway” promotion. This offer features a wonderful night at Conrad Seoul, with the best views and most spacious rooms in the city. Celebrate your New Year with a getaway vacation with family, friends and loved ones. Conrad Seoul has the most spacious rooms among all five-star hotels in Seoul and is the only hotel that features two queen beds in a twin room. This package is available through March 31 next yea

Nov. 27, 2015

[Herald Interview] The science and art of kimchi

For Lee Sun-hee, the sous chef at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel, making Korea’s favorite side dish, kimchi, is all about science and art.She uses statistical data and historical documents that recorded the cooking techniques of dishes served for Joseon Dynasty royalty to sustain the traditional taste of the hotel’s kimchi.Lee has been making kimchi at the hotel for nearly two decades. Not only does she continuously search for academic papers for new culinary insights, but actually wrote a

Nov. 20, 2015

[Weekeneder] Seasoning’s greetings

Kimchi, a spicy, fermented cabbage dish, is served at almost every Korean meal. (Korea Tourism Organization)Trucks loaded with piles of napa cabbages carry the season’s fresh produce to grocery stores. Makers of red rubber gloves go all out to ensure sufficient supply, while the nation’s weather agency releases a special forecast, predicting the ideal dates for kimchi-making. All for the love of Korea’s national side dish. From mid-November till early December, before the cold fully sets in, Kor

Nov. 20, 2015

Bold frontier for kimchi

London-based modern Korean restaurant Jinjuu's Carnitas Fries are garnished with cheddar, pork and kimchi (Lee John Mann Photography)　It is hard to say when it all began, but kimchi is no longer solely served alongside or as part of traditional Korean fare. 　Now, one can find it garnishing non-Korean eats like fries, burgers and paella at Judy Joo’s London-based Jinjuu, Russell Moore’s Camino in California and even on Korean turf in Coreanos Kitchen. 　“I agree that kimchi is being used in non-Ko

Nov. 20, 2015

Insects, food of the future?

Bottles filled with different types of dried insects at UZU's exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, open until Nov. 29 (Rumy Doo/The Korea Herald) Full of nutrients like protein, iron and vitamins, and both cost-efficient and environmentally friendly to harvest, insects just might provide the perfect alternative to meat -- were it not for the fact that they’re, well, insects.But even beetles and worms can be altered to take on more palatable forms, says UZU, a multimedia artist who is curre

Nov. 20, 2015

Home cooking: Slow cooker dakjjim

Slow cooker dakjjim (Korean Bapsang)This recipe is a slow cooker adaptation of a classic Korean braised chicken dish -- dakjjim. With a slow cooker, it’s so much easier to make this moist and tender chicken that’s full of flavor. You throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and forget about it until the meat is fork tender and ready to be served. You don’t need to add any water or broth in addition to the sauce in the recipe. Slow cooking brings out a lot of natural juices from the meat and vege

Nov. 20, 2015

Make your own kimchi

There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made from cabbage, radish, onion and various other vegetables. But “baechu kimchi,” made from napa cabbage, is the most basic and common. Here’s an easy-to-follow recipe for one cabbage of baechu kimchi from Ro Hyo-sun of Korean Bapsang. 　Ingredients　1 large cabbage, or 2 small1 cup Korean coarse sea salt 5 cups of water1 pound Korean radish1/4 Asian pear (optional)3-4 scallions　Seasoning　1 tablespoon glutinous rice powder (Mix with 1/2 cup of water, sim

Nov. 20, 2015

[Herald Interview] World latte art champion reveals secrets to success

Caleb Cha (Seoul International Cafe Show) Three things led to Caleb Cha’s win at the World Latte Art Championships this year: eye-catching designs, confidence and endless practice.  “I practiced on around 300 cups of coffee a day, seven days a week, for nearly two months,” said the Melbourne-based barista, who was here to participate in this year's Seoul International Cafe Show, in an interview with The Korea Herald last week. “That made for over 12,000 cups of latte art.” Cha, a Korean national

Nov. 18, 2015

Around the hotels

Grand Hilton Seoul presents swellfish at MitsumomoJapanese restaurant Mitsumomo at the Grand Hilton Seoul will be presenting swellfish dishes until Dec. 31.Mitsumomo is offering set menus with the best quality swellfish from the clean waters of the Tongyeong Sea. The set menus include marinated swellfish skin with dropwort, swellfish sashimi, swellfish tempura, swellfish chiri or spicy swellfish stew.Swellfish is especially good for blood circulation and very effective for skin care, both for wo

