[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Gallery 7 at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents ‘Taste of Spring’  Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents “Taste of Spring,” a seasonal promotion offering private dining experiences in the elegant event spaces of Gallery 7, through the end of May. Located on the seventh floor of the hotel, Gallery 7 is home to a portfolio of small and medium-scale meeting spaces with interior designs evoking an art gallery. The venues offer customization for events, while a business din

April 16, 2021

Early spring heralds ‘gaeddong-ssuk’

When spring arrives in Korea, it’s the perfect time to make fragrant soups and rice cakes with young Artemisia princeps also known as mugwort or “ssuk” in Korean. For Bittelock Agricultural Corporation CEO Choi Yoon-hee, however, early spring holds greater significance for a different species of mugwort called “gaeddong-ssuk.” Also known as sweet wormwood, or Artemisia annua, gaeddong-ssuk has a long history that dates back over 300 years as a medicinal herb in

April 10, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Park Hyatt Seoul greets the season with ‘Spring at the Park’ package Park Hyatt Seoul offers a relaxing seasonal break with the “Spring at the Park” package. The package includes a one-night stay, florally-inspired Flower Afternoon Tea Set and two bottles of alcohol-free sparkling wine (200ml) served in-room, 25 percent off dining at hotel restaurants and complimentary use of hotel swimming pool and fitness studio. Guests booking on the hotel website or with the Hyat

April 9, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul celebrates spring with cherry blossom tea set The Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents the Cherry Blossom High Tea Set, served until May 31 in the hotel’s first floor Atrium Lounge. The seasonal tea set captures the beauty of Yeouido’s iconic spring cherry blossoms on a tray. Elegantly modeled after butterflies, blossoming trees and potted cherry blossoms, the desserts are exquisite in appearance and entirely edible. Accompanied by a selection of beverages in

April 2, 2021

[Diana’s Table] Tofu kimchi

This is my version of a very popular Korean dish called tofu kimchi. We usually make this dish with simply boiled tofu and napa cabbage kimchi. While you can serve tofu with fresh kimchi, most families will stir-fry the aged kimchi with pork and vegetables in spicy gochujang sauce. Tofu kimchi makes a good pairing with makgeolli.  I have taken the traditional tofu kimchi and turned it into more of a refreshing salad. I use plain tofu together with seasoned and mashed tofu to enhance the si

March 27, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Grand Deli presents Cherry Blossom Cake Grand Deli, on the first floor of Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Samseong-dong, is now offering its Cherry Blossom Cake. The pink and white Cherry Blossom Cake is decorated with dozens of elegant cherry blossom petals made from butter cream handcrafted by the hotel’s pastry chef, Eric Kalaboke. The cake sheet contains beta carotene-packed, highly antioxidizing carrots as the main ingredient. Beta carotene is converted into vitamin A once it

March 26, 2021

Fragrant, multifaceted eats at Esto

At Esto, a wine bar which opened in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, in October, owner-chef Park Joon-beom tinkers with fragrant lavender and smoky romesco to create flavorful, eclectic eats. “Instead of sticking to a single cuisine, I like to take inspiration from a diverse range of cuisines,” Park, 32, said in an email interview. Park, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America and racked up experience at Spanish and French restaurants, draws from his experiences to take classics and r

March 20, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Enjoy spring at Novotel Ambassador Doksan Novotel Ambassador Doksan offers a spring picnic package until the end of May, allowing guests to enjoy both a staycation and a picnic. The package comes with a one-night stay, a picnic set consisting of two Americanos and one sandwich, and complementary use of the fitness club with its sauna, indoor swimming pool and gym. Those reserving online with a Novotel Ambassador account will be provided with a picnic mat and two picnic chairs on a first-come,

March 19, 2021

[Diana’s Table] Baby back ribs Korean style

Baby back ribs bring back fond memories of our backyard BBQ parties with family and friends when we lived in the US. We first lived in the Washington, DC area when my husband and I got married. We were both graduate students and we had to live on a very limited budget. As such, BBQ ribs were the most cost effective menu choice for our restaurant outings. So we tried many types of BBQs and we came to love the tender yet finger licking taste of BBQ baby back ribs the most. So when we moved to Cali

March 13, 2021

[Eye interview] ‘There are 50 million cooks in Korea’

Koreans take their food seriously. So much so that a typical greeting includes “Have you had your meal?” and phone calls more often than not end with a promise of a meal together sometime soon. Television and the internet are inundated with restaurant reviews and cook-offs between celebrities, and cooking shows in general have evolved into entertainment shows. Korea is a nation of foodies, judging by the great lengths, literally, that people will go to in order to check out the lat

