Mon Chou Chou’s new sweet paradise

Mon Chou Chou, the Japanese brand behind the popular Dojima roll, launched its South Korean flagship store this February. Until then, Mon Chou Chou sweets were only available at two kiosks in Shinsegae’s Gangnam store and Hyundai’s Apgujeong-dong outlet. Both stores opened last August to an overwhelming response.When the Osaka-based brand landed in both department stores in Seoul over six months ago, customers queued to purchase the much-coveted Dojima rolls, essentially cream-filled, supersoft

March 21, 2014

Wholesome and imaginative eats at Harvest Namsan

Harvest Namsan, a semi-posh restaurant with a wholesome bent and casual attitude, marries a prime mountainside perch with executive chef Im Sung-gyun’s tasty, innovative fare. Come mid-April and the restaurant will kick out its veranda seating, for what chef Im promises to be a more casual affair that will feature housemade sausages, terrines and pate along with barbecue. Then Harvest Namsan will be in full spring swing, giving patrons the option of enjoying the scenic view outdoors as well as i

March 14, 2014

Kongnamul muchim, (seasoned soybean sprouts)

Kongnamul muchim is one of the most frequently served vegetable side dishes in Korean homes. You can almost always find it among the array of side dishes served at Korean restaurants. It’s also one of the common vegetables in bibimbap. Sometimes, this dish is mildly seasoned to savor the natural nutty flavor of the soybean sprouts. Other times, it’s made spicy with gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes). Here, I am showing you both ways. Do not open the lid while cooking until the sprouts are cooke

March 14, 2014

Around the hotels

White Day Gala dinner at Grand Hilton SeoulGrant Hilton Seoul’s buffet is hosting a special White Day Gala dinner on March 14 in celebration of White Day. Following the success of last year’s dinner, the buffet will feature fresh seafood such as king crab, fresh sashimi and abalone. At the buffet’s live corner, roasted abalone, roasted king prawn and tuna will be available. A gourmet lobster dish will be presented to every table as an appetizer. Guests can also enjoy unlimited wine, either Kenwo

March 7, 2014

Alpine cuisine at Edelweiss

Edelweiss Swiss Deli and Kitchen co-owner Hans-Bernhard Merforth and his friend opened their small eatery in Seoul’s Haebangchon last May. “I teamed up with an old friend,” Merforth said, explaining how he, a German native, and his partner, who hails from Switzerland, joined hands to bring home-style eats from the Alpine region to Seoul. Merforth elaborated on how the aim was to offer “good quality food at reasonable prices.” “All things here we produce ourselves,” he added. Europe’s Alpine regi

March 7, 2014

Kimchi jjigae

When kimchi gets old, it becomes an excellent ingredient for various other dishes! The most common dish made with aged kimchi is kimchi jjigae. It’s a go-to stew in Korean homes. Growing up in Korea, we had a lot of meals just with kimchi jjigae and a bowl of rice. I don’t remember ever getting tired of it. There are many ways to make it. The popular version, which is also my favorite, is made with fatty pork. Kimchi and fatty pork is a match made in heaven. To add extra flavor, cook the kimchi

March 7, 2014

Medicinal effects of curry come into the spotlight

“Secret of Curry,” an online post, has gone viral in Internet communities. 　The post explains that curry is good for the health due to the medicinal effects of its powdered spices.  　Most curries contain turmeric, cumin, allspice, cardamom, ginger, garlic and capsicum -- spices with strong anti-bacterial properties. 　According to recent studies, curries are known to improve memory, appetite and immunity. They also help stave off Alzheimer’s, cancer and obesity. 　Curry, which originated from Indi

March 3, 2014

Pain de Papa's second act

Pain de Papa owner-baker Lee Ho-young is something of a celebrity amongst local bread folk. Well, actually, he is a star. Ever since his small, butter yellow shop was featured in a food show that scouts out wholesome and earnest eateries, Lee has seen a boom in business. Now hoards of health-conscious patrons come to snatch up his delicious, crusty loaves of naturally-leavened sourdough and tangy rye bread, a potential thorn in the sides of loyal customers who have been frequenting his store fro

Feb. 28, 2014

Bossam (boiled pork wraps)

Bossam is a boiled pork dish. The meat is boiled in a flavorful brine until tender and served thinly sliced. At the table, each person wraps the meat in salted napa cabbage leaves along with radish salad (musaengchae, or muchae) and saewujeot (salted shrimp). Sometimes, fresh garlic slices, chili pepper slices or fresh oysters are added. Salted napa cabbage is traditional, but you can also use lettuce or perilla leaves to make wraps. Or, enjoy it simply wrapped in a piece of well-fermented kimch

Feb. 28, 2014

Banh mi at Tamarind

A good banh mi sandwich starts with the baguette. Not only because the baguette essentially gave birth to today’s banh mi, but because it seems to matter, deeply, that the very bread cradling all that deliciousness inside be perfectly soft yet crackly, taking the lead gently as the conduit between you and all those tasty fillings. Served up warm, the bread used for the Vietnamese-style sandwiches at Tamarind by Miss Saigon seems to do just that. “Banh mi bread is very important,” said Tamarind o

