[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Park Hyatt Busan presents ‘Just 4 Fun’ The Park Hyatt Busan provides a comfortable and safe staycation for four guests with its new package Just 4 Fun, until the end of the year. The package includes a one-night stay in one of its family suites with extra beds. A complimentary breakfast at the hotel restaurant, welcome amenities including one bottle of red wine and fruit, and late checkout are among the benefits offered. The package starts at 490,000 won and is available until Dec

Feb. 5, 2021

[Diana’s Table] Korean dumplings or mandu

Although the dumpling originated in China, it is now considered one of the most recognized signature Korean dishes. There are many types of mandu, ranging from popular street food types to delicate Michelin-starred dishes. Filled with a wide variety of stuffing ranging from meat and seafood to vegetables, they can be cooked in many ways to add flavor to appetizers, main dishes and even salads. In Korea, mandu was traditionally made for celebratory occasions such as weddings and the New Year.

Jan. 30, 2021

[Video] Korean winter fruits to enjoy during frosty temperatures

The availability of Korean fruits is very much seasonal. Strawberries signal the coming of spring, oriental melons welcome the scorching hot summer, apples catch the tail end of the sweltering season and tangerines bring in the fall. The distinctive sweetness of citrus species adds a potpourri of color to the fall foliage across the nation in particular. The strong aroma of mandarin oranges fills grocery stores and markets until the winter season. During the snowy months, many locals find the

Jan. 29, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

InterContinental Seoul Coex presents ‘Wise Drinking Life with Cookat Market’ InterContinental Seoul Coex in Samseong-dong is offering the Wise Drinking Life With Cookat Market package starting in February. The package comprises the popular traditional drink Goheung yuzu liquor, a dessert called the Strawberry-in-Milk Sticky Rice Cake and three spreads from convenience food store Cookat Market. During the Lunar New Year holiday, guests born in the Year of the Ox are offered a 10

Jan. 29, 2021

Reinterpreting French pastries at Revisite

At Revisite, owner-chef Lee Seung-jun incorporates Korean ingredients like black sesame into traditional French desserts like the Paris-Brest. For Lee, who studied pastries at Le Cordon Bleu-Sookmyung and worked at several prominent dessert shops and bakeries, this is the whole purpose of Revisite, the dessert shop he opened in Samseong-dong, Seoul this winter. “Revisite” means to “reinterpret” in French, Lee explains, which he felt was the perfect name for his place,

Jan. 23, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

InterContinental presents ‘Holiday To-Go’ for Lunar New Year Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Samseong-dong is offering pre-orders for their “Lunar New Year Special Grab & Go” lunchboxes and “Chef Special Premium Ceremonial Table for Ancestors,” that features holiday dishes prepared by Korean chefs. The single-serving lunchboxes will be available for pick-up via drive-thrus for 39,000 won for the week of Feb. 8-14, and can be pre-ordered on Naver

Jan. 22, 2021

Food Ministry simulator helps manufacturers meet labeling requirements

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has launched an online simulator to help manufacturers create standardized labels for packaged products. Dubbed a “labelbot,” the simulator was developed to help packaged food manufacturers meet the requirements more easily, the ministry said Tuesday. According to the Food Ministry, about 12,000 inquiries about what must be included on packaged food labels were submitted in 2020 alone. The labelbot provides label templates for 130 types of pr

Jan. 20, 2021

[Diana’s Table] Pork belly bossam and ssamjang

Boiled pork belly is a must menu item whenever a large number of people get together to celebrate or just to enjoy a meal at home. It comes from a long Korean tradition of having to prepare at least one or two meat dishes to entertain properly. No celebration was complete without a boiled pork dish, especially in the Jeolla provinces in the southern part of the peninsula. When presented with a variety of fresh leafy vegetables and ssamjang, it definitely takes center stage on any table. In mak

Jan. 16, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul presents strawberry afternoon tea set The Lounge, the 24th-floor Korean tea house at Park Hyatt Seoul, presents Strawberry Afternoon Tea, a creative celebration of the return of the strawberry season. Inspired menu highlights include strawberry chocolate cups, strawberry yogurt mousse and Mont Blanc desserts, while strawberry jewelry in an elegant jewelry case, a favorite item of 2020, returns to charm guests for another year. The afternoon tea features a selection

Jan. 15, 2021

Packed meals’ salt levels need to be cut, consumer watchdog says

Packed meals sold at convenience stores contain 68 percent of the recommended daily sodium intake, the Korea Consumer Agency said Wednesday. The agency’s report showed that the average amount of sodium found in 25 types of different packed meals -- also known as “dosirak” in Korean -- at major convenience store chains was measured at 1,361 milligrams. South Korea’s recommended daily sodium intake for adults is 2,000 milligrams. One of the packed meals had 2,433 milli

