[The Palate] It’s just lunch in Yeouido

In the center of Yeouido, beneath one of the neighborhood’s countless office buildings, lies hidden in a labyrinth of lunchtime restaurants a notable noodle joint that stands out with its grossly generous portions, stomach-pleasing dishes and service, and a price too reasonable to believe. Either you work in the area and have heard about Gayang Mushroom Kalguksu or through word of mouth you may be attuned to this little restaurant known for its spicy rendition of the Korean classic, hand cut noo

Oct. 14, 2016

Chicken with cider and caramelized apples

Serves: Six Preparation time: 35 minutes Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes1/4 cup dark raisins1/4 cup golden raisins1/2 cup Madeira or port wine1/2 cup boiling water6 boneless chicken breasts with skin1 tablespoon five-spice powder, divided2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus more to tasteFreshly ground black pepper, to taste7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided3 large tart apples, peeled (with peels reserved), cored and cut lengthwise into eighths2 tablespoons all-purpose flour3/4 cup apple cider or

Oct. 14, 2016

[Home Cooking] Ojingeochae muchim (dried squid)

Ojingeochae is dried squid that’s shredded and processed with seasoning such as sugar and salt. It’s commonly enjoyed as a snack on its own and also used as an ingredient for a side dish. To make ojingeochae muchim, there are various ways Korean cooks soften this dried squid. I use a little bit of water to wet the squid to rehydrate. The squid will lose its flavor if submerged in water too long. Steaming the squid briefly works well too. For the seasoning, first make chili oil by mixing gochugar

Oct. 7, 2016

Beyond sushi, relishing Japan’s cuisine

Sushi is what comes to mind when you think of Japanese food, right? Makes sense, as sushi has long captured the American imagination, is fun to eat and generates billions of dollars in revenue, according to market studies. But what about Japanese food beyond that iconic dish?　Paris-based chef Maori Murota aims to broaden the West’s idea of Japanese cuisine with “Tokyo Cult Recipes” (Harper Design, $35), which offers 100 Japanese recipes from tamago, a rolled omelet, to chicken yakitori to spaghe

Oct. 7, 2016

Forward-thinking caffeine at Get Some Coffee

A quick scroll through the menu at the counter of Get Some Coffee’s newest outlet may not clue in an Insta-shy brew addict on what to order. A first-timer might dismiss the cafe’s “Dutch Pepper” as risky and settle for something more familiar. Anyone, however, who has seen the flood of Instagram posts on what is arguably the shop’s most popular drink would probably order it in a heartbeat. The “Dutch Pepper” is essentially slow-drip cold brew coffee topped with a thin, half-inch layer of cool, f

Sept. 30, 2016

Espresso and crushed beans add kick to coffee pudding

Choose the right path -- so says the sermon, convocation and nature guide. But if a trailhead offers only one route, and you’ve hiked it every autumn forever, you’re good to go.Underfoot, your path is springy with pine needles. Overhead, it’s shady and cool. Ahead it promises water crashing a narrow canyon and a boulder, wide and flat as a piazza, perfect for a picnic.You walk. You talk. You find your rock, scrabble up and are met not with waterfall, but with flat field, and, in the distance, ab

Sept. 30, 2016

[Home Cooking] Buchujeon (savory pancake)

Buchujeon is a savory pancake made with Korean garlic chives, or “buchu,” and it is a very common pancake in Korean homes. Buchujeon can be made simply with buchu, but I usually add thinly sliced onions to add delicious sweetness to the pancakes. You can also add thinly sliced perilla leaves (“kkaennip”) and/or chili peppers. If you like it a bit meaty, add some minced pork. When savory pancakes are seasoned with “gochujang” (red pepper paste) and/or “doenjang,” (fermented soy bean paste) they a

Sept. 23, 2016

[The Palate] Buckwheat makes its autumnal arrival

Regional food references are tantamount to culinary seals of approval, as such descriptions proudly tell you about the quality, authenticity or style of whatever you are buying. When it comes to buckwheat -- “maemil” in Korean -- Bongpyeong in Gangwon Province is the place most widely recognized for producing the best quality buckwheat in the country and where an annual festival is held each autumn in its honor. Buckwheat purveyors and restaurants around the country know the marketing power of B

Sept. 23, 2016

[Weekender] Making full use of Chuseok leftovers

Chuseok is usually a time of gluttony. Meals during the Korean Thanksgiving holiday typically include copious amounts of the following: “jeon,” slices of vegetables, fish, or meat thinly coated in batter and grilled; “namul” or seasoned vegetables; “japchae,” vermicelli noodles with assorted vegetables and meat; and songpyeon or a type of traditional rice cake. Overwhelmed with inevitable leftovers, Chuseok observers often let them go to waste by forgetting about them in the fridge, or even wors

