[Graphic News] Over 33,000 Korean restaurants across the world

　The number of Korean restaurants worldwide, serving bibimbap, bulgogi and other Korean dishes, rose to 33,499 across 90 countries last year, according to a report published by the Korean Food Promotion Institute. The number increased 262 percent from 9,253 in 2009. 　There were 15,985 restaurants in China, 9,238 in Japan and 3,293 in the US.　Taiwan, Indonesia, Europe and the Middle East also had a greater number of Korean restaurants last year compared to 2009. 

Jan. 25, 2018

Michelin-starred chef bets on casual Korean dining

Chef Yim Jung-sik burst onto the world culinary scene nine years ago with then a rather new concept of Korean fine dining.In two years, he tapped New York, the heart of haute cuisine, with his restaurant Jungsik and earned a Michelin star the following year. The restaurant has had two Michelin stars since 2014, and his Seoul store was added to the second edition of the Michelin Guide for Seoul 2018 as a two-star eatery.After nearly a decade of dedication to fine dining, Yim recently embarked on

Jan. 20, 2018

Sitting down for authentic Korean meal before hitting the runway

The first Korean Michelin-starred chef Yim Jung-sik hopes to introduce a new perspective on everyday Korean food with Pyunghwaok, which opened at Incheon Airport’s new terminal Thursday. “Foreign diners will be able to taste real Korean food from the entrance of Korea,” Yim said at Pyunghwaok, which means “peace house” in Korean, on Wednesday, ahead of its official opening. “For me, I can showcase my menu to a more diverse spectrum of people.” The restaurant offers classic food of North and Sout

Jan. 19, 2018

[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] 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

Off-the-menu eats at new Thai spot

Everything about Krap Pom, a new Thai eatery that opened in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, is underground. Not only is the restaurant located in the basement, the place also sequesters a slew of off-the-menu specialties that one either has to intuitively order or discover by monitoring the restaurant’s Instagram feed, where owner Lee Hyun-jong posts new dishes. “The dishes that have passed the test are the ones we post on Instagram,” said Lee, 34.  Krap Pom’s pla neung manao (back, left) -- steamed fish spi

Aug. 11, 2017

[Home Cooking] Gaji bokkeum (stir-fried eggplants)

In the summertime, Korean tables are full of vegetable side dishes. Here’s a quick and easy summer side dish made with eggplants. Asian eggplants have tender skin and sweet flesh. Look for slender eggplants with a rich purple color and shiny skin, and without any soft or brown spots. To add a pop of green color to the dish, I used a couple of green chili peppers for this recipe. Garlic chives (buchu) works really well with this dish as well. Sometimes, I also add a handful of mushrooms (oyster,

Aug. 11, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Skincare, spa at Sheraton Seoul D Cube City The Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering a package of luxurious spa and skincare treatments with the Swiss company Valmont, a leading skincare brand with over 30 years of experience, at its Aequalis Spa.Valmont’s signature product Energy Ritual features four different facial treatments designed to replenish the skin using glacial water and reduce wrinkles. Guests can receive a treatment for 30, 90, 110, or 120 minutes. The 30-minute treatment s

Aug. 11, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Fusion bingsu at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul, located on the 24th floor and offering a wide view of downtown, is offering two new types of the icy traditional Korean dessert bingsu -- cold-drip coffee bingsu and peach bingsu -- through Aug. 31, every day from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The new varieties follow the signature makgeoli bingsu, which was developed by the restaurant and teahouse. The coffee bingsu at 37,000 won uses Yirgacheff coffee beans, almond milk and shaved ice, t

Aug. 4, 2017

[Home Cooking] All purpose Korean marinade (manneung ganjang)

This marinade is all you need for Korean barbecue this summer! It takes less than an hour to put this large batch together. You don’t need to assemble a marinade or run to a store to buy a jar of pre-made marinade every time. All the flavor enhancing ingredients are boiled together, so the marinade is very flavorful and the shelf life is naturally long. To make this all-purpose marinade, the ingredients are boiled with umami-boosting vegetables such as dried shiitake mushrooms and dashima. Korea

July 28, 2017

Healthy-ish grain bowl and other new eats at Bimbom’s second outlet

In a residential area of Seongsu-dong rapidly morphing into a clutch of eateries and cafes, Bimbom owners Sim Ka-young and Kim Tae-kyung found a second home for their famous brunch-friendly eats. “We came here by chance and had that feeling right away,” said co-owner and designer Kim, 43. “It felt like the neighborhood I grew up in.”  Bimbom’s Seoul Forest outlet serves up new additions like “eggnolia” -- a pesto quinoa and barley grain bowl topped with pickled red beets, avocado and a poached e

