Celebrity chef looks to upgrade buffet dining

From the menu right down to the design of the chairs and the fresh flowers on display, Edward Kwon’s newly opened The Mixed One Buffet & Dining is an embodiment of the chef’s personal tastes.“If you want to be a chef, you need to do everything,” he said. “If you only know how to cook, then you are just a good cook.”Coming off the success of his Hannam-dong fine dining restaurant, The Mixed One, the celebrity chef who started out as a server and worked his way up the ranks has opened up a second

March 15, 2013

Dageumbari special at Lotte Hotel Seoul

The hotel’s Japanese restaurant Momoyama presents a rare opportunity to enjoy authentic dageumbari sashimi from March 19 to 21. During the promotion, fresh fish will be delivered by air each morning and chef Kang, renowned dageumbari master, will work on different parts of dageumbari to create up to 29 different types of tastes. The restaurant will feature dageumbari salad, dageumbari and assorted sashimi, Cantonese-style dageumbari simmered in soy sauce, and egg custard with dageumbari and shar

March 15, 2013

Spring festival at Millennium Seoul Hilton

The hotel’s Japanese restaurant, Genji will hold a two-month celebration of spring called Haru Matsuri. The festival will introduce fresh spring vegetables to the a la carte and multi-course menus. Various spring roots and vegetables, including mugwort, fatsia shoots and bog rhubarb, will be featured on this special vernal menu. The Chef’s Special Spring multi-course menu at 99,000 won will feature various dishes including grilled seasonal fish, seasonal spring vegetable side dishes, spring vege

March 15, 2013

‘Treasured Moment’ package at Conrad Seoul

The hotel presents the “Treasured Moment” package year round. The package offers good service and accommodation in the heart of the Yeouido Business District. Set within the International Finance Center, the hotel offers smart luxury, super-spacious rooms for the ultimate sleep experience, providing all visiting guests with a “treasured moment.” The package includes a 20 percent discount on rooms and the hotel’s buffet restaurant Zest. The package will also give members of the “Hilton HHonors” a

March 15, 2013

Allergy-free rooms at Grand Hilton Seoul

The hotel presents new allergy-free rooms, suites that are created in compliance with high levels of sanitation and air quality for customers who are sensitive to allergens and bacteria. The hotel staff eliminated more than 98 percent of the bacteria as a result of a two-week sanitation process that consists of seven hygienic procedures. The room will provide a safe and hygienic environment for children whose immune systems are weak and customers who suffer from allergies or asthma. The guests w

March 15, 2013

Romance package at Hyatt Regency Incheon

The hotel presents two Romance Package vouchers this month. The “Romance Romantic Moment Package” includes a one-night stay, a honeymoon souvenir and the second package, “Romance Sweet Moment Package,” has all the benefits of the first package, plus a 50,000 won Korean Air In-Flight Duty Free shop discount coupon and 50,000 won in food and beverage credit that can be used at Restaurant 8, Vy Bar, karaoke and room service. A 10 percent food discount for Restaurant 8, Vy Bar, karaoke and room serv

March 15, 2013

Dalk bulgogi (chicken bulgogi)

If you like the sweet and savory bulgogi flavor but not red meat, this one’s for you. Bulgogi is a marinated meat dish made with thin slices of beef. Dalk bulgogi is a variation made with chicken (“dalk” means chicken). For the chicken version, I like to add a bit of lemon flavor to give the dish a tasty spark. I used boneless chicken thigh, but you can use boneless breast or a combination of both. The bite-size chicken pieces marinate and cook quickly, making this dish a good option for a weekn

March 15, 2013

America’s new love: Water

NEW YORK (AP) ― It wasn’t too long ago that America had a love affair with soda. Now, an old flame has the country’s heart.As New York City grapples with the legality of a ban on the sale of large cups of soda and other sugary drinks at some businesses, one thing is clear: soda’s run as the nation’s beverage of choice has fizzled.In its place? A favorite for much of history: Plain old H2O water.For more than two decades, soda was the No. 1 drink in the U.S. with consumption peaking in 1998 at 20

March 13, 2013

Herald Ecofarm presents new Just Juice products

Healthy has never tasted so good. Herald Ecofarm, which unveiled its first line of “Just Juice” 100 percent organic fruit beverages last November, recently introduced its newest flavors of health juice drinks: “Kevin’s Bokboonja Apple” and “June’s Hallabong.”Kevin’s Bokboonja Apple juice is a unique combination of wild berries, red cabbage and apples. The antioxidants in the wild berries are particularly good for men because they are said to improve the health of the kidneys and virility. And in

March 13, 2013

Chocolate and fruit dessert a Sheraton Seoul D Cube

The hotel presents a special dessert buffet “All About Chocolate Meets Fruit” that features various desserts made of chocolate and fresh fruit, at the 41st floor Lobby Lounge Bar. The bar presents a stunning view of the city where guests can enjoy various desserts with a warm cup of coffee or tea. The buffet offers fresh strawberries, cherries and pomegranates along with various kinds of chocolate desserts including a mini fondue, chocolate marshmallows, mini-bars and more. Also guests may choos

