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A promotional image for "Walkerhill, the Buffet" / Courtesy of Sheraton Grande Walkerhill |
By Kwon Ji-youn
As winter loses its grip and gives way to the spring, Seoul's major hotels are rejuvenating their flagship restaurants to provide guests with a promise of summer.
"Michelin" at the Mayfield Hotel & Resort reopened on March 5 with menus of healthy and nature-friendly ingredients grown on a farm under direct management. Low-fat dishes, salads seasoned with kosher salt and marinades rich in minerals will be featured to complement the time of year.
The "Hot Dish" sauces use a vegetable puree as a base to provide a clean taste, while others make use of native honey and medicinal herbs to give the roasted ribs a deeper flavor.
Through March 15, women who visit during weekday lunch hours will be provided with a bottle of wine and a "Michelin Hot Deal Auction" will welcome dinner guests. On "Free Beer Day," guests will be catered as much draft beer as they can drink.
The Grand Hilton Seoul's buffet restaurant reopened on Monday with upgraded kitchenware and appliances. The hotel's "soft renewal" will feature an oriental food station serving Chinese Fotiaogiang Soup, yaki udon and Vietnam rice noodles, among others.
To familiarize guests from around the world with Korean dishes, the Grand Hilton will provide all sorts of Korean-style seasoned greens and side dishes, including raw crabs marinated in soy sauce and a chilled fresh ginseng salad. Wines and cakes are half-off for birthday guests, and parties of more than 15 guests will be gifted with two bottles of the hotel's best-selling wine.
The Sheraton Grand Walkerhill's "Walkerhill, the Buffet" will reopen on March 20 after undergoing spring renewal. The menu will continue to feature its well-received court cuisine, and its Chinese menu will present dishes that represent the sovereign state's four main regions -- Beijing, Szechuan, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
The 10 "superfoods," including of blueberries, garlic, tomatoes, salmon and broccoli, will top salads, and guests will round the night off with "petite" desserts. As more Chinese tourists flock to Seoul, the hotel will provide a la carte menus like lobster.
It will also tender a "Gourmet Concierge" service, which invites the chef to the dinner table to take specific orders. This is to prioritize the Sheraton's commitment to customer satisfaction.
The Millennium Seoul Hilton Hotel's new flagship restaurant "Cafe 395" is a "market to table" diner. Chefs will take the freshest ingredients and cook dishes in an open kitchen.
Appetizers will include a soft-shelled crab, an Italian seafood salad, grilled mushrooms and cheese platter. Korean beef, lobster, tuna and mutton are also featured.
The Ritz Carlton Seoul Hotel's "The Ritz Deli" has a launched new and healthy baked-goods menu. An asparagus sausage roll, a tomato quiche, vegetable scone and corn-cheese bread will do nicely to complement good wine.
The Kensington Jeju Hotel's Korean cuisine launched a Korean breakfast menu on March 6. For children, a healthy juice accompanies fish, side dishes and soup, and for infants less than 47 months old, a porridge or steamed egg dish is prepared. A private room is available for parties of six to 16 guests.