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Michelin-starred Balwoo Gongyang offers delicious temple food

A photograph of a multi-course temple food set, Hee, available at the Balwoo Gongyang restaurant in downtown Seoul. / Courtesy of Balwoo GongyangBy Kim Ji-sooChef Kim Ji-young of Balwoo Gongyang, who learned temple food from Ven. Sunjae. / Courtesy of Balwoo GongyangAlthough temple food is respected and loved within Korea, its broader popularity is another question. But after Balwoo Gongyang received one Michelin star in the first Michelin Seoul Guide released last year, it is safe to say temple food may be on its way to becoming the next big thing. The restaurant, located across the street from Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul, has been fully booked since the Michelin Guide’s first Seoul edition was published last November, making short-notice reservations next to impossible.“There was a sharp increase in reservations the month after the Michelin Guide Seoul was published, but reservations are back to normal, maybe slightly higher,” said Eugene Kim, chief manager of the temple food restaurant.The restaurant is operated by the largest Buddhist sect in the country

Feb 3, 2017
Michelin-starred Balwoo Gongyang offers delicious temple food

Gangneung: city of 'coffee romance'

A panoramic view of the “coffee street” from Cafe Droptop in Gangneung, Gangwon Province / Korea Times photos by Jung Min-hoBy Jung Min-hoA statue of a husband and wife welcomes visitors at Haslla Art World Museum Hotel.GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province ― One may find it strange that Gangneung, a small seaside city that produces only a small amount of coffee beans, is the most famous place in Korea for coffee. There’s a story behind it.In the 1980s, when brewed coffee was as rare as hen’s teeth for people living here, many got their coffee from vending machines installed along Gangneung’s beaches.“A bus for a round trip from villages to the beaches ran only three times a day at that time,” said Yi Jong-duck, director of the Gangneung Culture and Arts Foundation. “So for a man to ask a woman to drink coffee was like asking her to spend an entire day together.”That was how couples used to date in the small fishing town. But soon, coffee-date stories spread far beyond the town, thanks to popular radio programs. A plethora of couples from o

Feb 2, 2017
Gangneung: city of 'coffee romance'

South Korea losing luster as tourist destination?

The number of Chinese tourists arriving in South Korea during the long Lunar New Year holiday significantly decreased compared to last year, local travel agencies said Wednesday.The number of Chinese visitors opting for South Korea as a tourist destination during the holiday season from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2 is forecast to have decreased between 20 and 50 percent compared to last year, the agencies said."There are internal talks that the number of Chinese tourists decreased between 20 and 30 percent compared to last year's Lunar New Year," said an agency official asking not to be named.Local agencies attributed the falling popularity of South Korea to the soured relations between the two countries over Seoul's decision to install the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system on the Korean Peninsula.Earlier, the Chinese government rejected South Korean airlines' plan to operate chartered flights that were largely designed to ship large groups of Chinese tourists to South Korea.South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju, one of the most popular destinations among tourist

Feb 1, 2017
South Korea losing luster as tourist destination?

Interview Finding solutions is key to Poing's success

Poing CEO Jung Bum-jinBy Yun Suh-youngPoing is an online platform which provides information on premium restaurants and offers dining packages and online reservation services for them. Its mission is to "maximize the dining experience of customers."But when it first began, it wasn't all that grandiose.What CEO Jung Bum-jin of Trust Us, which owns Poing, wanted to do was to simply solve the problems that the dining industry faced.Jung noticed that there was something wrong with the way this industry worked. Any price that the restaurants' resource providers, ranging from ingredient distributors to kitchenware, set would be fixed. Jung immediately thought this was wrong and that the restaurant owners were spending so much more on what they could be saving."The industry was so old fashioned and there was a huge discrepancy between the dreams of these chefs and what they were actually achieving. I felt an urge to solve their problems. So I started out by designing menus for them because that's what they said they needed most," said Jung."Although I started out with a pure heart, I realiz

Jan 31, 2017
[Interview] Finding solutions is key to Poing's success

Hotel Lobby

Sheraton Seoul D Cube City HotelThe Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel’s spa is offering a “Mom and Daughter Spa Day” package until Feb. 28.Guests will receive a 60 minute body massage and a 15 minute facial treatment, using herbs and various oils.They will receive Pevonia tension relief gel, worth 30,000 won. The package costs 303,000 won for two, including tax.The spa opens daily from 10 a.m. till 10 p.m. For more information and reservations, call (02) 2211-1680.Park Hyatt BusanThe Park Hyatt Busan’s French restaurant, Living Room, will host “Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne Dinner,” Feb. 7.Louis Roederer is a type of champagne beloved by Alexander II. Brut Premier NV, Brut Nature 2009, Cristal 2009, Vintage Rose 2010 and Carte Blanche NV will be served during dinner. For this, the chef will present a five-course meal whose dishes have yet to be determined. The dinner will begin with a cocktail reception and at 6:30 p.m. The dinner will cost 250,000 won, including tax and service fees. The hotel takes only 25 people, and reservation is required. F

