Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Millennium Hilton seeks to offer 'legacy' hotel

By Kang Seung-wooThe Millennium Hilton Seoul will celebrate its 37th anniversary this December, becoming one of the oldest hotels to successfully survive decades in the capital.Felix Busch, general manager of Millennium Hilton SeoulBut, conversely, some may think the property, located at the foot of Mount Nam, is too outdated to compete with younger rivals ― particularly those that are brand new and equipped with splendid furnishings.Felix Busch, the German-born new general manager, takes a different approach to the speculation, saying its tradition can be a “differentiator” in the industry.“Legacy takes time to create, so some people may say we are an older hotel, but I will say it is a legacy hotel,” Busch said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. He joined the hotel in August.“This hotel has seen events many hotels have never seen in their lives. Our hotel accommodated guests that many hotels have never accommodated.”The Korean hospitality industry has been referred to as one of the toughest battlefields in the world, raising whispers tha

Oct 17, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Millennium Hilton seeks to offer 'legacy' hotel

Hotel Lobby

By Kang Seung-wooGrand Hyatt Seoul completes Grand Ballroom renovationThe Grand Hyatt Seoul has officially completed the extensive renovation of its Grand Ballroom providing a new, industry-leading platform for weddings and banquets, and meetings, incentives, conference and exhibitions (MICE).The renovated Grand Ballroom offers event customers a completely new experience by melding the traditional foundations of function with modern, contemporary designs and technologies. The renovated ballroom features new digital technology to meet the needs and expectations of today's hi-tech events. All analog signs have been replaced with advanced digital ones, with the lobby balcony being replaced with a massive digital wall enabling multi-media presentations of the highest quality. The large LED screen spans the ballroom's first floor lobby area.The interior of the Grand Ballroom has been re-designed as a multi-purpose venue perfect for large-scale theatrical and promotional events. Nine Tree Hotel opens at Insa-dong Parnas Hotel, which owns the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas and the Inte

Oct 16, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

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

Travel & Food

Travel & Food

Millennium Hilton seeks to offer 'legacy' hotel

Hotel Lobby

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

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