Sept. 9, 2016

Blueberries plus zucchini make for awesome cake

Here’s the thing about cake. It can help make or break a celebration.I say that because earlier this month I threw a bridal shower for my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, and of course I wanted to make the best impression. Special occasions require equally special desserts. But because I was doing all the cooking, I wanted to serve a cake that was relatively easy, and at the same time as beautiful as the woman who captured my son’s heart.I found a winner in this luscious two-layer cake developed by A

Sept. 9, 2016

‘Collective kitchen’ GBB defies boundaries

GBB Kitchen, a new grub-centric spot that opened this April in Cheongdam-dong might have more than one foodie scratching his or her head in confusion. There are no signs, no indication it exists on the sixth floor of a building near Hakdong Intersection and the menu-less brunch, only available on Saturdays, requires a reservation. Cooking classes are held twice a day, Tuesday through Friday, and spontaneous dining events are announced via the spot’s Instagram account. In short, GBB, which stands

Sept. 9, 2016

[The Palate] Healthful and humble Wild Perilla plant, deulkkae

There are foods and dishes that are instantaneously identifiable with certain cuisines and become culinary symbols for whole countries: Italy and pizza, Argentina and steak, the US and hamburgers. If there were ever a dish that exemplified Korean cuisine it would most certainly be kimchi. Synonymous with the pungent spicy fermented foods of Korean cuisine, and currently enjoying its moment of fame having stepped out of a less than appealing light, kimchi has crossed many borders and palates arou

Sept. 2, 2016

[Home Cooking] Ojingeo gui (spicy grilled squid)

Cooked in many different ways, squid (ojingeo) is an essential and versatile ingredient in Korean cooking. Grilled squid is highly popular as street food or drinking snack food (anju), but it’s also popular as a main or side dish at home. I used a small variety of squid called hanchi, which has thin flesh and short tentacles. You can also use larger squid for this recipe. The squid are marinated in a spicy gochujang sauce which gives it an intense flavor with heat! Typically, the whole squid is

Sept. 2, 2016

Unconventional Korean desserts at Atelier DoSuHyang

None of the Korean-style desserts at Atelier DoSuHyang, located in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul are what one would expect to find at a traditional Korean rice cake shop. While there are “injeolmi” -- rice cake made by pounding steamed glutinous rice flour into sticky submission -- and “yaksik” -- glutinous rice treats customarily seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil and honey -- neither are the kind commonly found at rice cake shops in Korea. Absent are the more recognizable rectangles of injeolmi coate

Aug. 26, 2016

[Weekender] Korea’s budding winemaking scene

YEONGCHEON, North Gyeongsang Province – Popular wines in Korea are mainly sourced from countries such as France, Italy and Spain, but recently, locally produced Korean wines have been carving out their own share of the market.Korean vineyards started to venture into winemaking in the late 1990s and benefited from an unprecedented wine boom driven by the hit Japanese wine-themed comic “The Drops of God” in the early 2000s.Vineyards on the island of Daebudo on the west coast jumped into winemaking

Aug. 26, 2016

[Weekender] Koreans more adventurous with wine

For many Koreans of a certain age, hearing the word “Majuang” will bring a wistful smile. It is difficult to recall the taste, but in the days when imported wines were a rarity, Majuang ruled. 　The story has it that Majuang, launched in 1977, was created at the behest of the late President Park Chung-hee, who, while visiting Germany, hit upon the idea of producing grape wine in Korea as an alternative to the traditional rice wine. The country suffered from a rice shortage at the time and the man

Aug. 26, 2016

[Herald Interview] Wine master Jeannie Cho Lee talks pairing for Asian palate

When it comes to wine, most people would envision the sun-kissed vineyards of Italy, France or California. In contrast, Asia and its cuisine are not often brought up when discussing wine culture. 　But Korean-American wine critic Jeannie Cho Lee is looking to change this perception and put Asia on the international wine map. Based in Hong Kong, the author, journalist, consultant and wine educator is a highly regarded wine master in Asia.  Master of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee (Jeannie Cho Lee)　In 2008,

Aug. 26, 2016

Zucchini tart recipe will make you wish you had planted more, not less

Houseguests can be ingrates. Once, I invited an asparagus family to the garden and the whole clan stalked away. Perhaps my hostess skills need some work.Apparently to make asparagus feel at home, you have to cultivate loose soil, deep trenches and patience. So this summer, years after my first failure, I fluffed a comfy bed and opened a sack of “crowns,” which is to say roots. Each looks like a small, dehydrated octopus. I spread the tentacles, sprinkled dirt and practiced patience.Which was unn

Aug. 26, 2016