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Asiana Upgrades Cabin Facilities

By Do Je-hae Staff Reporter Asiana Airlines has upgraded its A321 and B737 aircrafts, which operate on short and midhaul international connections, as part of its program to advance its entertainment and internet facilities for passengers. The carrier recently introduced two new A321 aircrafts equipped with AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) systems available to all passengers. The planes will fly to Manila and Saipan. All passengers on these new aircraft also have access to USB and laptop connections. Asiana is the first domestic carrier to offer such advanced onboard facilities on short and mid-haul international flights. An A321 normally has between 130 and 200 seats and is used mainly for international connections that take four hours or less. jhdo@koreatimes.co.kr

Dec 10, 2009

Hotel Lobby

Imperial Palace Hotel The Imperial Palace Hotel presents a dinner show with trot singer Park Gang-seong on Christmas day and pop group SG Wannabe on New Year's Eve. Park, one of the most popular trot singers among older generations, will perform on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. A five-course meal, including beef tenderloin steak and seafood terrine, will be served. The VIP sets are priced at 230,000 won, while R-seats and S-seats are priced at 200,000 won and 180,000 won, respectively. SG Wannabe, one of the most popular trios at the moment, will perform their hit songs and some carols on Dec. 31 at the Dubet Hall on the seventh floor, from 6.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. R-seats are priced at 230,000 won and S-seats are 200,000 won and include a five-course meal. For more information, call (02) 547-5140. Sheraton Incheon Hotel The Sheraton Incheon Hotel is holding a Christmas Eve Party and also offers a Christmas Eve Package. Magicians and jazz singers will perform at the party from 6 p.m. until midnight. Tickets are 80,000 won, inclusive of dinner an

Dec 10, 2009

Enjoy Year-End Parties at Hotel Happy Hours

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Year-ends are all about celebrations and festivals. Whether you are with family, friends or coworkers, hotels have some of the best places to share the good spirit. Here are some of the restaurants you may want to book for parties large or small. Northern Seoul The Lotte Hotel Seoul's British pub Bobby London offers the finest draft Guinness and Heineken, various cocktails and high quality wines. Visitors during happy hour, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., can enjoy unlimited draft beer, wine or vodka cocktails and snack buffets for only 20,000 won per person, exclusive of tax. The happy hour runs on weekdays. The Millenniun Seoul Hilton's British Bar Oakroom presents a "Carvery and Wine Buffet" running from 6 p.m. through 8:30 p.m. Various Chilean and Australian wines are offered while salads, soups and breads as well as mash potatoes, fried rice and others are provided without limit, too. The chefs will carve out beef rib eye, pork belly, meatloaf, pork leg, roasted ham, lamb chops and others, in front of the guests, the choice varying

Dec 10, 2009

Saengseon Jeon (Pan-Grilled Fish With Egg)

By Kim Yong-ja Pay attention not to brown the egg batter. INGREDIENTS (serves 4) ½ lb/225 g WHITE FISH (COD or SCROD) SALT and PEPPER 4 tablespoons FLOUR VEGETABLE OIL 1 EGG, beaten a few strands of "SUKAT"(chrysanthemum leaves) or DILL SAUCE: 4 tablespoons SOY SAUCE 4 tablespoons WATER 1 teaspoon LEMON JUICE 1 teaspoon SESAME OIL 1. Slice the fish diagonally ¼"/6 mm thick. Place one layer on a cutting board and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle with flour on both sides and shake off any excess. 2. Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat and drizzle some oil. Then lower the heat. Dip the fish in the egg and lightly grill for 2-3 minutes. 3. Place a piece of sukat (chrysanthemum leaves) or dill on the fish slices and turn over to cook the other side. Serve with the sauce on the side. This is an excerpt from “Korean Cuisine: Healthy Food, Full of Flavor,” (Yekyong Publishing, 224 pp., 28,000 won). The book is on sale at major bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore, Youngpoong Bookstore and Bandi

Dec 10, 2009

Peruvian Civilization at a Glance

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The Inca civilization, which flourished for hundreds of years and left behind priceless archeological artifacts, will be revived in Seoul. Dating from ancient Andes civilizations to the Incan Empire, 351 Peruvian relics will be exhibited at the National Museum of Korea titled ``The Great Myth and Mystery of Peruvian Civilization.'' The relics are among rare items that are hard to see even in Peru. These are treasures that are scattered at nine different museums throughout Peru including the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Peru and the Lord of Sipan Museum. The exhibition organized by the National Museum, the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times and SBS is the largest of its kind that comprehensively shows the flow of the birth, development and demise of the Incan civilization. Particularly, notable are treasures from the tomb of the Lord of Sipan. The tomb located in Chiclayo, northern Peru belonged to King Moche who ruled some 1,700 years ago. Other fascinating exhibits include artifacts from

Dec 10, 2009

Grilled White Bait Sheets (Baeng-eopo Gui)