March 12, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel offers ‘Spring, Rejuvenate You’ promotion Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel, located in Songdo, Incheon, offers its “Spring, Rejuvenate You” promotion at the Feast buffet on the first floor. Dishes prepared with ingredients found in spring to help boost immunity will be the main dishes on the buffet until the end of April. The special spring cuisine includes fresh spring greens, eel perilla soup and boiled duck, among others. Lunch at Feast is a

March 12, 2021

More Korean stars go vegetarian

It is no secret that Korea, a country well-known for its grilled meat like samgyeopsal, or pork belly, has not been particularly vegetarian-friendly. Celebrities revealing their love for meat is seen as natural, whereas stars who reveal their vegetarian diets are often treated as out of the ordinary in the media.   However, recent years have seen a growing number of Korean stars going vegetarian and actively talking about it. Claudia Kim, also known as Kim Soo-hyun, who appeared in 201

March 8, 2021

Napoli-style coffee in Seoul

In the morning, caffeine-seeking early birds stroll into Leesar Coffee Roasters’ latest espresso nook and put in their orders at the counter. Those in the know swiftly lay their receipts down in the front of the barista, who then expertly pulls shots from a semi-automated espresso machine. Once extraction is complete, the barista sets tiny steaming cups of caffeine next to their corresponding receipts, passing off tips if needed, for instance, if the brew should be stirred a specific n

March 6, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Sky Lounge presents the ‘Aperitivo’ Sky Lounge, located on the 30th floor of InterContinental Seoul Coex in Samseong-dong, is launching its “Aperitivo” program. Aperitivo, an early evening premeal drink originating from a northern Italian tradition, will be presented by chef Luca Carrino along with Italian wine and delicious appetizers. The Aperitivo will feature an assorted platter of Italian treats completed with recommended wines and cocktails carefully selected by

March 5, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Enjoy strawberry experience at Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel offers the Deep in the Strawberry promotion for guests to enjoy strawberries in season. The package offers 10 different strawberry desserts and three types of baked goods, including a strawberry sandwich with caviar and open sandwich with jamon. In addition, complimentary tea or the choice of a strawberry drink is offered. The promotion is available at both the lobby lounge and club lounge on the 22nd fl

Feb. 26, 2021

Discovering the joy of making kimchi at home

How to make kimchi: First, soak vegetables -- usually cabbage -- in a salty brine. Then make a spicy paste with different ingredients such as chili powder, garlic, ginger, sugar, and fish sauce. Finally, rinse, drain the cabbage and add the spicy paste. Making kimchi at home is, for the most part, a laborious process, but that hasn’t stopped more and more foreigners from making their own jars of the spicy fermented cabbage dish at home rather than buying them at supermarkets. Many of t

Feb. 24, 2021

Donburi and tonkatsu at their simple best at Hoho Sikdang

For over four years, Hoho Sikdang has been steadily serving homey Japanese eats, first from a hanok in Seoul’s Daehangno then at another hanok in Ikseon-dong before expanding to two more locations in Seongsu-dong and Sinsa-dong. At the latest spot, which opened near Dosan Park in November, one will find tonkatsu -- fried pork cutlet -- crafted with pork fillet, as well as various donburi -- rice bowls -- topped with everything from thick slices of salmon sashimi to avocado and natto. T

Feb. 20, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

InterContinental launches collaboration with artist Jackson Shim InterContinental Seoul Coex in Samseong-dong offers the “Gallery in the Room with Jackson Shim” package, where guests can appreciate the artwork of the rising pop artist in their own rooms. Business suites will showcase five artworks worth about 30 million won, along with Jackson Shim’s hand-drawn paintings on guest room windows. The guests will also receive poster books and T-shirts decorated with the artist&r

Feb. 19, 2021

[Diana’s Table] Salisbury steak Korean style or Hamburg steak

In Korea, when you go to a Western-style restaurant, you will often find Hamburg steak on the menu. This is Korean version of the Salisbury steak served with rice and vegetables. When I was a child, we went out to eat at restaurants only on very special occasions. The choice of menu was quite limited and we usually ordered either a Hamburg steak or a pork cutlet. When I grew up, my travels allowed me to taste diverse and interesting dishes from around the world. Although my taste buds may hav

Feb. 13, 2021

Fresh cheese made with fresh milk at Youngjun Farm

Dairy -- the fresh, unadulterated scent of milk -- unfurls on the tongue when one bites into a warm, crisply grilled slice of Youngjun Farm’s halloumi cheese. It comes as no surprise when Kim Joo-hye, 53, says with great emphasis, “Using fresh milk is the most important part of our cheesemaking process.” Over two decades ago, when Kim and her husband Na Won-kyung moved to Miwon-myeon in North Chungcheong Province from Seoul, she had no idea the cheese she and her husband st

Feb. 6, 2021