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KoreaToday Going High-End Helps Globalize Korean Food

By Kim Hyun-cheol Staff Reporter Food Culture CEO Suggests More Engagement From Conglomerates Korea wants its food, hansik, known and enjoyed in more parts of the world, but opinions still vary about this possibility. Some say it is possible at any time once it gains more exposure overseas, while others are endlessly skeptical about its gaining credits other than in some limited parts of the world. On this issue, the opinion of Cho Tae-kwon, CEO of local ceramic ware maker Kwangjuyo, is provocative but straight to the core. The entrepreneur says an ``inferiority complex'' within Korea and its people, as well as prevailing self-complacence, is the highest hurdle in the way to the globalization of Korean cuisine. ``I'm afraid to say the concept of 'globalization of hansik' is sort of misleading here,'' Cho told The Korea Times. ``It should not be just about showing off some exotic-looking dishes like a speed date. It should make global citizens feel interested and enchanted in what we usually eat and drink.'' And interestingly, he claims the real globalization of Ko

Jun 24, 2009

KoreaToday Saving Hansik Restaurants

By Kim Hyun-cheol Staff Reporter The irony is that, despite efforts to globalize Korean food and make it part of the world’s dining table, big Korean restaurants at home are disappearing. Their disappearance also means that foreigners are being deprived of chances to get acquainted with hansik in its most general form and taste. Of the 18 highest-ranked hotels in Seoul, currently four of them are running a Korean restaurant, according to data from the Korea Hotel Association (KHA). Except for Mayfield, Lotte (Euljiro), Sheraton Grand Walkerhill and Renaissance Seoul, the rest of the luxury hotels have given up operations because of pressure from cost reductions. In most renowned hotels in Korea, restaurants specializing in overseas cuisine have been replacing those of Korean food over the years. At the Shilla Hotel, its representative food amenity is its Chinese restaurant “Palseon.” Also, a French restaurant substitutes for a now-defunct Korean restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. “It’s the trend in luxury hotels in Korea, with losses growing,” a KHA official said.

Jun 24, 2009

KoreaToday Korean Style to Be Promoted at Fair

By Kim Hyun-cheol Staff Reporter Making distinction has emerged as a head issue of late in the country’s culture-related industries on the grounds that low recognition is keeping more people outside Korea from embracing the country’s culture, let alone understanding and loving it. More policymakers are rolling up their sleeves for better promotion of various disciplines in Korea’s traditional culture, as well as mixing its components into the modern trend here, as calls are rising on more supports from the government. As part of such efforts, next month will see the third edition of the Korea Style Expo, a culture fair which inaugurated in 2006. This year’s event, to be held at the COEX in southern Seoul and hosted by the the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Land and Maritime Affairs, will display a variety of cultural products, goods and information in six categories of Korean traditional culture. Korean style in six categories ? the Korean alphabet, traditional clothes, Korean cuis

Jun 24, 2009

Hotel Lobby

Paradise Hotel Busan The Paradise Hotel Busan will present Summer Vacation Package from July 17 to 29. The package includes a one-night stay at deluxe room, breakfast for two, free access to the outdoor spa and swimming pool, a 50-percent discount for the indoor sauna, a 10-percent discount at restaurants, a 20-percent discount for Busan Aquarium and more. The cost is 235,000 won without tax and service charges, and additional charges are added on Friday and Sunday. For more information, call (051) 749-2111. Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort The Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort features tonic foods that will stimulate guests to fight the summer heat. In July, it offers abalone sashimi, which is protein and vitamin-rich, at market prices, while in August, ``samgyetang'' (chicken and ginseng soup) with abalone is offered at 22,000 won. Until June 30, ``Garlic Island, Garlic Festival'' features various garlic dishes, including stir-fried mushroom with garlic and parmesan cheese, bass steak with mashed potato and garlic, and abalone grilled with garlic butter.

Jun 18, 2009

Lufthansa Joins Hands With BEXCO

By Kim Rahn Staff Reporter Lufthansa and Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) have agreed to beef up joint marketing activities. The German airline and the convention company signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation at a network meeting of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK) at Nurimaru APEC House in Busan, Monday. Lufthansa is the only European carrier operating international services to the southeastern port city. Leandro Tonidandel, general manager of Lufthansa's Busan office, said that the airline and BEXCO will make efforts to develop Busan's convention and tourism industry. ``Lufthansa will offer special discounted fares to participants in international conferences and exhibitions held at BEXCO. We'll also promote BEXCO through various global marketing tools, such as an interactive map available on Lufthansa's Web site,'' Tonidandel said. In return, BEXCO will name Lufthansa as its cooperating carrier on its Web sites and official documents and promote the airline at international conventions and events held in the cit