March 8, 2013

Edo Mae course set at The Plaza

The hotel’s Japanese restaurant MURASAKI presents the “Edo Mae Course Set” from March to April. “Edo Mae” is one of the three representative Japanese cuisines. Three special ingredients ― sea cucumber eggs, estuary oyster and natural cockle ― will be cooked with Edo Mae recipes. The chef said that he paid particular attention to the presentation to preserve the natural taste and nutritional values of the special ingredients. The Edo Mae Course Set is comprised of an appetizer, clam rice, sashimi

March 8, 2013

Dubu kimchi, (tofu with stir-fried kimchi and pork)

Don’t know what to do with that aging kimchi in your fridge? Here is one of many traditional Korean dishes that use old kimchi. Spicy kimchi is stir-fried with pork (you can omit the pork to make it a meatless dish) and served with sliced tofu that has been either boiled or pan-fried. Kimchi and pork are a classic combination in Korean cooking. The taste is intoxicating, with the pungency of kimchi and the rich flavor of fatty pork. The crunchy texture of the kimchi and the meatiness of the pork

March 8, 2013

Plated, Memphis-style dry-rub barbecue

Perched over the collegiate area’s hangout fixture, Burger B, Hongdae newcomer Beale St. lives up to its Memphis-inspired name, dishing out mouthwatering barbecue that has served its proper time in a smoker getting tender and juicy before doing a final, flesh-crisping stint on the grill. “After opening Burger B, we wanted to do barbecue, the kind that we enjoyed in America,” said Burger B and Beale St. co-owner Suk Jun-choi. Suk, who had spent some time in the United States, wanted his next rest

March 8, 2013

Coca-Cola puts new sweetener in U.K. Sprite

Finding a can of regular Sprite in the United Kingdom is about to get difficult.Coca-Cola says it‘s replacing Sprite in the country with a version that uses the sweetener stevia and has 30 percent fewer calories. Sprite Zero, which doesn’t have any calories, will also be available.The change by the world‘s biggest beverage maker is in response to a government push calling on companies to address obesity. Coca-Cola already made a similar move with Sprite in France last year.Stevia is a sweetener

March 7, 2013

Mom, daughter package at Lotte Hotel Jeju

The hotel offers a two-night “Mother and Daughter Healing Retreat Package” from March 3 to 26. The package is priced at 850,000 won (tax excluded) for two nights’ stay at the hotel’s Deluxe room, two Asiana Airlines roundtrip tickets, SK-II Boutique Spa for two, breakfast (choice between in-room dining or restaurant) and dinner for two on one preferred date of stay. Dinner guests can choose between Japanese, Korean and Italian restaurants. Guests will also be provided with wine Le Fronde Moscato

Feb. 28, 2013

Strawberry dessert promotion at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul

The hotel’s lounge lobby is running a strawberry dessert promotion from Feb. 18 to April 30. The buffet is available from Friday to Sunday. The buffet features dishes ranging from fresh strawberries to strawberry clairs, strawberry cheese pie, strawberry tart, strawberry mille-feuille, strawberry shortcake, soft strawberry pudding, strawberry mousse, strawberry tiramisu, chocolate-covered strawberries, pink strawberry macaroons, and a chocolate fountain for dipping strawberries. From Monday to T

Feb. 28, 2013

St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Millennium Seoul Hilton

The hotel’s traditional English-style bar, the Oak Room will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day during the month of March. In honor of the Irish holiday, the bar is offering a wide selection of Guinness beer. Ireland’s representative brew will be tinted green all month. Meanwhile, for guests who want to enjoy the ultimate St. Patrick’s Day experience, there will also be two specially-priced Guinness Beer Sets to savor. Set I priced at 50,000 won includes two glasses of beer, one side dish and a free gi

Feb. 28, 2013

Star Chef Dinner at Westin Chosun Seoul

The hotel’s Japanese restaurant Sushi Cho presents the Star Chef Dinner paired with three types of champagnes on March 15 and 16 by inviting Koji Koizumi, chef and owner of Michelin two-star restaurant Kohaku. Starting with tofu as an appetizer, the course dinner features abalone, blow fish, bamboo shoots, king crab and more. The dinner will serve the chef’s famous kaiseki dishes such as truffle beef and marinated file fish sashimi. Three types of champagne ― Pol Roger Brut Reserve NV, Pol Roger

Feb. 28, 2013

Spring Specials at the Plaza Hotel

The hotel’s main restaurants offer spring specials from March 1 to 31. Chinese restaurant Taoyuen offers a variety of fresh seafood along with spring vegetables. The set menu ranges from 97,000 won to 146,000 won. The Japanese Restaurant Murasaki introduces the “Cherry Blossom Kaiseki” course set featuring sea food and cherry blossom, priced at 230,000 won. Italian Restaurant Tuscany introduces a special course set for lunch and dinner. The menus use spring herb flowers, Korean red sea bream, ba

Feb. 28, 2013

Bulgogi deopbap (bulgogi rice bowl)

Deopbap, literally translated as “covered rice,” is a bowl of rice with some sort of topping. It’s a casual one-dish meal that can be prepared with a variety of ingredients. To make this dish with bulgogi, you will need to add a little bit more sauce when cooking the marinated meat depending on how much sauce you want mixed in your rice. Usually, anchovy broth is used for that extra bit of sauce, but you can also use beef broth or even water. Make sure to season the broth so as to not dilute the

Feb. 28, 2013