[Graphic News] Foreigners' satisfaction with Korean food lowest in Japan

　Foreigners satisfaction with traditional Korean food, known as “hansik” in Korea, was the lowest in the neighboring country of Japan, one poll showed, amid frayed ties between the two countries over a number of diplomatic issues.　Japanese people’s awareness of Korean food came in at 32.8 percent, compared to an overall average of 64.1 percent, according to a survey from the Korean Food Promotion Institute. The poll was conducted online, questioning 6,000 foreigners living in 10 major cities abr

Jan. 10, 2018

[Weekender] Around the hotels

Swellfish dishes at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s Japanese restaurant, Gengi, is offering a promotion of swellfish dishes, which are considered a delicacy in Japanese cuisine. The finest flavors and tender texture of swellfish, or fugu, are brought to life by the hotel’s veteran chefs. Genji’s chefs are offering various swellfish dishes on both the a la carte menu and Kaiseki menu. The dishes will include swellfish sashimi, swellfish in a stone pot, grilled swellfish, deep fri

Jan. 5, 2018

All-day eats, baked goods and coffee at Caravan

Caravan, an expanding eatery with new roots near Seoul’s Dosan Park, seems to have mastered the art of all-day dining. At its latest outpost, which opened mid-December in Sinsa-dong, diners can tuck into breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and bar snacks in an airy space with high ceilings, floor-length windows and powder blue and buttery orange-brown seating.  Caravan’s crispy pork belly is marinated in beer and honey, braised, garnished with pineapple sage, perched over sauteed potatoes and serv

Jan. 5, 2018

Brown butter brings nutty flavor to aromatic, spiced gingerbread

By Leah EskinChicago Tribune Ginger, cinnamon, cloves (or pepper) and molasses flavor a classic gingerbread. (Chicago Tribune/TNS)Fall demands that leaves leave. Acquiescing, they fall.After which, they lie in wait. For what remains unclear. Mine looked perfectly happy lazing around in heaps that faded from red and orange to brown and brittle.I liked the crinkle underboot, the flurry that followed the dog, the nutty scent of the season settling. It put me in mind of nut-brown gingerbread, spiced

Jan. 5, 2018

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Swellfish dishes at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s Japanese restaurant, Gengi, is offering a promotion of swellfish dishes, which are considered a delicacy in the Japanese cuisine. The finest flavors and tender texture of swellfish, or fugu, are brought to life by the hotel’s veteran chefs. Genji’s chefs are offering various swellfish dishes on both the a la carte menu and Kaiseki menu. The dishes will include swellfish sashimi, swellfish in a stone pot, grilled swellfish, deep

Dec. 29, 2017

A look inside largest Starbucks store in Korea

Starbucks opened its biggest store in Korea in downtown Seoul, Wednesday, which is designed to do much more than simply serve coffee. Its former largest in the nation was the “Cheonho Rodeo branch” in Gangdong, Seoul.The 1,097 square-meter compound, named “The Jongno branch,” is located across the street from Bosingak, at Jongno Tower, Jongno-gu, one of the oldest districts in Seoul, dotted with traditional attractions. The store is four times larger than the average size of other branches in Ko

Dec. 20, 2017

Seamless, delicate, fragrant sushi at Kiyose

Sushi Kiyose, one of the newest sushiya to open in Seoul, is much like its name -- a serene space where one can slowly savor the soft, delicate wash of flavor from each piece of sushi with small dishes that also merit the same degree of near-meditative consideration. “I wanted a pristine space where one could come and quietly enjoy sushi, hence the name ‘kiyose,’ which means ‘clear ford,’” explained head chef Lee Sung-jun, 34. Hinoki wood, the same fragrant wood used in temples, palaces and onse

Dec. 15, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Cozy staycation at Millennium Seoul Hilton Millennium Seoul Hilton is offering a cozy staycation package for the winter holidays through Feb. 28 next year. The Winter Escape Package offers accommodation in a deluxe room with a view of the city, a buffet breakfast for two at Cafe 395, two gingerbreads and access to a fitness center and swimming pool. The package starts from 240,000 won and is only available to Korean citizens or foreigners with an alien registration card. There is an additional c

Dec. 8, 2017

[Weekender] Chicken feet and more -- odd, must-have specialties at Korea’s tented bars

Korea’s pojangmacha, or tented bars, have evolved over the years both in appearance and gastronomical offerings, now more polished and offering a wider array of dishes to go with drinks. 　But some distinctly Korean specialties, featuring odd ingredients unfamiliar to most foreign visitors and even many Koreans -- from chicken feet and cow innards to cartilage and squirming fish -- remain staple dishes at the tarp-covered watering holes.　The food dishes, many of them doused in spicy sauces, are o

Dec. 8, 2017

[Korean Bapsang] Mu doenjang guk (Radish soybean paste soup)

Korean radish, mu, is sweet and juicy these days! Make some soup with it. While the radish soup (mu guk) made with beef is more common, this doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste) based radish soup, called mu doenjang guk, is light yet full of flavor.Doenjang guk is most commonly made with anchovy broth, but I used vegetable broth here. It’s vegan! Simply boil some basic aromatic vegetables, such as onion, garlic, scallion, dried kelp (dashima) and dried shiitake mushrooms -- all common ingre

