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Fluffy Waffles at The Waffle Factory

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Waffles are a dime a dozen in Seoul. Thin, usually tasteless waffles slathered with cream and jam, folded like a sandwich, can easily be found in street stalls and subway stations. But real, honest-to-goodness waffles are hard to find. Most brunch places in Seoul serve nice, fluffy pancakes, but rarely waffles. So it was great to hear about The Waffle Factory, a small restaurant located in Itaewon, (Noksapyeong Station Subway Line 6). Lazy weekend mornings are perfect for having brunch, and it was good to find the restaurant wasn't very crowded. The place itself was smaller than expected with just about a dozen seats inside and two tables outside. It was also good to find the menu was written in clear English and Korean. If you are hungry, then go ahead and order the combination set with either waffles or French toast. We ordered the French toast combination (12,000 won), which includes two thick slices of French toast, two sausages, two slices of crispy bacon, fruit compote and a serving of eggs. The French toast was qui

Samhwa Temple on Mt. Duta: Where Real Dhuta Resides

By Jang Eun-hwa Contributing writer Following a refreshing breeze of early autumn, we started for a temple about 200 kilometers east of Seoul. Our destination was Samhwa Temple, a branch temple for the Jogye Order's fourth District, in Donghae, Gangwon Province. Today's team for an overnight temple stay is composed of five: a French researcher in her late 20s, and the rest in their late 40s or early 50s comprising a lawyer, a company executive, a publisher, and a freelance writer. Although we shared one thing in common ― namely, the trip ― we were as much strangers to one another as our respective jobs. Nevertheless, we felt affinity for each other from the outset. What made the five strangers feel familiar to each other? The ``middle-age'' to which the older four members belong is generally called ``chilgong palgong (70s and 80s) generation'' in Korea. They spent their university days under a dictatorship regime, and often took part in student activism longing for establishing justice and democracy in the country. The social atmosphere of those days was generally g

Master Praises Traditional Japanese Cuisine

By Kim Tae-jong Staff Reporter Akazuka Ryoichi, 61, master of kaiseki or the traditional multi-course Japanese dinner, is visiting Seoul to promote specialty dishes here. He is a third-generation member of a Kaiseki practicing family. Kaiseki is a form of food preparation praised in Japan for its beautiful traditional cuisine. ``The beauty of Kaiseki is you can enjoy dishes using your five different senses for tastes, flavors and colors,'' Ryoichi said at Hakone, the Grand InterContinental Seoul's Japanese restaurant. ``What's most rewarding is when you see customers fully enjoying your creations.'' Born in Fukuoka, he is one of the leading figures in kaiseki tradition. He succeeded at his family restaurant, Sinise, which his grandfather established, and is also an owner of the family business Shiratori Foods, which provides kaiseki ingredients to local restaurants in Japan. Kaiseki is known to originate from temple dishes but it is now considered a type of art form that balances the taste, texture, appearance and colors of each dish, which is also good for health.

Hotel Lobby

Lotte Hotel Seoul Lotte Hotel Seoul's Italian restaurant Peninsula is holding a ``Fall in Fall'' event from Oct. 20 to 24. The restaurant will be transformed into an autumn garden filled with 30 beautiful artworks, and will present special lunch set menus, priced at 45,000 won, 48,000 won and 53,000 won. Grilled flounder and grilled beef tenderloin are also available at 70,000 won and 75,000, respectively. For more information, call (02) 317-7121.

Autumn Foliage Is Here

Danpung ― Beckoning of Autumn Colors By Kim Ji-soo Staff Reporter The virile green of summer lingered longer than usual this year because of warmer temperatures, delaying the appearance of the autumnal tint. But that glorious season in Korea ― when the sky is high, the horses grow fat and the warm yellowish-reddish hues wash away the summer fatigue ― has arrived. In Seoul, only glimmers of autumn foliage are detectable. Thus, Koreans in their hordes, dressed in colorful mountain gear, are heading to the mountains for a mixture of their favorite pastime: mountaineering and viewing autumn foliage. Nothing beats looking at the foliage up in the mountains. Colorful leaves gently sway in the wind, as sunrays intermittently penetrate between them. At times, the wind can be so strong as to shake one's head from left to right, injecting fresh mountain air into one's body and mind. In Korea, leaves first start coloring on Mt. Seorak in eastern Gangwon Province, where the temperature dips quickly. Trees start coloring when the lowest daily temperature falls below 5 degrees

Noda Bowl Offers Bowl of Joy

By Kim Sue-young Staff Reporter One might know them as ''donburi,'' but Koreans know them as ``deopbap,'' or steaming white rice topped with a variety of ingredients. Noda Bowl located in Garosugil or tree-lined street, in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, serves delicious fusion fare on rice in smart tableware. A representative dish is pork deopbab, which is capped with sliced pork, finely shredded onions and scallions. The pork spiced special soy sauce is juicy and chewy with an aroma of charcoal fire, well matching the onions. The seafood rice bowl dish is spicy, maybe hot enough to burn the mouths of those susceptible to spices, with octopus, shrimp, mushroom and bean sprouts bamboo added. If you want something sweet and salty, the roasted spam and omelet on rice is a good choice. The Italian fusion deopbab with eggplant and melted mozzarella cheese based on tomato sauce is not recommended personally due to the sour and plain flavor despite the fresh and affluent ingredients. Izakaya menus, similar to side dishes for drinks, will boost savor and refresh

Hotel Lobby

Grand InterContinental Seoul Hakone, the Grand InterContinental Seoul's Japanese restaurant, has invited Akaszuka Ryoichi, 61, master of Keiseki or formal Japanese dishes to serve the specialty dishes from Oct. 13 to 17. Ryoichi is a third-generation from a Keiseki family with over 40 years of experience. He also runs Shiratori Foods, which provides Keiseki ingredients to restaurants in Japan. During his visit, he will feature special set menus at Hakone in Japanese tradition. The price for the lunch set menu is 70,000 won and for the dinner 150,000 won. A la carte is from 12,000 to 70,000 won. For more information, call (02) 559-7623.