Cherry blossom afternoon at Grand Hyatt SeoulGrand Hyatt Seoul hotel’s dining cafe Gallery offers afternoon tea buffet, under the concept of spring cherry blossom. The hotel took advantage of its location, surrounded by blooming spring flowers. As the cafe’s decoration was inspired by a garden of cherry blossoms, bouquets of flowers are placed around the Gallery. Around 17 kinds of pastel toned desserts are prepared, along with coffee and tea. The buffet is prepared every day from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

Soy sauce-preserved crabs are called a “rice thief” in Korea, as people find it hard to stop eating when the succulent raw crabs are served. But there is a new contender for that coveted title -- raw prawns marinated in soy sauce. Called “saeujang” in Korean, this delicacy is popular among foodies who sing praises of raw seafood preserved in soy sauce.  Saeujang (Photo by Im Eun-byel / The Korea Herald)To make saeujang, the prawns are soaked in a special soy sauce marinade, painstakingly boiled

A higher proportion of South Koreans are estimated to have enjoyed eating out over the past decade. The latest stats show that there were 660,000 restaurants opened in Korea in 2015, which translates to one eatery per 78 people across the country. The tremendous saturation of restaurants led the popularity of dining review mobile applications and blogs, which help indecisive customers to choose what to eat for the day.  Lee Young-ja (MBC)The recent advent of a comedian’s restaurant reviews, howe

Timeless lunch item for Koreans evolving to adopt growing list of ingredients

Chef‘s afternoon tea plating at Millennium Seoul HiltonFor a sweet and satisfying weekend afternoon, Millennium Seoul Hilton’s delicatessen Cilantro Deli offers an afternoon tea set, under the presence of its pastry chef. On Saturdays and Sundays, 2:30 to 6 p.m., guests can enjoy some afternoon tea, including sandwiches, boutique cakes and fruit tarts, accompanied by coffee, tea or juice of choice. While the menu may seem ordinary, the delicatessen added a fun twist to it, by having the pastry c

Gamja jorim is a braised potato dish. It’s very popular as a side dish at home and restaurants and for home-packed lunch boxes. The potatoes are braised in a slightly sweet, soy-based sauce until the sauce is reduced and the potatoes are tender. It’s a filling, inexpensive dish we all grew up on.This dish can be made with a few staple ingredients in your pantry. I used a carrot and some green pepper for colors, but you can use other colorful vegetables of your choice or simply omit them.You can

Yuksashimi is a dish of sliced raw beef. It is considered a challenging dish, even for many Koreans, as one has to get over the uncomfortableness of eating raw meat. The dish became trendy on social media in the early 2010s, attracting the younger generation, and today raw beef eateries are filled with young people taking pictures of the food for online posts.  Yuksashimi (Photo by Im Eun-byel / The Korea Herald)While the National Institute of Korean Language asserts the food should be called sa

Korean, Taiwanese YouTubers discuss evolving trends in online eating videos

Taste of Asia at InterContinental Seoul CoexDiners who wants to devour on Asian food but don’t know specifically what they want can visit Asian Live, a fine dining restaurant located on the second floor of InterContinental Seoul Coex. To celebrate the first anniversary of its grand reopening, Asian Live features a special gourmet promotion through the end of April. It is to launch a special set-course menu of dishes from Korea, China, Japan, India and Arab countries. Diners will also be gifted w

Pates, sausages and ham crafted by dedicated charcutier in Seocho-dong

In the past, oxen were an important asset for Korean farmers and it was very rare for ordinary folk to have the luxury of eating beef as the oxen had to farm the land and beef was exorbitantly priced. In those days, beef dishes could only be eaten at wedding feasts or other celebrations. Even at those events, not a single part could be wasted. Oxen heads, tails and leg bones, were used to stretch the dishes that could be made.  Someori gukbap (Photo by Im Eun-byel / The Korea Herald)Those parts

Gourmet weekend at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton offers multicourse specials at its Chinese and Japanese restaurants, Taipan and Genji, only on the weekends. Taipan, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, offers a gourmet meal comprising six dishes, at 65,000 won per person. The menu features abalones, crab meat, prawns, beef and pine mushrooms as its main ingredients.Genji, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, also offers a weekend special at 86,000 won. The weekend special set-course men

Gyeran mari is Korean-style rolled omelette typically made with one or two types of chopped vegetables. Here, it’s simply made with scallions and carrots. Gyeran mari is not hard to make once you have the basics down. Cook the eggs over gentle heat until set, then tightly roll or fold in layers, and cut into slices. That’s it!You’ll be rewarded with a delicious side dish that can be whipped up quickly. Gyeran mari is great as a lunch box item as well.  Gyeran mari (Korean Bapsang)Ingredients:3 l

Koreans are known for their love of fermented dishes -- for instance, the ever-present kimchi. And Koreans also consume fermented sauces on a daily base. Adding one more to the list is, hongeo, a fermented skate dish, is a delicacy for many. A whole skate is placed in a pile of hay for days for the fermentation that results in its pungent odor -- such that some compare it to a public toilet. Even after the meal, one cannot escape the pungent smell that attaches itself to clothes and hair for day

Three-seater shop attracts regulars with French treats