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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

Hotel Lobby

Westin Chosun Seoul The Westin Chosun's Chinese restaurant, Ho Kyung Jeon, offers authentic dishes of Cantonese cuisine created by two native chefs ― Theam Fook and Chan Wai Kang. The new chefs will feature various a la carte and two set menus. The set menus are available at the price of 95,000 won and 160,000 won. All guests dining at the restaurant during the month of February can participate in a lucky draw. For more information, call (02) 317-0494. COEX InterContinental Seoul The COEX InterContinental Seoul's lobby lounge will feature a strawberry dessert buffet from March 1 until the end of April. From 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., guests can enjoy different kinds of desserts made with fresh strawberries at the lounge. The buffet is available at 25,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3430-8603. Hyatt Regency Incheon Hyatt Regency Incheon will offer a children's table manners class at 5 p.m. on Feb. 24. Conducted by the hotel's F&B manager, the class aims to teach children proper table manners and offer a fun dining experience that includes

Feb 21, 2008

Irodori Offers Customized Japanese Buffet

By Kim Tae-jong Staff Reporter Buffet restaurants at local hotels are faithful to the ``all-you-can-eat'' philosophy, serving a large variety of dishes for a set price. But the quantity focus may disappoint diners as it often comes at the expense of quality. The Renaissance Seoul Hotel's Japanese restaurant Irodori has come forward with a solution to satisfy customers both in quantity and quality. The restaurant features a buffet only on weekends by combining the merits of the ``all-you-can-eat'' buffet and the regular ``order-from-the-table'' dining. The buffet launched on Jan. 19th is surely living up to its name. ``Irodori'' means``variety" in Japanese. At a glance, the restaurant's buffet is typical ― guests take whatever food items they want as they walk passed a line of food containers filled with prepared food. Types and quantity of dishes seem much smaller than at other buffet restaurants. But guests choose most of the items on display and skillful chefs prepare them upon request and serve them at the diners' tables. Although it is a buffet restaurant, gu

Feb 21, 2008

Japanese Wave Permeates the Streets

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia, Kwon Mee-yoo Staff Reporters These days, it's hard to ignore the growing Japanese trend in Seoul. The Uniqlo flagship store in Myeongdong is packed with shoppers of all ages, buying sweaters and jeans. Just a few feet away, people are lining up to buy chewy donuts at Mister Donut. Japanese food products like ramen and natto (fermented soybeans) are on the shelves of supermarkets, while new restaurants serve sushi, omurice (omelet rice) and tonkatsu (breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet). Teenagers avidly read Japanese manga (graphic novels), while listening to the music of L'Arc-en-Ciel and Ayumi Hamasaki. In the evening, college students and office workers head to the izakayas to unwind with Japanese beer or sake. From movies and music to food and fashion, Japanese culture is slowly becoming a part of the Korean way of life. A new ``illyu'' or the Japanese wave is spreading among young Koreans who follow the Japanese lifestyle, whether they know it or not. Cuisine For a long time, you could only find good, authentic Japanese restaurants in

Feb 21, 2008

Hotel Lobby

Sheraton Grande Walkerhill The Sheraton Grande Walkerhill's buffet restaurant Four Seasons features an open kitchen to allow guests to watch its chefs preparing food. Also, unlike the greasy meals at most buffet restaurants, the restaurant offers a healthy food corner featuring aloe, wild berries, as well many traditional Korean dishes for health conscious connoisseurs. To provide a better knowledge of the meal, the restaurant also offers nutrition facts of where the ingredients were produced and how they have been used in the food. The lunch buffet is priced at 58,000 won for adults and 37,000 for children while the dinner buffet is available at 65,000 won and 43,000 won, respectively.For more information, call (02) 455-5000. Millennium Seoul Hilton The Millennium Seoul Hilton's Mediterranean restaurant, Cilantro, holds a special giveaway event during the month of February. Each guest will receive a chance to win one of five deluxe prizes from Mikimoto, a company world famous for its cultured pearls. The prizes include an elegant wristwatch, table cloc

Feb 14, 2008

Silky, Matt, Fruity, Light

2008 Spring Makeup Trend By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Although it's still cold out, spring is nearing, and if you're still wearing the same old makeup colors that you wore through winter, why not switch to something new? This is the time of year that women transform their appearance. Springtime offers women the opportunity to make new discoveries in cosmetics that can make the skin come alive with color. If you are savvy enough, you might catch this season's makeup trends from models on the runways of the world's high-profile fashion shows. Major cosmetic brands are rushing to preview the new makeup trends this spring, introducing must-have items. Skin: Silky Matt For this spring, silky matt skin dominates. Last year, shimmering and glossy makeup was the hot trend, but this season, the skin is the focus. The matt look, compared to the glossy look, can be easily achieved by many women and it has the advantage of covering spots and providing a soft look. The so-called ``nude'' look, which is a natural makeup look, when mixed in with a little bit of col