Nov. 13, 2015

Rethinking pie at Pizzafication Jaha

Even though Pizzafication Jaha opened over a year ago in Seoul’s Seochon, chef Suh Ki-won is still trying to achieve his idea of perfect pizza.  Pizzafication Jaha‘s tartufata pizza features slow-roasted oyster and shitake mushrooms, fresh mozzarella and white truffle oil.  (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)For Suh, the goal is not to create a transcendental Neopolitan or Roman or any specific regional type of pie per se. While the roots of his style of pizza are planted in Italy’s Napoli, Suh sees

Nov. 13, 2015

10 new dishes created for PyeongChang Games

A display of dishes created for the 2018 PyeongChang Games (Rumy Doo/The Korea Herald)Celebrity chef Edward Kwon has created 10 new Korean-Western fusion dishes for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics with local, accessible ingredients and easy-to-copy recipes. The dishes, which were revealed at a press conference Tuesday, consist of traditional Korean cuisine with a Western twist, such as pasta made of buckwheat noodles, the quintessential Korean bibimbap with crispy fried rice and salad, and tortill

Nov. 11, 2015

Taste of India beyond curry in Seoul

When people think of Indian food, curries, butter chicken and naan usually come to mind.Vikram UdaygiriBut Vikram Udaygiri and Kasiviswanathan, two chefs invited by the Millennium Seoul Hilton Hotel from Bangalore, India, said India is a country of diversity that offers various regional cuisines beyond just curries, chickens and naan.They say India is like Italy, which has a variety of dishes beyond pasta, or Korea, which offers more than bibimbap.Kasiviswanathan“India has various food! Every 15

Nov. 11, 2015

Hot cross buns and ginger cake at Scoff

At Scoff, a tiny bakery located in Seoul’s Buam-dong, one will find classic British baked goods like hot cross and Chelsea buns, spread out in trays and cutting boards for hungry passersby to snatch up by the plateful. 　No skimping is allowed at this sleeper hit of a bakeshop. Buns are almost a handspan wide and cakes are cut into slabs over an inch thick in girth. 　The substantial sizing of Scoff’s treats does not translate to hefty prices. The most expensive baked good on the menu is a wallet-

Nov. 6, 2015

Home cooking: Seafood doenjang jjigae

Doenjang jjigae is a stew made with fermented soybean paste. This recipe is a variation made with an assortment of seafood for a refreshing, flavorful stew. Any type of seafood can be added. The typical additions are clams, mussels, shrimp, squid and oysters. You can use any of these or a combination.　A trick you can use for doenjang jjigae is to use a small amount of vinegar at the end. It will brighten the doenjang taste, making the stew even more delicious. Nothing’s better on a cool day than

Nov. 6, 2015

Around the hotels

Hotel Cappuccino opens in SeoulHotel Cappuccino in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam, said it has officially opened for business this month. Occupying 18 floors above ground and three below, Hotel Cappuccino is an all-new urban lifestyle destination boasting 141 guest rooms and aspiring to become Korea’s first hotel to embody the concept of “Creating Shared Value.”Based on a simple, modern design concept, Hotel Cappuccino offers 141 guest rooms, three food and beverage outlets -- a cafe, restaurant and bar

Nov. 6, 2015

Around the hotels

Selena Wedding Hall renovated for new openingImperial Palace Seoul said it renovated its Selena Wedding Hall with vintage gold and white decor of authentic European style concept. In celebration of the new concept launching event, Imperial Palace Seoul is offering a table flower décor upgrade benefit to soon-to-be newlyweds that are tying the knot in Selena Wedding Hall next March. Pinned as the representative of “luxurious Gangnam wedding,” Imperial Palace Seoul wedding boasts 26 years of servi

Oct. 30, 2015

Home Cooking: Ueong (burdock root) jorim

Autumn is a good time to start eating more root vegetables. Ueong (burdock root) is very popular in Korea and other Asian countries. It’s full of nutrients and an excellent source of fiber. The root has a sweet, earthy flavor and crisp, chewy texture. Ueong jorim is a simple dish to make by lightly braising in a sweet, soy sauce.Gently scrape off the skin with a knife or the back of a knife. Since the root is pretty fibrous, I like to cut it into match sticks. Once it’s cut, the root will turn b

Oct. 23, 2015

Around the hotels

Spa Package at Grand AmbassadorGrand Ambassador Seoul is offering the “My Spa Package,” providing a comfortable guest room with Prestige Day Spa OCELAS Massage and a brunch set that can be enjoyed through room service.Prestige Day Spa OCELAS Massage comes in two kinds: foot massage and soleus massage. Foot massage is provided for about 30 minutes, promoting blood circulation and helping the body realize the balance of endocrine glands to release tension. The soleus massage is provided for about

Oct. 23, 2015