Jan. 13, 2021

Bolognese meets Burgundy at Hugo Dosan

At Hugo Dosan, a new addition to Seoul’s dining scene, chef Hugo Won serves up his take on pasta. After learning the ropes at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Won racked up experience at two Michelin-starred restaurants before striking out on his own. Fast-track to Nov. 12, when Won and his friend soft-opened Hugo in Sinsa-dong. We wanted to create “a comfortable space where one could enjoy food and wine,” Won, 29, explained in an email interview. Won added that he and his friend

Jan. 9, 2021

Shake Shack launches Korean-inspired chicken burger in the US

American burger franchise Shake Shack has launched new Korean-inspired menu items for its branches across the US. The burger franchise recently announced through its official website that it rolled out its Korean-style Fried Chick’n Sandwich and Korean-style Gochujang Chick’n Bites for all US stores. Inspired by gochujang, traditional Korean red pepper paste, the two items were first introduced in Seoul from September to October. “Our take on the classic was such a hit i

Jan. 8, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

InterContinental’s Strawberry Promotion returns as full table service The Lobby Lounge located on the ground floor of Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas presents the Strawberry Gourmet Boutique. Starting with a strawberry mojito and fresh strawberries as welcome items, the Lobby Lounge presents a three-course brunch. Following croque monsieur, fruit salad and onion cream soup with ravioli, lobster and tenderloin steak are served as the main dish. After that, fresh strawberries, seven st

Jan. 8, 2021

[Video] Korean winter staples for cold nights

Koreans enjoy edible tokens of appreciation and affection with family and friends during the winter season. It’s considered one of the best ways to leave the year behind by dishing out winter specials to relish the festive mood. Yet, as the virus continues to spread, gorging on food indoors has risen as a major trend to keep the global pandemic at bay. With many self-quarantining themselves, people are reaching out to making iconic winter street foods in Korea at home. Convenient ways o

Jan. 6, 2021

[Diana’s Table] New Year Special: Rice Cake Soup or Tteokguk

New Year’s Day is one of the major holidays in Korea when all the families gather together and bid each other good wishes for the new year. It is also a day to have specially prepared food which will not only nourish your body but supposedly bring good fortune. Tteokguk is such a dish which is always eaten on the first day of the New Year. Tteokguk has a special meaning in Korea. We have a saying. “You don’t age a year until you eat a bowl of tteokguk.” Another reason

Dec. 31, 2020

Healthyish, Mediterranean fare at Chick Peace

 Chick Peace, a Mediterranean-inspired fast casual spot, seems to have mastered the art of serving healthyish, gourmet-inflected fare with the speed and convenience of fast food. Diners can swoop in and, from one of several automated machines, pick and choose from salads, pita bread “burgers,” shakshuka and rice plates, adding on sides of their choosing. Portions are generous and everything is flavorful and solid. These are fluffy gyro-style “burgers” and heart

Dec. 27, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotion and Packages

Winter holidays at Westin Chosun Seoul The Westin Chosun Hotel presents the Little Playcation package for families with children seeking for winter holiday getaways. The package deal offers coloring paper, crayons and fabric-cover sketchbook. After a cozy night, guests can have breakfast at the hotel’s all-day buffet restaurant Aria. For those who make reservations for Junior Suite or above, bath salt and a bath bomb from French kids cosmetics brand Nailmatic Kids will be provided, al

Dec. 25, 2020

[Diana’s Table] Galbijjim, Korean braised short ribs

Galbijjim, or braised beef short ribs, is a very popular dish for special family dinners or holiday celebrations in Korea. It usually takes a long time to properly prepare this dish but it is an exceptional addition to the table to make for an abundant and special meal. My mother made this especially for my birthdays and I used to look forward to eating galbijjim more than the birthday cake. I first learned to make galbijjim as a newlywed and it took a lot of trial and error over the years to

Dec. 19, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Park Hyatt Seoul unlocks staycation with ‘Winter at Park’ Park Hyatt Seoul presents the Winter at the Park package, a seasonal getaway. The package, available for stays until the end of February, combines one night in a Park Hyatt guestroom with 100,000 won in dining credits for use with room service and at all hotel restaurants, a gift of Aesop hand balm (75 milliliters) and use of the hotel swimming pool and fitness center. Guests choosing a suite are also presented with a comp

Dec. 18, 2020

New York-based Lots O Bagels opens in Seoul

One bite of Lots O Bagels‘ sinfully chewy everything bagel swaddled around a thick schmear of feather-light cream cheese, smoked salmon, iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion and capers will confirm this spot knows how to make bagels. What started as a stand-alone bagel nook in New York’s Astoria in 1997 has branched out into a second location, right here in Korea. “My husband loves bagels so much and wanted to enjoy the bagels from our New York store in Korea,” said Lots O

Dec. 12, 2020