Most Popular
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[AtoZ into Korean mind] Humor in Korea: Navigating the line between what's funny and not
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Yoon seeks rebound, taps 5-term lawmaker as chief of staff
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Medical standoff deepens as doctors reject new med school plan, talks
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[Herald Interview] Why Toss invited hackers to penetrate its system
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[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
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S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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North Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles into sea: JCS
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Samsung, SK hynix investors dump shares on Nvidia crash
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Suspect in murder of girlfriend's mugshot, name made public
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[Home Cooking] Yeongeun Bokkeum (Stir-fried lotus root with peppers and mushrooms)
Lotus root (yeongeun) is the underwater stem of the lotus plant, which is rich in fiber and essential nutrients such as vitamin C and potassium. My favorite way to eat this crunchy and starchy root is to simply stir-fry (bokkeum) it with some other vegetables. To prepare the lotus root for cooking, peel the skin, slice or cut into bite size pieces, rinse, and then soak in the vinegar water. This will remove any impurities inside and the slight bitterness of the lotus root and prevent discolorati
April 21, 2017
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Earl Grey espresso and ricotta fig toast at Cafe Halfmoon
Located on a quiet stretch of a Cheongdam-dong street, Cafe Halfmoon looks like it would lead a relatively obscure and tranquil existence as a neighborhood hangout. Cafe Halfmoon serves up eats and drinks in a communal space with an open kitchen (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)That is not what happened when the cafe opened in January. “The first day of our soft opening we had one customer,” said co-owner Yoon Young-sim, 26. That moment was short-lived.“The second day people started showing up,”
April 21, 2017
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[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages
Green tea promotion at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul, a newly renovated Korean tea house, is offering a green tea promotion until April 23. The promotion includes a selection of premium green tea for two -- Woojeon, Gokwoo, Sejak and Jukro varieties -- and hwajeon, flat sticky rice cake decorated with flower petals. The promotion is available every day from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with prices starting from 42,000 won. The tea is served in a traditional Korean tea ceremony. Along
April 14, 2017
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[The Palate] Gyeongdong Market, the endearing traditional marketplace
The traditional markets scattered throughout the country are important resources for their local neighborhoods. Well-known marketplaces, like Namdaemun and Gwangjang, are examples of where Koreans can find their most basic of needs. But their authenticity is somewhat reduced by having been glossed up for tourists. By comparison, Gyeongdong market in Dongdaemun-gu, northeastern Seoul, is where one can truly experience a traditional marketplace within the city, and feel the honesty and warmth of i
April 14, 2017
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[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions
Tea house opens at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Park Hyatt Seoul’s The Lounge tea house, located on the 24th floor, reopened Monday, offering quality dishes and beverages to customers. With spectacular views of the city, The Lounge features traditional tea, modern cuisine and desserts from 9 a.m. to midnight. The green teas come from tea estates on Jeju Island, Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, and Boseong, South Jeolla Province, while executive chef Federico Heinzmann and his team use seasonal specialt
April 9, 2017
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[Home Cooking] Spicy braised tofu (dubu jorim)
Dubu jorim (braised tofu) is a popular Korean side dish which is typically pan-fried and then braised in a spicy sauce. This braised tofu doesn’t require pan-frying and uses a lot more liquid. It resembles a stew (jjigae), but is actually not a jjigae as the term is used in Korean cuisine. This dish is totally fine just with the onion and scallion, but this recipe also uses mushrooms and a chili pepper. You can also add a little bit of thinly sliced Korean radish to the bottom of the pot before
April 7, 2017
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Asian-French tapas at Bao27
Bao27 owner Kim Hyun-sung and chef Oh Jong-il take their variation of Chinese steamed buns very seriously. If one walks by in the afternoon, between 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., one might be able to catch a glimpse of the two busy kneading, rolling and shaping the dough for their baos. Not surprising, given the name of their restaurant literally advertises the increasingly prevalent Chinese sandwich- or dumpling-like treat as their specialty. Yet, it is not the baos alone that make this new spot worth a tr
April 7, 2017
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[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions
Children’s birthday at Grand Hyatt SeoulThe Grand Hyatt Seoul is offering a children’s birthday party package at restaurant JJ Gazebo. Up to 15 children can have a private garden party with pizza, a birthday cake, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, apple pie and more. After lunch, they will have two hours of play time with friends under the supervision of a recreation specialist, with activities ranging from sword play to treasure hunts, ball games and more. After playing, children can take a short trek
March 31, 2017
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[The Palate] The arrival of springtime jjukkumi
As winter ends so does the robust seafood season that filled our palates with the freshest catches in the frigid months. As if to offer one last hurrah, baby webfoot octopus, known as jjukkumi, make their way onto menus heralding the advent of a glorious spring.There is no doubt that Koreans know their seafood, and there is no surprise as to how creatively they like to enjoy it. From raw soy-pickled crab to par-dried salted grilled fish, to the absolutely wacky, wriggling sannakji squid eaten al
