Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Visitors learn to make their own Korean dishes

When Robin Searl came to Seoul from Hong Kong for a weekend getaway, she didn't just settle for trying the local cuisine. She learned to cook it herself. "I just took a cooking class and I'm heading to the rice cake museum later," she said. "I like taking cooking classes when I go on vacation because I learn something new and I get to eat something delicious. Besides, it's fun." As Korean food gains recognition and popularity abroad, more visitors to Seoul are taking time to not only eat various Korean dishes, but also include hands-on Korean cooking classes as part of their itinerary. There are a handful of culinary institutions in Seoul that offer various Korean cooking experiences, conducted by English- and Japanese-speaking chef instructors in classrooms equipped with cooking facilities. These schools are located in the tourist and shopping districts, such as Insadong and Myeongdong in the heart of Seoul. It is best to contact them well in advance to discuss availability and menu, especially for any specific requirements or group classes. Some places hold classes for

Mar 16, 2012

Philippines promotes itself as golfers‘ paradise

By Lee Hyo-sik The Philippines, a popular destination for Korean golfers, is taking part in the country’s largest golf trade show here to promote its golf courses and other leisure facilities as part of efforts to attract 1 million Korean visitors this year. The Korean office of the Philippines Department of Tourism said it has set up 10 exhibition booths at the Korea Golf Fair 2012, the country’s largest golf convention. The fair, which began Thursday and will last through Sunday, is being held at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. The Philippines tourism office said it has and will award visitors to its booths with free airline tickets and other rewards through a prize draw. ``To attract more than 1 million tourists from Korea, we will take full advantage of the ongoing golf exhibition,’’ said Maricon Basco-Ebron, director of the Philippines Department of Tourism Office in Korea. ``There are many world-class but affordable golf courses throughout the Philippines. We will make more efforts to promote those in Manila and Clark, which have been extremely popular with Kor

Mar 15, 2012By Lee Hyo-sik

Hotel Lobby

Hyatt Regency Incheon Restaurant 8 at the Hyatt Regency Incheon introduces its Green Signature Menu through the end of May. The five-course menu was developed with consideration for nature and health, made with green ingredients and antibiotic-free foods. It includes beef carpaccio with roasted beet, ricotta and sweet potato chips; yellow paprika soup with crostini; spinach reginette; Korean beef tenderloin with yacon cake, pine mushrooms and purple broccoli; and apple crepes. The spring menu is available only for dinner and is priced at 69,000 won. For more information, call 032-745-1234. Westin Chosun Seoul The Westin Chosun Seoul’s international brasserie, Ninth Gate Grille, offers a low-calorie Power Lunch menu until the end of March. The menu is ideal for weight watchers who want to reduce their calorie intake and enjoy tasty food at the same time, as it is only 395 kcal in total. It features lettuce salad with red wine vinaigrette, roasted chicken breast, grapefruit jelly and yoghurt sorbet. For dinner, the restaurant’s signature onion soup is added. Lunch

Mar 15, 2012By Kim Rahn

Premium delicacies offered for takeout

By Kim Rahn The cold has gone and it is the season when warm breezes tempt people to go on a picnic. For those who find it tiring to prepare a picnic meal, or those who want to have some special food for their outing rather than rolls of “gimbap,” hotels are offering lunchboxes and other takeout items. At Novotel Ambassador Gangnam, takeout party sets from Deli have been the best product of the hotel since its introduction in August 2010. The sets named “New La Petite Partie” are small outdoor picnic or home party menu sets featuring luxury delicacies made by the hotel’s chefs. Set A (160,000 won) is comprised of six dishes including mixed green salad with thousand island dressing; sweet potato and pumpkin salad; ham and vegetable sandwich; fried rice with vegetable and beef; chicken breast with tomato sauce; and mini beef burger and cheese with mushroom cream sauce. Set B (220,000 won) has seven dishes including salmon and mixed green salad with balsamic dressing; Japanese rice rolls; fried rice with seafood; Chinese-style seafood vegetables; chicken wings wit

Mar 15, 2012By Kim Rahn

Scarlett: refuge in Gangnam urban jungle

By Noh Hyun-gi One of the best ways to give yourself a break from mundane office life is to enjoy a full meal at an ambient restaurant for lunch or grab a drink under fancy lights after work. For those working in the skyscraper jungle near Seolleung Station, American-style restaurant Scarlett can offer you that sweet escape. Located on Tehran-ro, the dimly lit eatery is a fail-safe for any occasions and get-togethers including first dates. The kitchen boasts U.S.D.A prime beef steaks and burgers. With the dish named NY Trio, one can taste a rib-eye steak, New York steak and lobster grilled on oak tree charcoal at the same time. Steak dishes cost from 28,000 to 58,000 won. Other highlights include New Orleans-style stew, gumbo (22,000 won) and New York shrimp cream pasta (17,500 won). Gumbo, spicy stew made with seafood and sausage, can be a special hangover cure. It is served with rice or noodles at the bottom. The cream pasta uses soy milk that adds crisp nuttiness. California salmon steak (25,500 won), seasoned with fresh herbs, is juicy and has a buttery finish. For

Mar 9, 2012

CrossFit: too risky or safe enough?

