Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Experience unique and distinctive Vietnamese cuisine from North and South

Paradise Elegance vessel cruise on Vietnamese popular tourist destination Halong Bay in this photo. / Courtesy of Paradise Vietnam By Kim Jae-heunPopular Vietnamese dishes such as pho and goi cuon (fresh spring rolls) have gained popularity in Korea over the last decade. However, the flavors of Vietnamese cuisine have been modified to fit the Korean palate, and it took a few more years before Vietnamese chefs started opening “authentic” Vietnamese restaurants here. While there are still plenty more Vietnamese dishes that have not been introduced to Korea, bun cha is a representative Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and white rice noodles that has just been added to menus recently.Meanwhile, the number of Korean tourists visiting the Southeast Asian country has grown continuously over the past five years, reaching nearly 3.5 million last year alone and making Vietnam one of Koreans' favorite tourist destinations. HOME Hanoi restaurant's special delicacy La Vong grilled fish Nguyen Thanh Tung, the first winner of Iron Chef Vietnam 2012, recommends cha ca La Vong, (

Oct 11, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

'Vietnamese cuisine is light, healthy and refreshing'

From left, British Michelin-starred chef John Burton-Race and 2012 Iron Chef Vietnam winner Nguyen Thanh Tung prepares special dinner at HOME Finest Saigon restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in last May. / Courtesy of Paradise VietnamBy Kim Jae-heunHANOI ― Ever since Vietnamese celebrity chef Nguyen Thanh Tung started working as an executive chef for HOME restaurants with the opening of its first branch in Hanoi in 2015, he has been devoting his career to spreading the word about Vietnamese cuisine and giving authentic gastronomic experiences to guests from all over the world. The first HOME in the capital city met with instant success, leading to the launch of another branch in the country's central region of Hoi An in 2016 and one more in Ho Chi Minh City in 2017. “With the aim of bringing Vietnamese food from the street to the dining table, all HOME restaurants highlight the culinary delicacies in each area by using fresh ingredients and traditional cooking methods,” Tung said during an interview with The Korea Times at HOME Hanoi restaurant, Sept. 23. With 20 ye

Oct 11, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

'Vietnamese cuisine is light, healthy and refreshing'

South Korea has third most powerful passport

South Korean passport holders can travel freely to 188 countries and territories. GettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoSouth Korea has the world's third most powerful passport, according to the latest study by law firm Henley & Partners.The 2019 Henley Passport Index, which ranks countries based on their freedom of access to other countries, shows that South Korean passport holders ― along with German and Finnish passport holders ― can travel freely to 188 jurisdictions around the world without a prior visa.Only Singaporean and Japanese passports offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more destinations (190).Passports of Denmark, Italy and Luxembourg are tied for sixth (187).Afghanistan (25) is ranked at the bottom of the spectrum, with Iraq (27), Syria (29) and Somalia (31) just ahead.Top1. Singapore, Japan (190)2. South Korea, Germany, Finland (188)3. Italy, Denmark, Luxembourg (187)4. France, Spain, Sweden (186)5. Austria, Netherlands, Portugal (185)Bottom1. Afghanistan (25)2. Iraq (27)3. Syria (29)4. Somalia, Pakistan (31)5. Yemen (33)

Oct 7, 2019By Jung Min-ho

South Korea has third most powerful passport

Korean Empire's royal cuisine shows King Gojong's dreams, frustrations

On Sept. 20, 1905, King Gojong hosted a luncheon for Alice Roosevelt, which served 17 dishes with three different condiments. The Cultural Heritage Administration reenacted the royal banquet food with Shinsegae Chosun Hotel for “The Emperor's Dining Table of the Daehan Empire” exhibition at the Daehan Empire Historical Museum in Deoksu Palace. Courtesy of Cultural Heritage AdministrationBy Kwon Mee-yooAlice Roosevelt, the eldest child of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, was one of the most famous national figures of the early 20th century. She made a goodwill trip to East Asia in 1905 with an 83-member diplomatic delegation and stopped by the Korean Empire, which lasted from 1897 to 1910 when Joseon Kingdom struggled to survive amid opening of ports and contact with Western culture. In her memoir "Crowded Hours: Reminiscences of Alice Roosevelt Longworth," she described her visit to the Korean Empire, including a royal banquet she attended at Deoksu Palace. Despite recognizing that “Korea, reluctant and helpless, was sliding into the grasp of Japan," King Gojong t

Oct 3, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korean Empire's royal cuisine shows King Gojong's dreams, frustrations

Architects connect past, future at Deoksu Palace

Seoul, Jeju popular activity venues for foreigners

Eco Land Theme Park is built in the Gotjawal primeval forest on Jeju Island and visitors can experience the 1 square-kilometer jungle by train. / Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationBy Kang Seung-wooJeju Island as well as Seoul is gaining traction among travelers to Korea as the nation's best places for activities, according to a global travel search engine, Thursday, as more people visit holiday destinations offering various activities.This is according to Trip.com's analysis of purchases at its site for local activities by foreigners visiting Korea from January to August this year. The list of the top 10 activities included four in the capital and also as many on the southern resort island. One activity each for Busan and Gyeonggi Province rounded out the list. A trip to N Seoul Tower was the most sought-after activity in Korea among foreigners. Built in 1969, it is the first tower-type tourism spot in Korea, emerging as a key landmark that provides a bird's-eye view of the city. The tower is 480 meters above sea level, standing atop the 262-meter-high Mount Nam.Everland, the nat

Oct 3, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Seoul, Jeju popular activity venues for foreigners