July 28, 2017

Around the Hotels

Champagne, sparkling wine at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul, offering a panoramic view of the city from the 24th floor, has a promotion of champagne and sparkling wine at discount prices.Two types of champagne -- Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque and Billecart-Salmon, Extra Brut -- and nine types of sparkling wine -- including Fantini Gran Cuvee Rose Swarovski and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rustico -- are available along with snacks. One glass costs 24,000 won or a bottle is 61,00

July 28, 2017

Making more than makgeolli

Julia Mellor’s first experience with makgeolli was, by her own admission, terrible. The cheap green bottle she had purchased from a local convenience store here left such a bad aftertaste that she gave up on Korean alcohol there and then. So it’s surprising that now, almost 10 years after her first and what she thought would be her final sip, she finds herself at the helm of a company dedicated to educating and spreading awareness of traditional Korean alcohol.Daniel McLaughlin (left), managing

July 19, 2017

Revitalizing Seoul through food

The evolving dining industry in Seoul has transformed blue-collar communities into hipster havens, where artists and expats alike relocate to open their restaurants and cafes. With food comes locals, drawn by the aesthetically pleasing interiors and foods on a platter, housed inside abandoned warehouses and narrow alleyways.Industrial neighborhoods, like Mangwon-dong, are only in their beginning stages of revival. Mangwon-dong’s main roads are crowded with open-air markets and low-cost produce,

July 18, 2017

Maison M’O launches new bakery near Seoul Forest

If one walks into A Cote du Parc at 10 in the morning, one is greeted with the intoxicating scent of freshly baked brioche, a warm, toasty, buttery scent that is hard to resist. The spread of pastries, bread and cakes on display makes it even more tempting to walk away with an armful of carbs from this new bakery, which opened in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong this April. The second offshoot of Maison M’O, a dessert shop that opened over two years ago, A Cote du Parc differentiates itself from its well-kn

July 14, 2017

Kkaennip Jjim (Steamed Perilla Leaves)

This steamed perilla leaf side dish (kkaennip jjim) is enjoyed in the summer when fresh perilla leaves are plentiful. The fragrant perilla leaves are lightly seasoned with a simple mixture of seasonings. Briefly steaming mellows the taste of this strong flavored vegetable while keeping the freshness of the leaves. If you find fresh perilla leaves a bit too strong, try this steamed version. Once you clean the leaves, it only takes a few minutes to put the sauce together and steam the leaves eithe

July 14, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Summer package at Westin Chosun Seoul The Westin Chosun Seoul offers the Urban Oasis accommodation package until Aug. 31. The package features accommodation in the deluxe, executive and junior suites, with prices ranging from 230,000 won to 520,000 won. The executive room package offers access to the executive lounge on the 20th floor for breakfast, snacks and cocktails, as well as the sauna. The junior suite package offers breakfast at the executive lounge or Aria Buffet Restaurant. Various cos

July 7, 2017

[Weekender] Extravagant desserts, once banned, return to spotlight

Topping off a savory meal with something sweet has become a commonplace ritual all over the world.　But long before cafes or bakeries flooded the streets of Korea, sweets were not used as desserts but rather spotlighted on their own, according to Lee Sun-mi, professor of Korean traditional cuisine at Sookmyung Women’s University’s Korean Food Institute.　 A plate of ripe persimmon and red bean paste (left) and iced yuja tea at Cafe Noshi (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)“Korean confectionaries, or

July 7, 2017

[Weekender] Taiwanese desserts gain ground in Korea

Move over macarons and Frappuccinos. Just as Starbucks made coffee drinks a daily essential for millions of Koreans and consumers around the world, authentic Taiwanese desserts are soaring in popularity here. Taiwanese dessert shop 315 Taiwan Cafe located on Teheran Street in Gangnam, southern Seoul (315 Taiwan Cafe)Seoul isn’t exactly home to the most authentic Taiwanese desserts. But if you take a chance and indulge in freshly crafted milk tea and munch on a heated Taiwanese pancake at 315 Tai

July 7, 2017

[Weekender] Bingsu, Korea’s heat-beating ice dessert

If Italy has gelato and France has sorbet, Korea has bingsu. It is a national dessert made of shaved ice, milk and condensed milk, and often topped with sweetened red beans or fruits. It is a dish beloved across generations, chilling their taste buds and slaking their thirst in the thick of summer. After a meal, Koreans like to go to a bingsu store to dive into a bowl of shaved ice, usually with friends or family. While the original “patbingsu” is made of ice, milk and red beans, more varieties

July 7, 2017