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Grilled scallops with sesame salt Paeju gui

By Kim Yong-ja Scallops are a highly-prized delicacy both in the East and in the West. This is a very fine first course. When the scallops are fresh, they are almost translucent and should not be sitting in milky water. Fresh scallops do not need to be cooked through. Just let them sizzle briefly on both sides. INGREDIENTS (serves 4) • 4 oz/113 g SCALLOPS, cut horizontally into 2 •12 BAMBOO STICKS •VEGETABLE OIL •¼ LEMON •½ tablespoon SESAME OIL •COARSE SALT 1 Put scallop pieces on bamboo sticks. Heat a non-stick frying pan, drizzle vegetable oil. Grill the scallops until lightly browned on one side. Turn them over and cook only 10 seconds on the other side. 2 Add a dash of lemon juice, sesame oil and a sprinkle of salt. Immediately transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot.

May 20, 2010

Gourmet week kicks off in Seoul

By Lee Hyo-won Staff reporter Seoul's culinary scene is becoming increasingly eclectic, and Gourmet Week will open from May 29 to June 13 to offer gourmands a chance to devour the best dishes at a tasty discount of 50 percent. Hyundai Card recently launched the international best-selling restaurant review guide Zagat Seoul, and some 70 featured eateries will offer the special discount to platinum and Hyundai Card diners members (the Black, the Purple, the Red, M/M Lady/K/A). Unlike New York or London Restaurant Week's prix-fixe meals, top local restaurants will provide regular lunch and dinner sets at half their original price. Restaurants include Gramercy Kitchen in Apgujeong-dong, Macaroni Market in Itaewon, Buona Sera in Sinsa-dong and Tani in Cheongdam-dong. ``We hope Gourmet Week will become an exciting culinary festival that gourmands look forward to, just like New York or London Restaurant Week. It will be a chance to introduce premium restaurants and to help the development of, and provide insight into, food trends here,'' said a staff of Hyundai Card. Users a

May 20, 2010

Walkerhill presents Lolita Lempicka room

By Bae Ji-sook Staff reporter Sheraton Grande Walkerhill has newly opened a specially themed room following the success of its ``Barbie Room.'' This time, the room is named after ``Lolita Lempicka Si Lolita,'' a well-known floral perfume popular among women. The particularly designed room targets ladies and young couples who are looking for a unique experience in a room that has a creative interior and reflects the tastes of the famous female French fashion designer Lolita Lempicka. As soon as guests enter the club suite, the fragrance of Si Lolita perfume greets them as a large size Si Lolita perfume bottle is displayed in the living room. A white bed with a lacy bedspread is adorned with pillows and cushions. The room is decorated with vintage items, Victorian wallpaper and a fancy full length mirror to project the atmosphere of Paris. On one side of the room, there is a painted mural of a window overlooking Montmartre, the famous hill in Paris. Even the bathroom is decorated with floral patterned wallpaper. Si Lolita signature bath gowns and shower products further

May 20, 2010

Lotte Hotel World set to surprise guests

By Bae Ji-sook Staff reporter Ladies, if you drive to the Lotte Hotel World in Jamsil, one of the most crowded areas in southern Seoul, just give the car keys to the doorman and go on your way. He will park for you. When you get the keys back and are ready to leave, check the steering wheel and you will find a small box that reads, ``Thank you for using the valet parking service. We love you.'' Inside it will be macaroons and other confectionaries that will make you smile throughout the day. This is bringing whirlwind change to hotels in southern Seoul at the moment. ``I think what we really need is an emotional approach,'' Lee Jung-ryul, the newly appointed general manager of the hotel, said. ``Many people talk about the Western style hospitality. It is true that the Korean service has learnt a lot from them, but I think it is time we move on and create something of our own,'' he said. The so-called macaroon service and other little amenities in the guest rooms are just the start of a new era for the hotel. It has recently planted some strawberry bushes in its ca

May 20, 2010

Weekender Croatia: Miss World of the Mediterranean

By Lee Chang-sup KoreaTimes correspondent ZAGREB ― Many South Koreans have a sketchy and negative image of Croatia. The older generation has the perception that she is part of the former Communist country under the authoritarian leadership of Tito. His bloody ties with North Korean leader Kim Il-sung in the 1960s and ’70s projected the impression that the country maintained a repressive regime just as North Korea does. Tito borrowed foreign funds heavily for the well-being of the people. South Korea’s Park Chung-hee borrowed foreign money heavily to build factories. Croatians are living on tourism and South Koreans are thriving on manufacturing. The older South Korean generation has a distorted memory of the former Yugoslavian state. The bloody war between Croatia and Serbia (1991-1992) killed 20,000 citizens. The southern Slavic nations were divided into six independent republics. There is no nostalgia for the communist era, excluding a few hundred seniors who were political members back then. Croatians are aware of the suffering that this era has brought to them.