Jun 18, 2009

SUMMIT Dreams of Global Imperial Hotels

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter No one can deny that Seoul is becoming one of the major global cities in the world _ there are more than a million foreigners in the country and it is the capital of the world's 14th largest economy. More people and enterprises are focusing on Seoul as their next business target. There are many top class hotels in Seoul, but nearly all of them are franchised _ they are constructed under the name of giant names seen all over the world. Amid the fierce competition, Rhee Chul-hee, president of the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul and a board member of the its management group SUMMIT, is striving to make his group a global one. The Imperial Palace success story is one worthy of note. It started as a tourist hotel called Amiga more than 20 years ago and drew tens of thousands of guests every year through its food and beverage section. To date, the hotel is still favored by many for weddings and other food-related events. The hotel was refurbished in 2003 under a Victorian glamour concept. Visitors are often overwhelmed by the interi

Jun 18, 2009

Simple, Serene Temple Food at Baru

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter The fast-paced city allows almost no serenity of any kind, but at Baru, you can experience the simple and healthy lifestyle of monks through temple cuisine. Baru is one restaurant that deals in this cuisine, and is located right across from the Jogye Temple, the home of the Jogye Order, the biggest Buddhism sect in Korea. The restaurant is run by Ven. Dae An, who is famous among temple food lovers for her easy-to-follow and innovative recipes. ``There are many restaurants that serve temple food, but they are all different and do not follow specific guidelines. It's not about avoiding certain ingredients, but the need for proper guidelines when making temple food,'' she told The Korea Times. Baru offers ``course" meals with a different number of ``banchan,'' or side dishes: There are 15, 12, 10 and four side dish selections. We ordered the one with 10 (25,000 won). After a simple appetizer of fried kelp and ``fruit chips'' (slices of fruit fried and served crunchy), the temple cuisine started with a juk, or porridge, made wi

Jun 18, 2009

Daegu Calling

_ Musical Festival Beckons Theatergoers _ By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) is heating up the nation's third largest metropolitan city with an eclectic line-up of internationally and locally acclaimed musicals. Located 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul with a population of 2.5 million, the city is becoming a hot spot for theatergoers and musical buffs. Daegu is home to sizable theaters with more than 1,000 seats and more than 46 musical-related departments at 27 universities in the region. It has the second largest ticket sales for musicals after Seoul. The third DIMF has firmly established itself as an art market for novel and diverse musicals for producers. The festival has also been positioned as an open stage for many gifted artists and as an amusement ground for the audience. The DIMF is the only exclusive international musical festival in Korea, which aims to develop musical theater into an industry in the city. This year's event has a total of 24 musicals along with the fringe festival and other side event

Jun 18, 2009

Chili King Reigns in Itaewon

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Anyone with a craving for authentic honest-to-goodness chili knows how hard it is to find it in town. So when we heard about a new restaurant in Itaewon called Chili King, we just had to go and try it. Finding Chili King can be a bit tricky, even with a map and detailed instructions, but it was a good thing that you can call up chef and owner Kevin Cyr if you're lost like we were. The place itself is small and can seat only about a dozen people, but it has a cozy atmosphere. Cyr cheerfully greeted the diners, and helped us out with choosing what to order. The menu features a selection of burgers (cheeseburgers, chili burgers, bacon cheddar burgers, chili hot dogs), sandwiches, chili cheese fries (7,900 won) and a bowl of chili (5,900 won). But we found ourselves intrigued by the ``Big Kev" burger. As Cyr kindly explained, the Big Kev burger is humongous, with two juicy beef patties, provolone and cheddar cheese, bacon, onions, tomatoes, pickles and lettuce. With that warning, we opted to skip the big burger and instead tried

Jun 11, 2009

Hotel Lobby

Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Sheraton Grande Walkerhill invites guests to a colorful tropic mood at the outdoor swimming pool Riverpark, which will be opened to the public Saturday. Guests can enjoy the pool overlooking the Han River and access the poolside buffet. Pavilions ― outdoor bungalows decked out with sun beds and side chairs ― will be available. The adult pool and bar will open between June 13 and July 10, and DJ DOC and poolside BBQ parties will run between July 11 and 24, and Aug. 17 and 30. Entrance fees will vary depending on dates. For more information, call (02) 455-5000. Westin Chosun Seoul Sushi Cho, the Westin Chosun Seoul's Japanese restaurant, offers an entertaining sushi and soba dining experience every weekend. Guests can watch the process of sushi and soba making as chefs create sushi in the style of Kkyubey, Ginza's famous sushi restaurant, while soba chefs make the dough with buckwheat powder from Bongpyeong, Korea's famous buckwheat producing region, roll it flat and cut it up. Sushi Cho's ``Live Sushi and Soba'' weekend set menu includes

Jun 11, 2009
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