Korean-American chef Corey Lee, the mastermind behind the three Michelin-starred restaurant Benu in San Francisco, has packed his debut book, “Benu,” to the brim. “It’s ultimately a cookbook first, but also a book that was trying to communicate the inspiration behind the restaurant and meditation on the menu,” he said.The book is stunning, a big, white hardcover with over 250 pages of recipes, essays, and breathtaking photography.  Corey Lee, chef and patron of Benu. (Phaidon 2015, www.phaidon.c

Books June 4, 2015

According to director Yoon Jae-gu, “Perfect Proposal” is two movies in one.“The first half is a classic romance, while the second is a thriller,” he said at a press preview at CGV Wangsimni on May 28.Unfortunately, the film fails to deliver on both counts.Adapted from Catherine Arley’s story “La Femme de paille (Woman of Straw)” published in the 1950s, “Perfect Proposal” follows a young woman named Ji-yeon (Lim Soo-jung), a tour guide-turned-bartender trying to pay off her debts in Macau. Just w

Film June 2, 2015

Perfect Proposal (Korea)Opening June 4Romance. Directed by Yoon Jae-guJi-yeon (Lim Soo-jung) is a woman at the end of her rope. After being betrayed by her friend, she is being chased down by loan sharks when she meets Seong-yeol (Yoo Yeon-seok), an assistant to the head of a powerful casino group. Seong-yeol suggests that Ji-yeon captivate the group’s president and become a real-life Cinderella, offering her help in exchange for half her inheritance if she succeeds. Ji-yeon is drawn to Seong-ye

Film May 29, 2015

Whitesnake delves deep into Purple past on new albumWhitesnake“The Purple Album”(Frontiers)Who says you can‘t go home?David Coverdale delves deep into his Deep Purple background on the new Whitesnake album, which redoes songs from his tenure fronting the legendary classic rock outfit.“The Purple Album” begins with a more bottom-heavy version of the classic rock anthem “Burn,” on which Coverdale previously shared lead vocals with Glenn Hughes on the original track. And while the remake misses Hug

Performance May 29, 2015

Singer Jung Joon-young, known for his rise to widespread fame through the audition program “Superstar K” and his more recent work as an MC and actor, is returning to the stage as the frontman for the new quartet Jung Joon-young Band.“When I first signed with my company, it was agreed that I would eventually work with a band,” Jung said at a media showcase held at the MUV Hall in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. “Since I started music with a band, it was actually hard for me to bring out my true style

Performance May 28, 2015

The Arab Film Festival is set to open on June 4 under the slogan of “Journey Through the Arab.”The festival, now in its fourth year, has announced a lineup of 10 films to be screened through June 10 at the Arthouse MOMO at Ewha Womans University and the Busan Cinema Center. The list includes films from both established, award-winning Arab directors and up-and-coming new faces which show various sides of Arab society.“Since the Arab Spring, Arab films have undergone a dramatic change,” noted Kim

Film May 28, 2015

Imagine being led, blindfolded, down a hall and into a room behind a big wooden door. The door’s lock clicks, and music begins blaring from the speakers. You take off the blindfold, and the digital clock on the wall starts counting down. You have 60 minutes to find the key and escape. Every item in the room could be a clue.This is the basic setup for the experience at Code Escape in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an offline escape game that offers a real-life version of popular online and mobile escape game

Culture May 27, 2015

After years of training and endless evaluations in a pre-debut system that was broadcast to the public, Pledis Entertainment’s new thirteen-member multinational boy group Seventeen finally made its official debut Tuesday in an hourlong live TV performance. “We’ve performed a lot of songs by other artists through the pre-debut system, but we’re very nervous because this is our first time performing our own tracks,” said member Woozi at a press conference at the MBC Dream Center in Ilsan, Tuesday.

Performance May 26, 2015

One of singer Lee Seung-chul’s greatest strengths is his ability to amplify emotion without straining his voice, and make a melody dynamic without using conspicuous technique.Those strengths are out in full force in his 12th album “Time Flies Like an Arrow,” timed to match the 30th anniversary of his debut. The album opens with “Ordeal,” a song about overcoming the hardships of life and growing stronger. The melody has a contemporary Christian music-style majesty to it, with a swelling instrumen

Performance May 25, 2015

At its core, the function of a hotel is to offer guests a place to stay the night. However, in Korea, luxury hotels are widely known for another function: hosting gatherings of various types and sizes. These events have become an important source of revenue for hotels, which are facing fierce competition from guest houses offering cheaper accommodations and rental services like AirBnB. “If you look at the sales figures, banquets such as conferences and weddings make more than rooms,” said Hannah

Travel May 22, 2015

Jang Yi-jeong shines alone on History’s 4th EPBy Won Ho-jung History“Beyond the HISTORY”LOEN EntertainmentBoy band History continues the dark, melodramatic mood of their previous song “Psycho” on their 4th EP, “Beyond the HISTORY,” but the only standout voice is that of member Jang Yi-jeong.The album opens with loose vocals over a strong bass line in “Mind Game,” a groovy, medium-tempo song. The intensity shoots up with the title track “Might Just Die,” which wastes no time in bringing in the dr

Performance May 22, 2015

Spy (U.S.)Opened May 21Comedy. Directed by Paul FeigWhen a CIA agent falls off the grid, the agency needs to send another agent out into the field. They find a volunteer in an unlikely desk analyst named Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) for an undercover track-and-report mission, but once she arrives on the scene Cooper throws herself into action to stop arms dealer Raina Boyanov (Rose Byrne). Hilarity ensues as Cooper proves that despite what others may think of her, she’s got enough fight in he

Film May 22, 2015

“What sets us apart from previous idol bands is our hip-hop element. We have a stronger beat.”Those were words from Lee Seung-hyub, the leader of FNC Entertainment’s new boy band N.Flying, short for “new flying.” Consisting of a vocalist/rapper front man (Lee Seung-hyub), guitarist (Cha Hun), bassist (Kwon Kwang-jin) and drummer (Kim Jae-hyun), N.Flying naturally invokes thoughts of FNC’s previous band successes FT ISLAND and CNBLUE ― an association that gives the rookie band a boost, but also p

Performance May 21, 2015

Swedish director Carl Javer took home top honors at this year’s Green Film Festival in Seoul, held May 7-14, for his documentary “Freak Out.”“It’s an untold true story about how five young kids in their twenties grew up in the first consumer society,” Javer told The Korea Herald in a sit-down in Seoul on May 13. “Their reaction was to leave it, and to say they wanted something else. They revolted against a society that didn’t fulfill their needs.”“Freak Out” director Carl Javer. (Green Film Fest

Film May 19, 2015

“Ice Age” and “Despicable Me” were two of the most sensational franchises in recent animation history, drawing in movie goers of all ages and racking up impressive revenues worldwide. The secret to success? Their deviously mischievous, yet ultimately golden-hearted characters, according to Illumination Entertainment CEO Chris Meledandri, the mastermind behind both series.Meledandri recently arrived in Korea to announce a new collaborative project with Korean studio Molfac & Alfred, and to promot

Film May 19, 2015