This is a yummy little side dish which can also be served as cocktail hors d'oeuvre. Either baking in an oven or grilling outdoors work equally well. INGREDIENTS (serves 4) 2 sheets "BAENG-EOPO" (white bait sheet) "YANGNYEOM GOCHUJANG" (Seasoned Chili Paste): 3 tablespoons "GOCHUJANG" ¾ tablespoon "GOCHUGARU" 2½ tablespoons SESAME OIL 2 teaspoons SESAME SEEDS 1 tablespoon SUGAR 1 tablespoon LEMON JUICE 1 GARLIC CLOVE, crushed fine ¼ teaspoon SALT 1. Prepare the Yangnyeom Gochujang (Seasoned Chili Paste). Spread the mixture sparingly with the back of a spoon on one side of the white bait sheet only. 2. Heat the oven to 350 F/177 C. Arrange a single layer on the baking sheet pan. Bake for about 4 minutes. Immediately lift the sheets from the pan. Let cool and divide into 12 with scissors. This is an excerpt from “Korean Cuisine: Healthy Food, Full of Flavor,” (Yekyong Publishing, 224 pp., 28,000 won). The book is on sale at major bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore, Youngpoong Bookstore and Bandi & Luni’s. ― ED.

Dec 3, 2009

Hotel Lobby

The Hilton Namhae Golf and Spa Resort The Hilton Namhae Golf and Spa Resort presents a "Christmas Special" menu till the end of the year at the price of 65,000 won, exclusive of tax. Smoked salmon, rose horseradish cream and herb marinated shrimp chili; Italian minestrone soup with basil pesto, Caesar salad, Namhae garlic and emmental cheese; lobster Thermidor; Christmas chocolate cake with mango sauce and drinks are provided at the Breeze restaurant. The resort also offers its Santa Claus buffet every Friday and Saturday, where the festively decorated restaurant will enlighten the Christmas spirit. The buffet is priced at 40,000 won for adults and 20,000 won for children, exclusive of tax. For more information, call (055) 860-0100. Novotel Ambassador Gangnam Novotel Ambassador Gangnam presents a winter comfort package, "Lazing on the Bed," from Dec. 1 to the end of February 2010. The package includes a one-night stay in a Standard Room, an Italian Panini sandwich set, free movies in the bedroom, free access to the fitness club and swimming pool, a 10 per

Dec 3, 2009

Hotels Light Up Christmas Decorations

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Christmas still seems a way away, but for top-class hotels, it is a good opportunity to create festive and romantic moods. Many of the lobbies and exteriors have transformed into either state-of-the-art or traditional Christmas scenes to wow visitors. Fancy lounges are certainly not determining factors for a night-stay, but hotels are gearing up for image enhancement through seasonal events. Traditional Christmas Decoration Hilton hotels in Seoul have probably the oldest and the most well-known decorations. The Millennium Hilton's Christmas tree and Christmas train mark their 14th anniversary this year. The grand 10-meter high tree welcomes guests in the center of the main lobby. In the lower lobby, designers and engineers created a miniature Alpine village, complete with snow-capped mountains, tunnels, wooden bridges and hot air balloons. The creme-de la-creme is the Christmas Train, a collection of over 120 handcrafted locomotives and railroad cars that chug their way through the miniature village. According to the hotel, the trai

Dec 3, 2009

Welcome to the Twilight Zone

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter If you haven't read the "Twilight" books or watched the movies, then it might be safe to say you've never heard of Forks, Wash. "The Twilight Saga," a series of books by Stephenie Meyer, is about a teenage girl Bella Swan who falls for a vampire Edward Cullen. Their love unfolds in Forks, a murky, overcast town surrounded by lush forests that Meyer thought would be a perfect place for vampires to thrive. The phenomenal success of the books and two blockbuster films ``Twilight'' and ``New Moon'' has helped spur tourism in Forks, a town with a population of 3,175. Never mind if Forks is at least a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Seattle, or that the two films were not even shot here (they were filmed in Portland and Vancouver respectively) or there are no actual vampires or werewolves in the area. It hasn't seemed to stop thousands of Twilighters, as fans like to call themselves, from making a pilgrimage to Forks. Forks, described as the former logging capital of the world, only attracted as few as 50 tourists annually i

Dec 3, 2009

Unexpected Win Leads to Refreshed Mind, Body at Tongdo Temple

By Chris Coetzee I was sitting in the office, reading the paper, when I noticed a competition where one could win a ``templestay.'' Though I had heard of this before, I had never really considered going on one. On a whim, I decided to answer the easy question online, thinking no more about it. Naturally, I was quite surprised when I was contacted as one of the winners, seeing as that I do not really win things often. I took it as a sign that I should go on this templestay and that I should probably start entering more competitions. The bus left from Jogye Temple in central Seoul, a place that is also worth a visit, as the temple decoration is of outstanding quality. Our bus took us past Daejeon in a meandering route to our destination, Tongdo Temple in South Gyeongsang province. The trip took much longer than I expected ― over six hours! But I used the time to catch up on some sleep and read up a little on Korean Buddhism. When we arrived, it immediately became apparent that we would have an exceptional weekend. Coming from Seoul, where the weather had recently turn

Dec 3, 2009
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