Dec. 2, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Christmas lunch buffet, dinner at Sheraton Grand Incheon HotelSheraton Grand Incheon Hotel will offer a Christmas-special lunch buffet of chicken wings, grilled turkey and beef on Dec. 25 from noon to 2:30 pm at its Grand Ballroom.The dishes are followed by sweet desserts, and for children a dance and photo-taking session with robot and cartoon characters are available. The promotion is 94,000 won for adults and 66,000 won for children under 13. For more information and reservations, call (032)

Nov. 26, 2017

From eclairs to tarts at patisserie by Garuharu

Yun Eun-young, pastry chef of the now-defunct Eclair by Garuharu, amassed a following with her sumptuous repertoire of eclairs and macarons for over three years before moving onto her next act.  Now, at her new perch in Yeoksam-dong, the prominent pastry chef, who studied at the Paris-based Ecole Lenotre, is proving her prowess in other things sweet.  “This location opened this February,” chef Lee Hwa-jin, 26, said of Patisserie by Garuharu, a small eight-seat spot that represents Yun’s latest e

Nov. 24, 2017

Korean cooking classes rise as immersive travel activities

Rozenne, born to French and Korean parents, had spent most of her life in France watching her mother cook Korean food in the kitchen of their Strasbourg home. Now, 25 years old and fresh out of university, she is in Korea to travel, see family and learn Korean cooking for the first time. 　On Thursday, she tried her hand at two staple dishes -- ttukbaegi bulgogi (beef stew) and Japchae (glass noodle stir-fried with vegetables) -- at a cooking studio run by food company CJ Cheil Jedang in Jung-gu,

Nov. 13, 2017

Palate-zinging Japanese tapas at Romantei

Ikazaya, essentially Japanese tapas bars, are a longstanding fixture of Seoul’s dining scene, a popular option for those who want a second round of nibbles and tipples on a jovial evening out. While many successful izakaya have built up a reputation on more traditional eats like yakitori and platters of beautifully arranged sashimi moriawase, Romantei is rapidly building a buzz with its unconventional compilation of palate-zinging bites. “We use an eclectic range of ingredients,” said co-owner H

Nov. 10, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Happy hour promotion at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul’s The Timber House is offering a happy hour course menu priced at 59,000 won per person. It features Japanese appetizers, izakaya dishes and shellfish noodles, with unlimited sake and Japanese beers daily from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. through Dec. 31.The course meal includes seasoned ark shells with a wasabi dressing, shrimps and caviar cooked with katsuo broth, tamagoyaki with cream and shrimps and bacon-wrapped asparagus with teriyaki sauce. Oth

Nov. 10, 2017

[Newsmaker] Wait is over - Michelin unveils latest Seoul guide

Korean restaurants Gaon and La Yeon kept their three Michelin stars in the 2018 edition of Michelin Guide Seoul.Michelin released the second edition of the Michelin Guide Seoul at a press conference at Signiel Seoul in Seoul on Wednesday, awarding the coveted Michelin stars to a total of 24 restaurants.Two new restaurants joined the ranks of the two-star restaurants -- Kojima-Sushi and Jungsik, a modern Korean restaurant which moved up a notch from last year’s one Michelin star-- while Gotgan an

Nov. 8, 2017

[Korean Bapsang] Spicy japchae with seafood

This japchae recipe is made spicy with a generous amount of seafood. It will be a nice change from traditional japchae. If you’re not a fan of seafood, this recipe can easily be turned into a vegan japchae by omitting the seafood. Likewise, if you don’t like spicy food, simply omit the gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) for a mild seafood japchae. The main ingredient, of course, is sweet potato starch noodles called dangmyeon, also known as glass noodles. The most common way to cook the

Nov. 3, 2017

[Newsmaker] Michelin Guide Seoul unveils Bib Gourmand Seoul 2018

Michelin Guide Seoul announced the recipients of the Seoul Bib Gourmand awards on Wednesday, a week ahead of the official launch of the full guidebook set to be released on Nov. 8. Bib Gourmand highlights restaurants offering “exceptionally good food at moderate prices.” The selected restaurants offer items priced below a specific price range determined by the local economic standards. The maximum price for the Bib Gourmand Seoul edition is 35,000 won ($31).The cover of The Michelin Guide Seoul

Nov. 1, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotion

Singapore national dishes at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s all-day-dining and international buffet restaurant, Cafe 395, has added two signature dishes of Singapore -- Bak Kut Teh and Laksa -- to its menu. Bak Kut Teh is a pork rib dish simmered in an aromatic broth of herbs and spices and slow-cooked to tenderness. Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup with a base of spicy curry or tamarind with rice vermicelli and topped with chicken, prawns or fish.Cafe 395 uses fresh market

Oct. 29, 2017

Raffine presents take on Parisian neo-bistro

 　Texture, flavor and presentation are all accounted for at Raffine, a French establishment that showcases cerebral cuisine from its 18-seat perch in Sinsa-dong, Seoul.　“We want the food to be fresh but not flamboyant,” said head chef Lee Dae-ryuk, 31, explaining how the goal is to give diners something new but not something over-the-top. 　This attitude is in line with Paris’ neo-bistro trend, where chefs are stepping away from tradition to present their own personal takes on cuisine, often in s

Oct. 28, 2017