New generation of independent bakeries offer cure for the bread blahs

It is a wonderful phenomenon that more and more people around the world are developing a taste for kimchi. That pleasantly pungent, sour, spicy, and perfectly salty taste — with the crisp texture of cabbage — indicates that you have yourself some good kimchi. Koreans make their cabbage kimchi in different ways depending on the season and the purpose. Cabbage kimchi is perhaps the best known and common kimchi eaten in Korea. The next common kimchi would be the cubed radish kimchi. W

Four Seasons Hotel collaborates with Nespresso Four Seasons Hotel Seoul has teamed up with premium coffee brand Nespresso to promote limited-edition coffee capsules from Nespresso’s Forest Collection, under the theme of sustainable environment. The “Gifts of the Forest” promotion presents a special staycation with various desserts and cocktails provided by the hotel inspired by Nespresso’s coffee. A portion of the profit will go to Naver’s Happybean Foundation t

The four seasons of Korea are distinct, which led to the development of seasonal dishes depending on which ingredients that were fresh and available at the time. Naengmyeon, cold noodles served in broth usually made of beef stock, is an exception. The popular Korean cold noodle dish sharpens the appetites of noodle lovers not only in the summer, but also during the height of the winter season. In fact, some naengmyeon lovers will swear by slurping icy cold noodles while seated on a warm ondol

In my childhood there was always a basket of fermenting cheonggukjang, rich soybean paste, on the warm part of the ondol floor of the room where I wanted to lie down. I used to grumble to my mom why she had to put it there, and I pleaded with her not to make it anymore because I didn’t need to eat it. I didn’t realize until I was out in the real world how much effort and devotion it takes to make it. Now, as an adult, I appreciate the full, deep taste of cheonggukjang. The fun par

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents High Tea at Fairmont Very Berry Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents High Tea at Fairmont Very Berry, inspired by winter strawberries and other seasonal fruit served at the Atrium Lounge until March 13. The high tea set features a selection of desserts crafted to celebrate the aromas of strawberries, a choice of sweet beverages and a menu of savory items. The dessert menu features seven desserts presented on a three-tier tray, including miniature pistachio spo

As I review fond memories of wintertime in Korea when I was growing up, I think of my mother preparing this delicious, savory bulgogi hot pot for dinner. A large shallow pot is adorned with a beautiful arrangement of Korean beef bulgogi meat, along with a variety of leafy vegetables, mushrooms and Korean glass noodles, known as dangmyeon. Then a slightly sweet and savory broth is poured over it all. My mother placed the pot on a portable burner in the middle of the table. The entire family of

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents ‘Falling in Love with Strawberry Afternoon Tea Set’ JW Marriott Hotel Seoul’s The Lounge, located on the eighth-floor reception lobby presents “Falling in Love with Strawberry Afternoon Tea Set.” 　 This season’s tea set showcases nine desserts including strawberry mont blanc, crafted from juicy strawberries and almond cream enveloped in rich Chantilly cream; strawberry cheesecake; flamingo almond cake; strawberry macarons; an

Rice with seaweed fusiforme (tot) Loaded with minerals, fusiforme (tot) is a seaweed that provides diverse nutrients in winter. The fragrance and flavor of rice cooked by adding plump seasonal tot is much better than when dried tot is used. If you add chestnuts, you will experience the harmony of the familiar and the unfamiliar as the prickly textured tot and sweet chestnuts come together in your mouth. Ingredients 200 g fresh tot 5 chestnuts 1 cup rice 1 cup water 1 tbsp sesame oil Sau

Mayfield Seoul offers ‘Private Party’ package Mayfield Hotel in Seoul is offering an in-room dining package called “Private Party,” for guests to enjoy gatherings in a private space instead of dining out to celebrate the end of the year. The package provides two bottles of wine – one red and one sparkling -- along with a 100,000 won dining voucher that can be used at the hotel’s restaurant, which offers a choice of steak and smoked salmon dishes. Cheese pla

On an early December afternoon, Kim Ji-young, head chef at Balwoo Gongyang, a restaurant dedicated to temple cuisine operated by the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism, was demonstrating how to make root vegetable geotjeori, or a light salad of root vegetables. Unrushed and with a generous smile, the chef hummed a tune as she demonstrated the cooking process, step by step. With 1,700 years of history, some keywords come to mind upon hearing “temple food,” such as vegetarian or slow

Korean-style fried chicken has made a name for itself in the global food scene with its crisp texture and various seasoning sauces.  On its home turf, it has become the subject of a debate among local foodies after a famous food critic Hwang Kyo-ik slammed chefs who make the dish for using small chickens and relying too much on sauce.  “Korean chicken is not tasty because the chicken is small. The dish sold at local restaurants uses a broiler weighing about 1.5 kilograms. It i

Several years ago, I was on vacation in Korea’s east coast with my family, riding three-wheeled all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Our guide told us to go up a steep mountain in the rain. Unfortunately I had a very bad fall, which led to a fracture on my upper femur bone right below the socket. Long story short, instead of spending the day riding ATVs we rode ambulances. I had surgery and was hospitalized for a few days. During the hospitalization I lost over 4.5 kilograms due to the stress and

InterContinental Seoul pesents ‘Romantic Holiday’ Package Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Samseong-dong announced its plan to offer the Romantic Holiday Package, prepared especially for lovers in the Christmas and year-end season, until Dec. 31. A body oil and body lotion set worth 174,000 won from French haute couture beauty brand BULY 1803 is included as a Christmas gift. A complimentary bottle of Mosel Christmas wine for a year-end mood and a tin of cookies are also provid

Dried persimmons are considered a representative Korean traditional snack, one that was long favored by royalty. Because of an arduous cultivation process, dried persimmons were only available to people of high class.  People from Haman, North Gyeongsang Province, take deep pride in their dried persimmons, which are extremely chewy and sweet. The texture and sweetness are achieved by drying them in the clean wind at the apex of Yeohangsan, which stands approximately 770 meters above sea l