[Temple to Table] Temple food captures the spring within: Vegetable jangajji

I live at Baengnyeonsa Temple in Gangjin, located on the southernmost coast of South Jeolla Province. Baengnyeonsa is renowned for its “Baengnyeon Practice Movement” and is also known as the “beautiful temple of tea and camellias.” The path from the temple’s main entrance gate to the temple compound is bordered on both sides by a grove of camellia trees. Camellias begin to flower sparsely in early November, flower all through the winter, and come to full bloom in

April 2, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul announces ‘2022 Garden Wine Fair’ JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents the 2022 Wine Fair with more than 220 different wines from outstanding wineries in 11 countries — including France, the United States, Italy and Australia. The fair runs for three days from April 6, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Margaux Grill’s seventh-floor outdoor garden. Wines reserved in advance from a selection of 220 labels between March 26 and 30 will be available to pick

April 1, 2022

[Herald Interview] Food seen through documentarian’s eyes

Conceptualizing and categorizing food when filming a food documentary series is the strategy behind documentary producer-turned CEO Lee Wook-jung’s 30-year career. Lee pulls everything together at the end of the show, emphasizing the overarching theme that all food connects. Speaking with The Korea Herald on his first day out of quarantine following a business trip to Argentina where he went to capture the country’s distinctive pizza, Lee seemed thrilled and rather impatient to unve

March 26, 2022

[Holly’s Korean Kitchen] Wanja jeon, Korean meat tofu patties

My mother made these little patties on the day before holiday every year. She often cooked them on an electric griddle and made a ton of these little yummies for her family and relatives. These patties were only one of a variety of dishes that she pan-fried on the griddle. I usually sat down next to her to chat, grabbing a few of these little patties while they were piping hot off of the griddle. Oh, how delicious! The day before Korean New Year’s Day was a long, labor-intensive day for

March 26, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul offers new signature menu Cafe One at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul celebrates the arrival of spring with a new signature menu combining existing favorites ideal for pairing with coffee or beer. Highlights include the ricotta salad, made with ricotta crafted by Cafe One’s own chefs and tangy lemon juice; croque madame with Italian cotto ham and a soft bechamel sauce, topped with a sunny fried egg; and the chicken sandwich with thickly sliced chicken breast cooked sous-v

March 25, 2022

Taste of spring with every bite of namul

As the saying “The March winds are the morning yawn” goes, a fresh spring breeze not only awakens our souls, but imbues renewed energy in nature. During this season, one of the side dishes almost always present on Korean dining tables is namul, or seasoned vegetables and herbs. Although now available year round, many wild plants, herbs and vegetables are in their best condition during the spring season. Most namul varieties are bathed in shades of green, but not all have to be

March 19, 2022

[Temple to Table] Flavor studies in harmony: Monastic potato pizza

There is one essential practice all aspiring monastics must perform -- to be a “haengja,” or postulant. A haengja is someone who is undergoing a trial period before becoming a monastic. The process of entering a temple as a haengja and becoming a monastic takes from six months to a year. However, one cannot become a monastic just because one has completed this probationary period. One must also learn proper monastic etiquette and Buddhist ceremonies during this period, and must p

March 19, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul showcases Fairmont Yeoui Blossom tea set Fairmont Ambassador Seoul is offering a spring-inspired afternoon tea set served at the hotel’s first-floor Atrium Lounge. This season’s high tea set features a collection of cherry blossom-themed desserts and beverages, complemented by a menu of irresistible savory items. The selection of seven desserts is served on an elegant three-tier tray, and is accompanied by various savory items. Guests choosing the packa

March 18, 2022

[Herald Interview] Naming Korea’s unnamed and forgotten recipes

Discovering unnamed foods, gathering lesser-known recipes, documenting them and, finally, presenting them to the public to learn and enjoy is what drove Ha Mi-hyun, CEO of food research and archive company Spoken Company to carry on with her work despite the pandemic. 　 Ha founded Spoken Company, also known as Ipmal Eumsik, referring to dishes prepared with recipes passed by word of mouth, in 2015. The company has so far visited more than 70 regions in Korea, and recorded over 400 spoken recipe

March 12, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] Kimchi, the indispensable national dish of Korea

Over its long history, Korea has suffered, losing at times and recovering her land, language, history and culture. But Koreans never lost their indispensable national dish, kimchi. Kimchi is the staple of Koreans everywhere, including the Korean diaspora, which stretches as far as North and South Americas, Europe and the Middle East, Africa and all of Asia. Growing up in the US, I didn‘t always have kimchi on my dining table, but I enjoyed it when I could. When journalists from Korea ac