Feb. 21, 2014

Agujjim (spicy braised monkfish with soybean sprouts)

Agujjim (also called agwijjim) is a spicy fish dish made with agu (monkfish) and kongnamul (soybean sprouts). The dish originated from the southern coastal city of Masan. In the past, this not so good-looking fish wasn’t consumed as a food item in Korea due to its appearance. The story behind the birth of this dish is that some fishermen didn’t want to waste their catches, so they brought them to an eatery and asked the cook to make a tasty dish. That was in the 1960s. The dish is now enormously

Feb. 21, 2014

Top French chefs ban ‘food porn’ photos

Chefs in France have spoken out about the increasing number of diners who disrupt their restaurants by taking endless photos of their food.Now a group of leading restaurateurs is campaigning to end the culture of “food porn” and ban smartphone photos in their restaurants, business and technology news website Business Insider reported.A chef said that his customers had sometimes set off a series of flashes, repositioned their tables, taken each photo several times, then posted it on social media

Feb. 19, 2014

Around the hotels

 Vodka-caviar pairing at Oakwood Premier Coex Center SeoulThe hotel offers premium caviar canapes paired with Absolut Vodka at the bar on the fifth floor until Feb. 28. The caviar canapes will be served with Russian traditional wheat pancake Blini which is eaten during Russian holiday Maslenitsa, known as Pancake Week. Three set menus, which all include the vodka and caviar canapes, are served during the promotion. The bronze set includes grilled sausages and hot dishes; the silver set includes

Feb. 14, 2014

New-old Thai at Bua

At Bua, a modern Thai restaurant that opened near Itaewon Station in November, one might blink twice at items like roti and nam prik num with fried pork. While both eats may not be as well known outside of Thailand as dishes like pad thai and som tam, Bua owner-chef Kim Yoo-ah says both are Thai staples, easily found throughout the country. “I wanted to introduce people here to new dishes,” Kim, 28, said, keen on showcasing dishes that might be novel to some diners in the city but are actually v

Feb. 14, 2014

Haemul bap (seafood rice bowl)

Haemul bap is rice cooked with seafood and served with a sauce. This type of rice bowl is very popular in Korean homes. By throwing in a few other ingredients while cooking the rice, you can have a filling one-pot meal. The obvious benefit of cooking the other ingredients with the rice is that the rice will soak up the flavors as it cooks. Because my rice cooker locks once it’s started, I cook haemul bap on the stove so I can add the seafood later in the cooking process to avoid overcooking. Wat

Feb. 14, 2014

Around the hotels

 Strawberry dessert buffet at Sheraton Grande WalkerhillThe Pavillion, the lobby lounge at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill, is offering the “Very Berry Strawberry” weekend dessert buffet from Feb. 8 to Mar. 30. The buffet is available every Saturday and Sunday and will be offered in two shifts: from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Reservations must be made in advance. The dessert buffet, which has been running for seven years, will feature a variety of strawberry desserts such

Feb. 7, 2014

Artisanal coffee and bagels

Located in Daechi-dong near Hanti Station, southern Seoul, Sam’s Bagel and Roastery provides a haven for hungry and thirsty passersby. The artfully presented red and white sign and long, broad windows are an accurate preview of the inviting space, which bears all the trappings of a please-come-and-linger spot, from its free Wi-Fi to its solid brews, bagels and scones. This is a place made for all manner of laidback behavior involving multiple cups of coffee and flour-centric bites, because the g

Feb. 7, 2014

Mu namul (radish side dish)

Mu namul is an excellent cold weather side dish. It’s simple, nutritious and tasty! In season, the radish tastes so good in its natural state that you really don’t need to add much of anything else to make this dish delicious. Typically, it is made by a combination of stir-frying and steaming. The julienned radish is first stir-fried with a little bit of oil, and then covered and cooked over low heat to steam. The result is a healthy vegetable dish that is mildly flavored and naturally sweet. In

Feb. 7, 2014

Oh Kimchi founders keep Korean traditions alive

AUSTIN, Texas ― Even though her mother is from South Korea, Abigail Lunde didn’t really like kimchi growing up.“My mom would put a little bowl of water next to my plate and wash it off for me,” says Abigail Lunde, now 28, of the fermented side dish that almost every Korean (well, 95 percent, according to a recent survey) eats at least once a day. “My mom wanted me to be Americanized,” Lunde says. “We would go back (to South Korea) every few years to visit, but I didn’t understand the culture. I

Feb. 5, 2014

[Weekender] Rice-cake soup remains Seollal staple

Tteokguk, that steaming bowl of hot broth studded with slices of white rice cake, is a classic Seollal staple. “In Korea, placing a bowl of tteokguk on the ancestral table for rites on Lunar New Year’s morning is tradition,” said Dadam executive chef Jeong Jae-deok. Even at Dadam, a Korean fine dining restaurant located in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong, Jeong makes a point of serving rice cake soup on both New Year’s Day and Seollal in lieu of the customary porridge that accompanies meals. The symbolic

Jan. 24, 2014