May 20, 2010

Search for exquisite wine at the Jell

By Han Sang-hee Staff reporter Wine has been popular for a while now and it's not that hard to get a good bottle of wine anymore. But for those who still want something extra, pay a visit to the Jell, an exclusive wine bar and shop, located in Itaewon. Lee Je-chun is the CEO of the shop and he had all the reasons to feel proud of one of Korea's oldest wine bars. Lee went to Germany to study in 1969 and first experienced the rich taste of wine. When he came back to Korea in 1986, few people knew about wine, and less knew how to enjoy it. Interested in bringing it and its culture to locals, he opened a shop in 1992. He became a member of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, an exclusive club of Burgundy wine enthusiasts in 2006. ``Koreans are very good at tasting wine. We are used to fermented food, so it just takes a few drops to know whether it's good or bad,'' Lee said. But when it came to enjoying wine, there are some things Koreans need to learn. `` I think foreigners tend to be more natural around it; they don't really care how expensive it is because

May 19, 2010

Baby chicken soup stuffed with sweet and glutinous rice Yeonggye baeksuk

By Kim Yong-ja This dish is known as a summer dish that invigorates your strength. But it is wonderful all year round, especially when you are not feeling well. The sweet/glutinous rice brings out a very subtle yet rich flavor in the broth. You can pick off the meat with chopsticks, dip into the sauce and eat separately. INGREDIENTS (serves 4) • 1 small CHICKEN or 2 CORNISH GAME HENS • 1 cup SWEET/GLUTINOUS RICE, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes • 1 ONION, peeled and cut into chunks • VEGETABLE OIL • 4 GARLIC CLOVES • 1 LEEK, washed and cut 1/2"/1.3cm pieces • 1 cube CHICKEN BOUILLON • 1 SCALLION, sliced • SALT and PEPPER SAUCE for the chicken meat: • 4 tablespoons SOY SAUCE • 4 tablespoons water • 2 teaspoons SESAME OIL • 1 GARLIC CLOVE, crushed • 1/4 teaspoon GOCHUGARU (chili flakes) 1 Wash the chicken, cleaning the inside especially well. Fill the cavity loosely with soaked rice. Close the openings with toothpicks. In a large pot, saute onion with a bit of oil until tr

May 13, 2010

Grand Hilton named 1st environment-friendly hotel

By Bae Ji-sook Staff reporter Eco anything is hip these days, especially with global warming having serious implications in every corner of the world. Is it any wonder then that environment specialists are focusing on the hospitality business as a target for reducing energy consumption and generally increasing awareness over the need to protect earth from harm? Bernhard Brender will be the first to tell you of the important role that hotels stand to play in efforts to reduce emissions of carbon gases and other pollutants. ``We are very excited about the prospect of being the first hotel in Korea to be certified under the global eco-tourism program,'' said the German hotelier and general manager of the Grand Hilton Seoul in central Seoul. Brender said his organization had been working with TUV Rheinland, the authority behind the eco-tourism program based in Germany, over the past few months to draft an initiative for cutting energy consumption and other means of reducing harmful emissions. ``It was by chance that I ran into Stephan Heuer and got to discussing the

May 13, 2010

Korea watchful as Singapore casinos open

By Bae Ji-sook Korea Times correspondent SINGAPORE ― On April 27, major local newspapers were covered with photographs of the interior of a casino. The newly open Marina Bay Sands Resort was the talk of the town for months worldwide not just here and not because of its unique architecture of three skyscrapers holding up a single boat-shaped installment but because it symbolized pragmatism cracking the morals of the country dubbed as the ``country of ethics.'' The casino has 600 gaming tables and 1,500 slot machines. The first and second floors are open to the general public while the third and the fourth floors are strictly for VIPs, who account for about 70 percent of the revenue. With all the crystal chandeliers dangling from the ceiling, the plush carpets and other fancy ornaments, the casino is opulent. The Marina Bay Sands resort is more than a casino. It is a trendy hotel, luxurious shopping mall, with superior convention halls and other impeccable facilities. It appeals to various demographics, from children and teenagers to couples, families and holiday m

May 13, 2010

HOTEL LOBBY

Millennium Seoul Hilton Orangerie, Millennium Seoul Hilton's international buffet restaurant, is going local for its May promotion. Featuring hansik (Korean cuisine) throughout the month of May, the festival will spotlight iconic local dishes representing all nine provinces of Korea. The served dishes are ― Jeju: Avalon Porridge, Kangwon: Spicy Stir-fried Chicken Ribs, Pyungan: Pyungan Cold Noodle, Kyungsan: Gwangyan Bulgogi and more. The Orangerie lunch buffet is priced at 52,000 won for adults and 31,200 won for children aged 12 and under. The dinner buffet is priced at 57,000 won for adults and 34,200 won for children aged twelve and under. Also, every Monday is Kid's Day at Orangerie. Children twelve years and younger are able to eat for free when accompanied by an adult (one child per adult is admitted for free). For reservations or enquiries, call (02) 317-3143. Grand Hyatt Seoul J.J. Mahoney's, bar and dining club at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, will be showcasing overnight House Music Party, from May 21 to May 22. This year's House Music Party will find

May 13, 2010
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