Controversial, addictive workout takes Korea by storm By Kwaak Je-yup Sensing a reporter’s presence around them, the dozen or so people at the Wednesday evening session of CrossFit did not grunt as much as usual. But they were still sweating buckets with grimaces on their faces, moving around with dumbbells firmly in their hands or pulling ferociously on the rowing machine. Their movements inevitably slowed and came to a halt. They then helplessly dropped to the floor, panting and grabbing onto plastic water bottles after each set of exercises. How does it feel? “Terrible,” “excruciating,” and “about to die” were some of the responses hurled back between their audible gasps. But their enthusiasm didn’t seem to diminish. “I’m worried one day I won’t be able to do it anymore,” said Shin Jeong-ho, a public health physician in his late 20s, when asked if he ever considered quitting. For many, there was no choice: they were severely injured and had to stop. Even Shin admitted that he gave up for two months in the last year because he could not handle the level of in

Mar 8, 2012

Club Harmony offers luxurious, yet affordable journey

By Yun Suh-young Boarding a cruise ship used to be a special experience only for the rich. The good ones cost thousands of dollars to sail a few nights regardless of the destination, preventing economically-challenged passengers from making their luxury cruise dreams a reality. Not anymore. A cruise ship, launched on Feb. 16, will now take you on a relatively cheap yet luxurious journey to Japan. It is the first time a cruise ship has ever set sail from a Korean port, not to mention owned by a Korean company. Club Harmony, a ship owned by Harmony Cruise with investments by Polaris Shipping, a Korean shipping company, now offers four to five day journeys to Japan at reasonable prices. A three-night trip ranges from 399,000 won to 1.09 million won ($353-$966). On a floating resort This reporter was among the passengers aboard the maiden voyage of the cruise ship for four days to Nagasaki and Fukuoka, cities located in Kyushu, a southern Japanese island. The trip began with a brief introduction of the ship and safety education. After registering a credit card, a b

Mar 1, 2012

Hotel Lobby

InterContinental Seoul COEX The Lobby Lounge at the InterContinental Seoul COEX is offering a strawberry dessert buffet through April 22. Between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Friday to Sunday, guests can enjoy a variety of desserts including creamy Italian pudding strawberry panna cotta, cream puffs and macaroons, as well as cakes, tarts, cookies and chocolates all made with the seasonal fruit. The buffet costs 28,000 won and includes coffee or tea. The lounge also presents strawberry-based cocktails, juices, soft drinks and smoothies. The cocktails are 17,000 won. For more information, call 02-3430-8603. Sheraton Incheon Hotel Sheraton Incheon Hotel welcomes spring with two types of packages. The Spring Breeze Package features a one-night stay in a deluxe room, breakfast for two, two fruit smoothies at the lobby lounge ConneXions, and free access to the gym, swimming pool and the sauna. The price starts from 165,000 won. The Spring Picnic Package offers a one-night stay in a deluxe room, a free Sheraton picnic mat, and a 10 percent discount at any of the hotel’s f

Mar 1, 2012

Mystery box delivers beauty to your door

By Noh Hyun-gi Buying a face lotion or foundation is a risky business — cosmetics cost a fortune and they may not even work for you. Sellers only provide additional samples upon purchase, and refunds are rarely available for opened products. This inconvenient point of transaction is where Glossy Box steps in. Every month, Glossy Box members receive pink boxes with five miniature cosmetic products for 16,500 won. Members order the box in the previous month, and to spice things up, Glossy Box unveils the content on the first day of the month. Often, the boxes are sold out before the products are made known. With enough to test the product for one to two weeks, women can make educated purchases. Moreover, Glossy Box provides discounts and bonuses if one chooses to buy a product that was included in the box. This unique service doesn’t just benefit the members. The monthly delivery is a great way for cosmetic companies to promote their products and get feedback. “To the suppliers, we provide market intelligence service. Our members represent very specific demogra

Mar 1, 2012

Experience slow lifestyle in South Jeolla

This is the fourth in a series featuring ``must-see routes’’ for foreign tourists, developed by the Visit Korea Committee. A total of five routes spanning the country will be presented over a three-month period. The series will introduce a high-quality tour biweekly and is in conjunction with the nationwide campaign to promote the ``2010-2012 Visit Korea Years.’’ ― ED. By Lee Hyo-sik If you look to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life in Seoul and large cities for peace and serenity in rural settings, South Jeolla Province is the place to go. This southwestern province provides a comprehensive travel package for tourists searching for complete relaxation. Beaches and other breathtaking tourist spots along the coastlines put their minds at ease, while a wide array of seafood-based dishes please visitors’ taste buds at affordable prices. If you take a KTX-bullet train from Yongsan Station in central Seoul, you will arrive at Mokpo Station in little more than three hours. Visitors are recommended to check out Mokpo Peace Park, Mokpo Natural History Museum and other l

Feb 23, 2012By Lee Hyo-sik

Travel & Food

Travel & Food

Visitors learn to make their own Korean dishes

Philippines promotes itself as golfers‘ paradise

Hotel Lobby

Premium delicacies offered for takeout

Scarlett: refuge in Gangnam urban jungle

CrossFit: too risky or safe enough?

Club Harmony offers luxurious, yet affordable journey

Hotel Lobby

Mystery box delivers beauty to your door

Experience slow lifestyle in South Jeolla

Most Read in Lifestyle