Jan 26, 2017
Hotel Lobby

Stunt actor talks about Marriott International's latest film project

A capture from the “Two Bellmen” series / Courtesy of JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul By Kim Se-jeong Stunt actor William Spencer from Los Angeles starred in the “Two Bellmen” series, which JW Marriott International made to promote its hotel chains around the world.The third installment in the series, shot in Seoul, was released on Jan. 19 on YouTube and other platforms, and Spencer visited Seoul for a special premier at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul.Besides Spencer, who plays bellman Gage, the movie features stunt actor Caine Sinclair, who plays a second bellman, Christian, and K-pop stars Jessica Jung and Lee Ki-hong who play a couple.“Two Bellmen Three” showcases the hotel’s luxurious atmosphere and the beauty of Dongdaemun, Seoul, a tourist area where the hotel is located.“There’s no necessity to over show (the hotel) for a commercial. Just being there is a commercial,” Spencer said as to how impressed he was by how the hotel looks. But Spencer wanted the viewers to learn something deeper about the ho

Jan 26, 2017
Stunt actor talks about Marriott International's latest film project

Hotels offer affordable Lunar New Year gifts

JW Marriot Seoul offers 14 gift items under 50,000 won at, The Delicatessen, at the lobby. / Courtesy of JW Marriott SeoulBy Kim Se-jeongThe gift-giving season isn’t over. As the lunar New Year approaches, hotels around the country are busy with people fetching gifts for friends and family.Some hotels are selling gift sets under 50,000 won, which may appeal to budget-conscious customers and those who want to make sure they comply with the anti-graft law, which bans giving and receiving gifts worth more than 50,000 won.Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton is offering a box of natural cooking ingredients for 45,000 won. The box includes anchovy powder, kelp powder, mussel powder, shrimp powder and a natural soup flavoring pouch.It is also offering a wine package with a bottle of 2014 Chardonnay Reserva J. Bouchon and a bottle of 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva J. Bouchon for 49,000 won, as well as Tennent’s Larger from Scotland for 49,000 won. All prices include a 10-percent tax.For more information, call (02) 317-3066.Millennium Seoul Hilton is conveniently

Jan 26, 2017
Hotels offer affordable Lunar New Year gifts

'Samgyeopsal + soju' picked as best Korean meal for foreigners

Eating "samgyeopsal," grilled pork belly, with a small glass of soju, a rice-based Korean liquor, has been chosen as the best Korean food culture experience for foreigners, a survey said Wednesday.According to the written survey on 501 South Korean students studying at 20 universities in 13 nations, 28.2 percent of the respondents chose samgyeopsal as the best Korean food for foreigners, followed by "bulgogi," barbecued beef, with 20.8 percent; "bibimbap," a traditional Korean dish of mixed rice and vegetables, with 15.9 percent; "yangnyeom galbi," seasoned beef short ribs, with 11.1 percent; "gimbap," rice rolled in seaweed with vegetables inside, with 5.7 percent; and "samgyetang," a traditional chicken soup made with a whole young chicken stuffed"Ddeokbokki," hot and spicy rice cake, was selected as the most favorite Korean snack with 27.4 percent, followed by chicken brochette, or "dakggochi," with 12.4 percent, Korean-style dumplings, or "mandu," with 11.5 percent, and toast at street vendors with 10.2 percent, according to the survey titled "What's the Best Korean Culture for F

Jan 25, 2017
'Samgyeopsal + soju' picked as best Korean meal for foreigners

Pod hotel opens at Incheon Airport

Shown above is the interior of pod hotel at Incheon International Airport. / Courtesy of Incheon International AirportBy Nam Hyun-wooOne-night stays for travelers at Incheon International Airport became cheaper when a “capsule” hotel opened there on Friday.According to the Incheon International Airport Corp. and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the hotel, named Darak Hue, has 30 rooms each on the west and east ends of the terminal.Capsule hotels, developed in Japan, consist of several small boxes, or capsules, stacked two or three units high. Each block provides a bed and other amenities, depending on the cost. Unlike conventional capsule hotels, the capsules in Darak Hue are the size of a container and have full-size beds. Depending on the type of room, double beds and even a shower are included.Prices range from 7,000 won ($5.95) to 11,000 won an hour, with a stay of at least three hours required. CJ Foodville and Walkerhill hotel will invest 4 billion won in the hotel to operate it.The ministry said the rooms are made of materials that reduce noise t

Jan 20, 2017
Pod hotel opens at Incheon Airport

Practice through food: Ven. Sunjae

Ven. Sunjae poses in this file photo that was in her new book “What are You Eating Now?” / Courtesy of Bulkwang MediaBuddhist monk shares secrets to healthy life with temple foodBy Kim JI-soo Unlike the rest of the city, Ilwon-dong, deep in southern Seoul, where the Korean Bhiksuni Association building is located, was covered in snow in the second week of January.At a cooking class held inside the building, Ven. Sunjae stood in front of students, who were all ears and jotted down notes as she explained temple food that is enjoyed on traditional Korean holidays, and Buddhist ritual food.“You can make pancakes with azalea, as the flower is good for coughs and nasal congestion, but royal azalea or rhododendron will kill you if you eat it,” said Ven. Sunjae, the first Master of Temple Food designated by the Jogye Order.Azaleas are used on the third day of the third lunar month, which marks the beginning of spring. She noted how on Buddha’s birthday, the menu is mainly rice cakes made with zelkova, a water parsley dish called “minari ganghoe”

Jan 20, 2017
Practice through food: Ven. Sunjae
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