A rising culinary trend dubbed “semi-home-cooking” delivers to a very specific consumer base: people who are wary of eating out but do not want the hassle of cooking -- and cleaning up -- in their own kitchens.A number of services have begun selling “food boxes,” where prepped ingredients -- prewashed, peeled, sliced and diced -- and sauces are delivered straight to their door, often on the day of order, for hassle-free cooking.A box for the Korean staple doenjang jjigae from food box service My

Relatively novel concept of ‘food curation’ helps people tailor their menus

Joseph Kim, a computer programmer living in Seoul, is a busy man. He is so overloaded at work he can rarely go grocery shopping.With few hours to spend at the gym, his weight has been creeping up steadily, forcing him to change his diet and have salads delivered to his door twice weekly. All he has to do is order on his computer or smartphone.Wrapped in a green eco bag and consisting of an assortment of fruits and vegetables, the curated meals he receives have helped him deal with his predicamen

Hot new dessert cafe specializes in globe-shaped cakes

Cheeseflo debuts with local artisanal cured meats and cheeses

Valentine’s Day package at Grand Hyatt SeoulThe Grand Hyatt Seoul is offering a Valentine’s Day package that includes a one-night stay at a Grand Room, bottle of wine, signature doll and Jo Malone London hand-wash gift box. Couples can have breakfast the next day and check out at 2 p.m. The package is available from Feb. 10 for 320,000 won. For information and reservation, call (02) 799 - 8888 or visit seoul.grand.hyatt.kr.Valentine’s package at Novotel Ambassador Seoul GangnamNovotel Ambassador

More and more expats are opening their own spots away from Itaewon

Chinese cuisine at Grand Hyatt Incheon The Grand Hyatt Incheon is offering a promotion of Chinese fusion dishes prepared by Chef Moon Sung-jo until the end of February. Moon has prepared a selection of Beijing-style dishes made of healthy ingredients, including duck, pine mushrooms and abalone.Various dim sum dishes are also available along with a pine mushroom soup, duck noodle soup and deep-fried Mero fish. Desserts include mango sago, seasonal fruits and coconut. The price is 66,000 won per p

Pairing Room earning its hashtags one dish at a time

Matjip - the heart and soul of local cuisine

New Year package at Grand Hyatt Incheon Grand Hyatt Incheon is offering a Lunar New Year package, which includes access to an indoor playground and Nintendo play zone, from Jan. 27 to 29. The “fun” package includes a one-night stay in a guest room, breakfast for two adults and access to an indoor playground, Nintendo play zone, three swimming pools, sauna and fitness center. The “full” option includes all of the above services plus dinner for two adults.The indoor playground features kinetic san

Sataejjim is a traditional braised dish that’s made with bite-sized beef shank meat (satae). Beef shank meat is a tough cut of meat with lots of connective tissue. Slow cooking breaks down the collagen into a rich, flavorful gelatin. Sataejjim is often a cheaper or less fatty alternative to galbijjim (braised short ribs).In Korean cooking, beef shank meat is a popular cut of meat for making soup and braised dishes such as jangjorim. If you are using bone-in pieces, cut the meat off the bones int

The peculiar title of this soup was born of its creation. Making soup from what you have on hand is an excellent way to use leftovers and also to build flavor from the good things you’ve been cooking. Some leftover edamame prompted the title, as it subs for the peas that might be more expected. One diner thought that weird, hence the name. But to us it’s just delicious. A wine with staying power completes the dinner.Make this weird soup Combine 2 cans (395 grams each) low-sodium beef broth, 1 ca

Seasoned chef takes free-spirited approach to seasonally sensitive fare

Special promotions at Walkerhill The Walkerhill hotel in Seoul is offering new food promotions throughout January. Guests can choose various menus priced at 54,000 won at restaurants Ondal, Geumryong, The Buffet, Clock 16, Myongwolgwan and Pizza Hill.They can also enjoy an overnight stay under three packages until Feb. 28 in the Douglas Room, Deluxe Room and Club Suite Room, which cost 150,000 won, 235,000 won and 295,000 won per night, respectively. A diary will be given to all guests and there