INTERVIEW How ex-tech journalist realized her own cycling project across Eurasia

Yoo Chae-won, 29, an author of a book titled “Cycling Eurasia and the letters on the road,” poses for a photo during an interview with The Korea Times at a restaurant in Seoul, Sept. 20. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-minBy Jung Da-min Going on a bike trip after quitting their job is what many office workers dream of. But as much as it sounds tempting, it requires through preparation, not to mention strong willingness to make it happen. Yoo Chae-won, 29, the author of a book titled “Cycling Eurasia and the letters on the road,” published Oct. 1, successfully finished her project to cycle through Eurasia from China's Shanghai to the U.K.'s London from June 2 2018 to Jan. 26 2019. To deal with financial problems regarding the project, she made full use of her career as a journalist with TechNode in China, an English outlet focusing on Chinese startups and tech businesses.During her three years and six months of working as a tech journalist under the byline of her English name “Eva Yoo” in China, Yoo got to interview the leaders of China's leading tech

Oct 2, 2019

[INTERVIEW] How ex-tech journalist realized her own cycling project across Eurasia

Hotel Lobby

By Kang Seung-wooPark Hyatt Seoul unveils autumn suite promotionThe Park Hyatt Seoul offers the perfect promotion for savoring the romance of autumn in the comfort and luxury of a Park Hyatt suite. Combining a 15 percent saving on regular suite rates with a bottle of red wine and a relaxing soak at the hotel sauna, this relaxing seasonal break is available for booking from Oct. 1 to Nov. 14, for stays between Oct. 1 and Dec. 13. Payment must be made at the time of reservation, while date changes and refunds cannot be provided once payment is complete. All guests at Park Hyatt Seoul enjoy complimentary use of the hotel's swimming pool and fitness studio.JW Dongdaemun teaming up with Naver for autumn diningThe Lounge at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul and Naver present “JW Garden with Naver Table Ordering,” a collaborative promotion featuring autumn dining until Oct. 31.This is the co7untry's first-ever service to offer food ordering, payment and review writing with a simple QR code scan, unlocking effortless access to casual dining, brunch menus, wines, cocktails

Oct 2, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Hotel Lobby

By Kang Seung-wooFour Points Gangnam to hold beer festival next monthThe Four Points by Sheraton Seoul, Gangnam will host its inaugural beer festival on Oct. 11 and 12 as part of the brand's Best Brew Festival program that will feature various local brews.The line-up for the two-day event includes brands The Hand and Malt, Art Monster and Good Drinks.Along with the beer, a number of side dishes such as skewers of seafood and chicken, dried pollack, or “meoktae” in Korean, and grilled squid will be available.InterContinental Seoul COEX presents 'Autumn Delicacies'The InterContinental Seoul COEX's buffet restaurant, The Brasserie, has launched its Autumn Delicacies promotion featuring seasonal local ingredients.Until the end of October, the promotion presents sumptuous signature autumn dishes, including sea eel soaked in oriental medicine-style sauce, and chilled abalone char siu topped with sauce made with newly harvested pine nuts. Currently, grilled whole lamb roast is available every Thursday night and freshly delivered local tuna from Jeju Island sliced on the spot is

Sep 26, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

INTERVIEW Traveler's advice: Think twice about quitting your job to see the world

Chang Chan-young visits Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia on Dec. 23, 2010. Courtesy of Chang Chan-youngBy Jung Min-hoWe are all too familiar with the message: “I quit my job to travel the world and find my new dream ― and you should too!”While this mindset and lifestyle are becoming increasingly popular in the era of social media and digital nomads, one man who has tried it says the message should be taken with a pinch of salt.“While traveling around the world for 529 days, I visited every place I wanted to see and did everything I had dreamed of,” Chang Chan-young, 34, said in a recent interview. “After the adventure, I returned home. It was a perfect ending. But then I realized that it wasn't a movie and asked myself, 'What should I do now?'”Before and during his journey, Chang thought, at the end of it, he would discover something special ― something that would somehow open the next chapter of his life. But there was no such eureka moment, he said.“Traveling around the world was the goal of my life and I accomplished it when I was still in my 20s

Sep 25, 2019By Jung Min-ho

[INTERVIEW] Traveler's advice: Think twice about quitting your job to see the world

VIDEO 'Even death can't stop me from exploring the unexplored'

By Lee Min-youngWhen it comes to tests of endurance, there are mental and physical limits to human ability. But humans are capable of far more than we think. And extreme athlete and professional adventurer Ash Dykes is living proof. Dykes is a British explorer from North Wales and the first recorded person to complete a 4,000-mile (6,400-km) trek along the entire length of the Yangtze River in China, which took him a year to complete. The Yangtze is the third-longest river in the world and the longest to flow through a single country."I just returned from the expedition about three weeks ago,” he said. “I feel very skinny and I've lost a lot of weight but I'm feeling great mentally and physically.” In 2014, he became the first person in recorded history to walk unsupported from west to east across Mongolia, which took him 78 days. He also traversed the length of inland Madagascar, trekking 1,600 miles (2,600 km) over eight mountains in 155 days in 2016, also making himself the first person to do so.He has been undertaking big expeditions around the world for the pas

Sep 22, 2019By Lee Min-young

Travel & Food

Travel & Food

Experience unique and distinctive Vietnamese cuisine from North and South

'Vietnamese cuisine is light, healthy and refreshing'

South Korea has third most powerful passport

Korean Empire's royal cuisine shows King Gojong's dreams, frustrations

Seoul, Jeju popular activity venues for foreigners

INTERVIEW How ex-tech journalist realized her own cycling project across Eurasia

Hotel Lobby

Hotel Lobby

INTERVIEW Traveler's advice: Think twice about quitting your job to see the world

VIDEO 'Even death can't stop me from exploring the unexplored'

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