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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Wonju Chueotang Offers Freshwater Delight

By Jonathan Sanfilippo Staff Reporter While it's quite common for traditional Korean restaurants in rural areas near lakes and streams to specialize in dishes made with freshwater fish or crabs, finding such establishments in the heart of Seoul can be difficult. But if you search down a small hallway in the Jisan building next to Chungmuro Tower, you can find a place called Wonju Chuotang that prides itself on bringing freshwater catches to its downtown dinner tables. Wonju Chuotang ― a restaurant that originally opened during the 1960s in Wonju, Gangwon Province, before moving to its current location seven years ago ― is perhaps best known for its unique stew made with catfish and freshwater crab. The stew, which is served in a pot on a table-top stove, is a tasty concoction of the catfish and crab mixed with potatoes, pieces of dough and a variety of mushrooms and onions, all boiled with red pepper for seasoning. The stew is spicy enough to provide good flavor, but not hot enough to deter eaters with sensitive taste buds. A large pot of the stew, which can

Mar 6, 2008

Diving Into Unique Museums

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Museums are thought of as a cultural barometer of a country and at the same time as boring educational places far from excitement. But museums are expanding their scopes to reach out to more people with unique themes. From straws, jewels and even liquor to owls, anything unique and even weird can be found in museums. Here is a list of museums housing bizarre and rare items. Fun Museum ``Don't touch'' is a familiar notice seen at museums. But the Fun Museum breaks down the stereotype that visitors cannot touch the exhibits and instead gives a new idea of the hands-on experience. The museum, first established in 2002, displays about 350 pieces of unusual educational scientific toys ― such as a dancing lamp, a talking toilet and a horrifying mirror ― successfully catching the eyes of visitors. The exhibition consists of five themes ― sound, lifestyle, science, light and movement. ``Our museum has a unique and special character, which interacts with visitors unlike other museums displaying historical relics. Our exhibit items

Mar 6, 2008

Hotel Lobby

Hyatt Regency Incheon Hyatt Regency Incheon is featuring guest chef Roberto Mancini, Italian Chef de Cuisine at the hotel's sister property in Tokyo, the Roppongi Hills Club. Mancini will create his favorite traditional Italian dishes in Restaurant 8 for lunch and dinner from March 14 to 23. Lunch is priced from 35,000 won to 45,000 won. A special selection of Italian dishes is also available for Sunday brunch at 43,000 won. The a la carte selection will be served for dinner from Monday to Thursday. A special Italian dinner buffet is also available from Friday to Sunday at 50,000 won. He will also fashion a creative set menu for the exceptional Biondi Santi Wine Maker's Dinner on March 22. For more information, call (032) 745-1234. COEX InterContinental Seoul The COEX InterContinental Seoul's Sky Lounge presents chef Nick Flynn. The native Australian has spent the past two decades in places as diverse as Germany and India, enriching culinary experiences in both the east and west. In March, he will introduce a menu that features ingredients such

Mar 6, 2008

Hotels Welcome Arrival of New Season

By Kim Tae-jong Staff Reporter Spring has almost arrived here and local hotels are busily preparing special events to welcome the new season. The Westin Chosun Seoul holds a strawberry promotion at its lobby lounge Compass Rose, featuring the fruit in various menu items. Strawberry has been long loved as one of the most popular and representative fruits in the springtime. In the words of Ham Tae-wook, manager at Compass Rose: ``The freshness of strawberry will deliver the feeling of the arrival of the new season,'' The promotion continues through the end of the month with strawberry drinks available at the prices between 13.000 won and 15.000 won. For more information, call (02) 317-0365. Other hotels also hold a strawberry promotions such as the Ritz-Carlton, Seoul's bakery Ritz Deli (02-3451-8278); Sheraton Grande Walkerhill's lobby lounge Pavilion (02-450-4534) and an all-day dining restaurant, The View (02-450-4467); and the COEX InterContinental Seoul's lobby lounge (02-3430-8603). Hotel restaurants also feature new menus with seasonal ingredients. Ja

Mar 6, 2008

No Fear of Garlic at Mad for Garlic

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Being one of the most popular horror characters of all time, vampires are not only known by their sharp fangs and pale complexions, but also their fear of garlic. But it's one of the most-loved ingredients to Korean and Italian cuisine. Mad for Garlic is a ``wine and garlic bistro'' with an Italian twist. The fancy restaurant offers more than 40 Italian dishes that are well incorporated with garlic. It also offers more than a hundred varieties of wine to choose from. There's a total of eight outlets in Seoul, Mokdong's being the latest. When you enter the Mokdong branch, decorated with garlic bulbs, or course, it seems like you just walked into an underground wine cellar, or even that of a vampire. The lights are dimly lit with a dark yet cozy atmosphere and the music varies from gentle jazz to classic. The restaurant lavishes a display of wine bottles and garlic, which are decorated across the ceiling and walls. We ordered some of the restaurant's favorites, the Sauteed Fresh Mussel (14,800 won), the Crab and Lobster Pasta (15,80