Feb 14, 2008

Passion 5 Serves Delicate Desserts

By Kwon Mee-yoo Staff Reporter A glassy black building with flower-shaped inside, Passion 5 is a luxurious dessert place located in Hannam-dong. Except for a black board with silhouettes of desserts, the place does not look like a cafe or bakery. However, when you step in, a dessert paradise is spread before you. Passion 5 is an ambitious project of the SPC group, a food specialty group which includes Paris Croissant, Baskin Robbins and Dunkin Donuts. Italian architect Marco Lucchi designed the eye-catching building and some 36 chefs make delicious desserts. Aiming to be a ``dessert gallery,'' the place is divided into four sections ― Cafe, Bakery, Patisserie and Chocolatier. Drinks and some desserts, like marron cup dessert and tomato jelly, are available at the cafe while you can choose anything from other sections and the serving staff will bring it to your table. We tried three cakes from the patisserie section. The pink-colored ``Rose C'est La Vie'' (6,000 won) is very unique. In between two large sized rose flavored macarons, is a custard and strawberry crea

Feb 14, 2008

French Food Homemade Style at Mommy in the Kitchen

By Kim Tong-hyung Staff Reporter It would be hard to find any culinary culture that suffers more from stereotypes than French cooking. Lavish and over-engineered dishes, haughty waiters and ridiculous price tags are often the first associations with French dining for the average person. Then there is Mommy in the Kitchen, a small 40-seat restaurant near Sungshin Women’s University in Donamdong, northern Seoul, which thrives on serving unpretentious French food in a casual setting. Mommy is certainly a champion of the food-blog era, with buzz created by Internet-based food-lovers allowing owner and executive chef Kwon Suyoung to open her second restaurant, Le Pied, in the trendy district of Apgujeongdong last year. The tables at Mommy were still fully occupied at around 8:00 p.m Tuesday, standing out in an otherwise quiet street mixed with boutique dress shops, accessory stands, snack venders, and a 24-hour convenience store. Perhaps the location of the restaurant itself is a departure from the snobbish French stereotype that Mommy is supposed to combat. Mommy is all a

Jan 31, 2008

Hotel Lobby

Sejong Hotel Sejong Hotel features a New Year's package from Feb. 3 through Feb. 8. Named ``Fortune Package,'' it includes tickets for one of two performances and other discount offers. The performances are``Traditional Art Stage 2008'' at Chongdong Theater, worth 30,000 won, and the family musical ``Fox, What Are You Doing,'' worth of 30,000 won. The package also includes a one-night stay in a deluxe room with breakfast offered. For more information, call (02) 3705-9115. Westin Chosun Seoul The Chosun Deli at the Westin Chosun Seoul presents a new take-out menu of finger food, party food and snacks for any occasion. There are three different menus _ Party 1, 2 and 3. For a small but diverse group, Party 1 menu is suitable, including grilled minced rib patty, barbecue chicken, drum sticks, fried rice, sausage rolls, sweet and sour pork and mixed green salad with dressing. Party 2 menu is recommended for a more diverse and upgraded option and Party 3 menu has more gourmet items. The set menus are available from 110,000 won to 190,000 won. For more inf

Jan 31, 2008

Hotels to Offer Specials for Valentines Day

By Kim Tae-jong Staff Reporter Valentine's Day is coming. Romantics may have waited long for the day and circled it on the calendar, despite much criticism on its commercialized features. But if you haven't prepared yet, you can check out some special offerings from local hotels. Dining The Bistro European restaurant at Novotel Ambassador in Gangnam, will offer a romantic Valentine's Day dinner on Feb. 14. The restaurant features a five-course meal, specially prepared by French chief Didier Leibel. Also served is complimentary wine from Bordeaux. The restaurant will be also decorated with Valentine's Day features such as romantic candles and flowers, plus live jazz music. (For more information, call (02) 531-6604.) The Park Hyatt Seoul also offers special set menus for the day. Special menus are available at the hotel's main restaurant, Cornerstone, the entertainment bar (Timber House) and the lobby lounge. (For more information, call (02) 2016-1234.) Offerings Renaissance Seoul Hotel offers musical tickets in its special romance package for Vale

Jan 31, 2008
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