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JW Marriott Seoul

The JW Marriott Seoul is offering special summer packages titled ``Wow! It's Summertime,'' available through Aug. 31. The packages include cocktails for two at Bar Rouge and a complimentary day pass to the Marquis Fitness Club and Swimming Pool with a one night stay in a luxurious Superior-class room starting from just 189,000 won. The Marquis Fitness Club and Spa offers a wide range of beauty and holistic treatments. Guests reserving a Junior Suite at the price of 239,000 won will receive a complimentary Kerastase hair care set. The Marquis Fitness Club has the largest indoor hotel swimming pool in Asia. Personal trainers are also on hand to assist guests. As part of the summer package, guests will be able to experience other parts of the hotel, including newly renovated rooms. The hotel will begin to unveil the first in a series of renovated rooms and common spaces that will eventually encompass all guest rooms, Classic 7, JW's Grill, the Exchange Bar and the Marquis Thermal Spa. The newly designed rooms feature a 40-inch LCD television and advanced Remote Ja

Jul 14, 2008

Shilla Seoul

The Shilla Seoul is having a ``Summer Escape'' package with various special offers through the end of August. The package allows guests to use the hotel's outdoor swimming pool, one of the most attractive benefits. It also includes a one-night stay at a Deluxe Room featuring mountain or city views. Guests will receive a welcome drink coupon for a beer, white wine or soft drink as well as free access to its fitness club which features various programs, such as pilates, jazz dancing, yoga and stretching. As part of the package, guests will receive Loccitane amenities, a 1.5 litter bottle of Evian water and a beach towel with The Shilla logo on it. Those who stay at the hotel between July 26 and Aug. 10 will also receive a Foundation Primer from Laura Mercier. The price of the packages ranges from 200,000 won to 320,000 won, depending on the period. During their stay, guests can enjoy a range of different cuisines at the in-house restaurants. For an additional 25,000 won, guests can enjoy breakfast at the hotel's buffet restaurant, The Parkview. On weekends,

Jul 14, 2008

Spicy and Savory Galchi at Hee-rak

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Walking through the busy streets of Namdaemun Market in Seoul, one hits a particular narrow and zigzagged alley that mainly sells ``galchi jorim.'' The owners and ajumma, middle-aged women, servers stop people in their tracks, beckoning them to come in and have a bite. ``Galchi'' is scabbard fish, a thin and silvery type of fish Koreans enjoy. The fish is usually boiled in soy sauce with red pepper and other spices, or simply fried. Among numerous restaurants that boast of the title ``wonjo,'' or ``original,'' there is a relatively smaller place called ``Hee-rak.'' The trick to finding this modest restaurant is to go to the only place that's crowded with people. As soon as you locate Hee-rak, you can find ajummas preparing the spicy red dish on a strong fire right outside the door. The place is surprisingly small, with only about 20 seats downstairs. But there is also an attic, where we were told to go. Climbing up the steep staircase, visitors find an even smaller room with only five tables. The ceiling is too low to stand straig

Jul 10, 2008

Uniqueness of Korean Cuisine (1)

By Chad Meyer Contributing Writer Korean foods and cuisine have been refined and adapted since the Gojoseon Kingdom 4,300 years ago. While Western foods have evolved to rely mainly on salt and sugar for taste, Korean foods remain simpler, lighter, and healthier. There is also a uniqueness that differentiates Korean cuisine from many of its Asian neighbors. And with only 3percent of the Korean population over the age of 15 overweight, clearly there is something to be taught. The international demand for Korean cuisine is growing, but still continues to be an undertapped export absent from many Western palettes. This series of articles will examine the distinctions and benefits of a Korean food diet. In the course of this exploration, we will also observe that Korean foods assist in preventing wrinkles, remaining thin, and living above the OECD average life expectancy. There are numerous reasons why Korean food remains unpopular and under-appreciated by Western diners. Poor perception is one of them. Just as American food can be oversimplified to hot dogs and hamburg