Feb 28, 2008

Kimchi & Big Apple

Koreatown in New York Never Sleeps By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter NEW YORK ― Luminous skyscrapers, the hustle and bustle of yellow cabs, poker-faced pedestrians and a dizzying mosaic of different cultures: it's New York City. In a way, the Big Apple continues to symbolize the great American melting pot. For a ``genuine'' New York experience, a visit to Little Italy or Chinatown ― or the newly emerging hotspot Koreatown ― is essential. Seoul in New York: West 32nd Street On West 32nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway lies a small block lined with Korean-style stationary stores (Morning Glory), supermarket (Han Ah Reum) and cafes galore. West 32nd Street, with its anarchic array of neon signs that read ``BBQ'' and ``Open 24 Hours,'' takes you back to Korea. Flushing, Queens may be the ultimate Korean district in New York (and on the east coast), but it has that distinct ``Korean American'' quality that sets it apart from mainland Korea. Like Los Angeles Koreatown, Flushing represents a different facet of the Korean Diaspora. West 32nd, on the other hand

Feb 28, 2008

Travel Line

Web Site Opens for Tourism in Gyeonggi The Gyeonggi Tourism Organization has launched a Web site to provide comprehensive information about the tour programs available in the province. People can find information about the natural environment, culture, leisure, festivals, lodgings and foods that are unique to the region at the Web site, www.ethankyou.co.kr. ``With the adoption of the five-day workweek, weekend travel is booming and those visiting the Gyeonggi Province are increasing. Also, a survey by the Korea Tourism Organization showed about 80 percent of travelers search for information through the Internet. So we've come up with the site for the convenience of travelers,'' a provincial government official said. The site offers a one-stop service from information searches to reservations and payments. Users do not need to worry about rip-offs or reservation fraud as the site is run by the local government. The authority plans to present foreign language services on the site by 2009. Club Med Offers Free Trip for Kids Club Med Vacances Korea gives a complim

Feb 28, 2008

Chef Values Wine as Best Dish Companion

By Kim Tae-jong Staff Reporter A two-star Michelin chef spoke highly of wine, citing it as one of the best companions for a delicious meal. ``The combination of wine and food is like a marriage,'' chef Gaeteno Trovato said during an interview with The Korea Times. ``A glass of wine can make a dish taste better. But it can also ruin everything if it's terrible.'' He said he always encourages guests to drink a glass of wine when they enjoy his creations. Introducing himself as an ``amateur sommelier,'' the veteran Italian chef emphasized the role of wine while enjoying a meal, and advised selecting a wine well-matched to each dish. Thanks to his passion for wine, he owns 600 different kinds totaling 8,000 bottles at his restaurant in Tuscany. The chef came to Seoul to host a promotion in the Sky Lounge of the COEX InterContinental Seoul from Feb. 19 to 23. It was a short visit but Trovato said he wanted to introduce the variety and authentic cuisine of his country in his own way. Like other famous chefs, he emphasized the importance of quality ingredients.

Feb 28, 2008

Hotel Lobby

Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul has designated Thomas Baehner as its new executive chef. The German chef has 20 years of experience in the kitchens of such deluxe hotels as the Hotel Renaissance, Hyatt Regency Cologne and Grand Hyatt Amman. He also played supporting roles in the openings of Grand Hyatt Dubai, Park Hyatt Buenos Aires and Hyatt Regency Cancun. Having earned a professional trainer degree from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Braunschweig and graduated from the renowned Culinary Master School of Heidelberg, he is well grounded in both theory and the practical aspects of international culinary arts. For more information, call (02) 797-1234. Renaissance Seoul Hotel Kabin, a Chinese restaurant in the Renaissance Seoul Hotel, offers a Sichuan promotion from March 3 to April 8. Sichuan cuisine, which is one of eight representative Chinese cuisines, utilizes various peppers, garlic, ginseng and vinegar. Sichuan style cuisine has a unique spiciness, different from that of Korea. Kabin provides a six-course lunch set menu and an eig

Feb 28, 2008

A Full Course Korean Meal at Jokumeon

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Korean dishes are famous for their savory taste and the abundance of side dishes, but for those who want to experience this through a slowly served meal, Jokumeon is the place for you. Opened in 1996, Jokumeon aimed for a cozy and hospitable restaurant that serves ''hanjeongsik'' (Korean set meal) that enables guests to experience the core of Korean food. Indeed, visitors can taste many famous Korean dishes through their meals, as there are more than 15 different side dishes for every one that will surely fill your eyes and palate. Jokumeon offers three different full course meals, the ``Cham Jokumeon'' (which literally means `superb' and costs 30,000 won per person), ``Cham Haengbokhan'' (' truly happy,' 22,000 won) and ``Cham Gwenchaneun'' (`fine,' 15,000 won). The ``Cham Jokumeon'' includes all dishes the other two offer, plus a dish of grilled yam in black garlic and grilled eel. The Cham Haengbokhan offers tteok galbi (grinded, marinated and then grilled meat) and steamed prawn. We tried the most popular ``Cham Haengbokhan'' and i

Feb 21, 2008
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