By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
The Imperial Palace Hotel holds an authentic Chinese cuisine promotion at its Chinese restaurant, Cheonsan, through June 30
For the promotion, the hotel has invited two guest chefs Li Jian-bao and Luo Jin-hua from the Haiqing Hotel in Qingdao, China.
They offer authentic dishes from Qingdao, relatively unknown to diners here, compared to Cantonese or Beijing dishes.
Traditional Qingdao cuisine features a range of fresh seafood due to its location in eastern Shandong Province, near the Yellow Sea.
``There are a range of different Qingdao dishes featuring seafood,'' Luo said. ``These dishes have now become very popular among Chinese people as they are becoming more interested in health food as well as taste.''
Considering nutrition and the preferences of Korean diners, the two chefs have chosen 24 different dishes from their specialties.
``Most of all, we want to introduce food that best captures Qingdao cuisine,'' Li said. ``Also, we're trying to create something that can satisfy Korean diners.''
Of the 24 dishes, the restaurant is now offering five a la carte items and two set menus, priced at 90,000 won and 130,000 won.
The two chefs are visiting the Imperial Palace Hotel through an exchange program as the two hotels have enjoyed a long partnership since 2001.
The chefs have been chosen to represent their hotel and introduce their specialties to diners in Seoul, because of their lengthy experiences.
Luo has worked at renowned super deluxe hotels in China for 14 years and has been working as a head chef at the Haiching Hotel since 2004. He has won various prizes in food competitions including the gold prize at the 1st Nourishment Dish Festival.
Li has 15-years work experience; especially serving VIP guests at the Haiqing Hotel.
Through the exchange program, the two guest chefs are also learning how to make kimchi.
``It's quite a unique taste and has become popular among Chinese,'' Li said. ``I think this is also a good chance for us to learn more about Korean dishes.''
For more information on the Qingdao cuisine promotion, call Cheonsan at (02) 3440-8000.