Jul 10, 2008

Hilton Namhae Wins World Travel Award

By Kim Tae-jong Staff Reporter The Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort recently won a World Travel Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the international travel industry, in the category of resort leader, for the second straight year. The resort's general manager attributed the success to his staff as well as superb natural environment. ``It was surely a great honor. We have a good product, which we can improve every day. And I think most important asset of the hotel is our team,'' Jean-Philippe Jacopin told The Korea Times. ``They offer customers the best services and help them have unique experience at our property. That is the main secret to the success.'' It is obviously a remarkable achievement for the resort, which opened in 2006, amid initial skepticism. The resort is located in one of the most isolated places in the country ― the southernmost island of Namhae, long known simply for its quality garlic or just centuries ago, a dumping ground for criminals and exiles. But now it attracts those seeking perfect relaxation at its 830,000 square-meter pro

Jul 10, 2008

Return to Nature

Late Life Blooms As Urbanites Retire to the Countryside By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter ICHEON ― Small fenced cottages nestle on an isolated hillside, ranging from traditional ``hwangto'' (red mud) and tile-roofed hoses to petite Western Alps-inspired chalets. Each dwelling has a large yard sprouting greens. During the past few decades, Koreans were focused on rapid economic development, and the metropolis was the ultimate destination for success. But in recent years, many of the retiring generation, the very people who helped build Korea from being one of the world's poorest nations to its 13th largest economy, are returning to the countryside. Some are going back to rural homes in Gangwon Province but others, many being Seoul natives, are paving a niche for themselves on the outskirts of the city. In hilly Yongmyeong-li, Sindun-myeon in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, a little over a dozen families have settled down. The abandoned farmlands are now home to Kim Dae-hee, a master pottery maker, and the former heads of a construction company and travel agency as well as ex-civil

Jul 10, 2008

Taste French Galette at 75015

By Kwon Mee-yoo Staff Reporter A bistro with a yellow signboard and blue door, located in an alley near Hongik University, attracts hungry passers-by. With a sign saying ``75015,'' this French bistro features genuine French taste and bistro culture. The name of the restaurant comes from the postal code of a region in Paris, France where Le Cordon Bleu is located. Le Cordon Bleu is a famed cooking school where the chef of 75015 learned the culinary art. There are 15 kinds of dishes on 75015's menu. Four types of galette and four selections of quiche on the ``plat'' (meal) menu plus three choices of crepe, tart and one of pudding in the desert section. A special desert chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream is also available. We ordered chicken galette and salmon quiche from the meal section. Galette is a kind of buckwheat French crepe garnished with fillings and quiche is a baked dish with egg and milk filling in a pastry crust. The chicken galette (10,500 won) was garnished with chicken breast, onion, mushroom and cream sauce on buckwheat crepe. Though the c

Jul 3, 2008

Night at the Temple

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia, Han Sang-hee, Staff Reporters Baekdamsa ― Spending a weekend at a temple is becoming increasingly popular these days, with more people seeking refuge from the noisy city to find peace of mind. Many temples now offer weekend-stay programs, luring Koreans, foreign tourists and expatriates who want to experience the life of Buddhist monks at their picturesque sites dotted around Korea. Baekdamsa, located in Mt. Seorak National Park, is one of the favorite venues for temple stay programs. Beautiful mountains and creeks surround the temple, which offers interesting programs. The Korea Times team traveled four hours by car from Seoul to Baekdamsa, braving the weekend traffic on the highways, intermittent rain showers and the winding roads leading to the temple. Seeing the temple nestled between majestic mountains and surrounded by fog and forests was like soothing balm to our tired nerves. Walking on the bridge, decorated with Lotus lanterns, we were taking a step from the stressful world to the serenity of nature and Buddhism. The temple

Jul 3, 2008

Andong: Hot Spot for Confucianism, Mask Dance

By Kang Hyun-kyung Staff Reporter For those who are sick and tired of noisy urban life, there is one great retreat place. It's Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, home of the Confucian culture. The small city, with population of less than 170,000, is a travel destination off the beaten track and certainly worth a visit. The inland city is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from downtown Seoul and is renowned for its Hahoe masks and a picture perfect folk village surrounded by a river, mountain and breath-taking pine tree forest where people sharing the family name of Ryu live together. It seems to be less known, however, that the city, which is called the capital of the Korean spirit for its abundant cultural heritage, has two private academies ― Dosan and Byeongsan Seowons ― which were built more than four hundred years ago. By exploring these places, visitors can get a sense of how old Korean intellectuals would have led their lives and what values they cherished most as a guiding light during their lifetime. Back in the 1500s, a swarm of young and middle-a

Jul 3, 2008
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