March 31, 2017
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[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions
New general manager at Novotel Ambassador Gangnam Novotel Ambassador Seoul Gangnam has appointed Vincent Lelay as its new general manager, drawing on his Asia-focused expertise to better serve its clients. Lelay was the cluster general manager of The Singapore Resort & Spa Sentosa and Sofitel So Singapore. The France-born manager held senior management roles including Vice President of Hotel Operations for Greater China where he supervised and operated more than 40 projects from development to o
March 24, 2017
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[Home Cooking] Dak cheonggyeongchae bokkeum (Stir-fried chicken and bok choy)
This Chinese-style stir-fried chicken with baby bok choy (cheonggyeongchae) is quick and easy to put together, making it perfect for a weeknight meal.First, coat the bite sized chicken with cornstarch and egg white. This keeps the chicken moist and tender, and gives it a nice sheen. Then, the chicken is quickly pan-fried before the actual stir-frying happens with the sauce and vegetables. The sauce is light yet rich in flavor. I used good quality chicken broth as a sauce base, but water is fine
March 24, 2017
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Around the Hotels
Weekend packages at ibis Styles Ambassador The ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeong-dong and Gangnam are offering weekend packages for replenishing the weary mind and body. The Cozy Weekend package at the Myeong-dong branch comprises an overnight stay at a Standard Suite, breakfast for two, access to a sauna and fitness center and late checkout at 2 p.m. It is available until the end of this year and costs 163,900 won for two.The Lazy Weekend in City package at the Gangnam branch comprises an ove
March 17, 2017
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New matcha tea spot in Seongsu-dong
At Matchacha Seoul in Seongsu-dong, owner Lee Yenie can be found behind the counter, vigorously whisking pulverized green tea leaves into a frothy, creamy beverage. “I have a fondness for matcha,” said Lee, 29, of why she decided to specialize in beverages crafted from the powdered green tea. Considered by many health-conscious consumers to be a wholesome caffeine fix, matcha has been gaining traction around the world. For traditional ceremonial-style matcha, owner Lee Yeni sifts ceremonial grad
March 17, 2017
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[Around the Hotels] Spring promotion at Grand Hyatt Incheon
Spring promotion at Grand Hyatt IncheonThe Grand Hyatt Incheon is offering spring dishes at Grand Cafe throughout March. The dishes comprise of fresh and nutritious greens, including chamnamul, wild chives and shepherd’s purse. Other highlights include sea squirt bibimbap with lettuce; soybean paste soup with manila clams and shepherd’s purse; pine-scented grilled short-rib patties cooked with pine needle enzymes; and stir-fried spicy pork with wild chives. Sea mustard noodles and chamnamul are
March 10, 2017
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[The Palate] Old world Chinese dumplings at Gubok Mandu
If you blink entering or exiting Sookmyung Station in Namyeong-dong, chances are you have passed the sliver of a shop, Gubok Mandu, non-descript among other tiny storefronts offering little to nothing to hurried commuters and army traffic. The name of the eatery may refer to the Korean word for dumplings, but what is being offered here are Chinese-style dumplings served the traditional way from a family recipe handed down generation to generation for the past 200 years.Luckily for those living a
March 10, 2017
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[Home Cooking] Hongeojjim (Steamed skate)
Hongeo (skate) is a popular fish in Korea. It’s eaten in many ways -- raw, fermented, steamed, pan-fried, spicy, mild, etc. Today, I’m showing you how to make hongeojjim (steamed skate). This delicate, firm fish has a mild, sweet taste and a unique texture. It has cartilage -- no bones. You can make this recipe with a whole wing or serving size pieces by cutting along the line of the cartilage. When cooked, the strands of flesh peel right off the cartilage, making it very easy to eat. Traditiona
March 10, 2017
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[Around the Hotels]
‘2+1’ package at Hyatt hotels in Korea The Grand Hyatt Seoul, Grand Hyatt Incheon and Hyatt Regency Jeju are offering a “2+1” combined package this spring. Guests can stay two nights and get one extra night for free if they book before March 31. Their stay period should be from March 1 to April 23.During the period, guests in Jeju Island can enjoy the cherry blossoms as well as flower festivals. Each Hyatt hotel in Korea has amenities including fitness centers, indoor and outdoor swimming pools,
March 8, 2017
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Hip carbs at 88 Bread
Danish toast bread -- a buttery, multilayered pastry loaf -- is on the verge of becoming Seoul’s hottest “it” carb. Similar in shape and flavor to regular toast bread, Danish toast bread is richer than its ubiquitous sibling, mainly because of how it is made, with alternating layers of dough and butter braided into a loaf. Separating layers of dough with butter results in the feather light pockets of air that are trademark pastry, like those found at the delicate center of a croissant. Danish to
March 3, 2017
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What the rich eat on their private planes
If you prepare food for Angelina Jolie, Michael Jackson, Simon Cowell and other multimillionaires while they’re lying on their private planes, what’s on the plate had better be good and nothing your diners’ palates might desire had better be missing. That slice of lime, wedge of Morbier cheese, tin of Russian caviar or bottle of Dom Perignon has got to be on board before takeoff; after all, there’s no Whole Foods Market or Super Cellars in the sky.Harry Purut, CEO of the Wood-Ridge, New Jersey-b
March 2, 2017
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[Home Cooking] Gulguk (Oyster soup)
Oysters are in season, and they are great in soups. This oyster soup is simple, refreshingly clear, and incredibly briny. The recipe uses two main ingredients -- oysters and radish. The oysters impart a strong briny flavor, so you don’t need to use a flavorful broth such as anchovy broth as a soup base. I simply add a small piece of dried kelp (dashima) to boost umami, and use salt to season to highlight the briny flavor of oysters. You can use a little bit of soup soy sauce if you want. The ra
Feb. 25, 2017