March 12, 2022

[Holly’s Korean Kitchen] Gyeranjjim, steamed egg

It almost looks like an egg pudding that is about to explode, doesn’t it? This fun Korean egg side dish is one of the “experimental” dishes of Korean cuisine. In other words, people like to make this unique Korean side dish not only for the delicious eggy taste, but also because it’s like doing a science experiment to see the result -- without the mess. The moment you open the lid of your stone pot, you will get a surprising view of volcanic eggs with piping hot steam sh

March 12, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents sakura teppanyaki Tamayura, the luxury Japanese dining destination on the second floor of JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, is showcasing an authentic teppanyaki course crafted from diverse seasonal ingredients. The main dish of the eight-course dinner menu is the hanwoo tenderloin, a cut of the highest grade of beef. Other highlights include a welcome dish of Sakizuke, hanwoo roast beef, grilled sirloin served with Tamayura’s own special sauce, live seafood Karas

March 11, 2022

Doenjang’s thick and chunky makeover: Gangdoenjang

Doenjang jjigae, Korean soybean paste stew, is Koreans’ favorite hearty comfort food. The rich taste of fermented soybean paste goes well with a humble bowl of rice. Doenjang jjigae recipes range from those with assorted seafood to chadolbagi, or thin brisket slices. Decades ago, doenjang jjigae specialty restaurants were a common sight on street corners. They offered traditional doenjang jjigae, cheonggukjang and gangdoenjang, also known as ggangjang. The three dishes are all based on f

March 5, 2022

[Temple to Table] Invigorating seasonal food for spring: Dureup jeon and green tea rice

An encyclopedic classic of Korean medicine titled “Donguibogam (Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine)” refers to spring as “release of the old.” It also recommends taking care of one’s health according to the natural cycle of seasonal changes as the human body is part of nature’s creation. That’s why eating seasonal food is important. With new buds and sprouts at their peak, it is time to eat green leafy veggies. Having endured the unforgiving co

March 5, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Park Hyatt Busan’s Lounge presents Citrus Bloom Afternoon Tea Park Hyatt Busan’s Lounge cafe located on the 30th floor is newly showcasing its spring tea package. The Citrus Bloom Afternoon Tea set presents combinations of a variety of citrus fruits added to tea or coffee of guests’ choice. The set is paired with traditional homemade scones, jam and clotted cream. The selection includes a sweet gold kiwi tart, an orange sand cake, a yuja mille-feuille and a hallabong cake w

March 4, 2022

[Herald Interview] Korean chef’s French restaurant in London wins Michelin star

A rising star chef from Korea recently awarded a Michelin star for his French restaurant in London. Park Woong-chul, 38, who opened Sollip, a French restaurant with a Korean touch in the heart of London, is the first Korean chef to receive a Michelin star in the UK. There are currently 194 Michelin-starred restaurants in Britain, including 19 which were newly awarded this year. “I still remember us (my wife and I) being devastated when the UK government issued a COVID-19 lockdown just

Feb. 26, 2022

[Holly’s Korean Kitchen] Korean honey garlic chicken wings

If you like sticky party wings to munch on, you need to try my recipe for pan-fried Korean honey garlic chicken wings. These wings not only taste great, but they are so simple and quick to make. You will love the combination of soy sauce, garlic, and honey. As a Korean, I couldn’t resist adding some fresh chilies to give a spicy kick to the chicken wings. However, you can omit the chilies and enjoy the mild honey garlic chicken as is. If you love Korean chicken wings, this is perhaps th

Feb. 26, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Grand Hyatt Seoul unveils Spring Breeze in Namsan Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel’s signature restaurant Teppan opens its new lunch and dinner menu event, Spring Breeze in Namsan. Starting with baekhap pot as an appetizer, a great variety of meat and fish dishes using ingredients fresh from Jeju Island are served at the table. This season’s hanwoo beef sirloin is a specialty created by the hotels‘ executive chef, Dallas Cuddy. The sour and saltiness of turnip and the seasonal Jeju

Feb. 25, 2022

[Temple to Table] Refreshing spring veggies, stringy stonecrop water kimchi

“I thought for a while what to cook, and chose things that are easy to cook but that can revive one’s appetite in springtime. In fact, we don’t have recipes that require sophisticated preparation or many supplementary ingredients in temple cuisine,” said Ven. Yeoil. Saying her cooking skill is “just knowledge she picked up from everyday observations,” Ven. Yeoil reveals her humility, but the magic in her hands is well-known among her fellow Buddhist nuns fro

Feb. 19, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul launches ‘Luxury Wellness’ package Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents a wellness package that offers moments of genuine relaxation and healing. The package includes a night’s stay in the Fairmont Deluxe room, and a choice of a 60-minute body message treatment or 70-minute facial at ESPA, a luxury spa located within the hotel. A buffet breakfast for two is provided at Spectrum, and two signature cocktails at M29, both located in the hotel. The pack

Feb. 18, 2022