Judy Joo is missing Playboy. The Morgan Stanley trader-turned-chef has quit the London club to open a restaurant and recalls the fun she had over three years, cooking for celebrities from Justin Bieber to Kate Moss. “Talk about a massive fun factor with the brand, and the stories I walked away from there,” Joo says. “It was incredible, hanging out in the Playboy Mansion in L.A. and looking after tons of rappers and footballers. ‘‘And I miss the bunnies. I love those girls. Who doesn’t love being

Holy Smoke dishes out meaty ribs and housemade sausages

Kimchi bibim guksu (spicy noodles with kimchi) (Korean Bapsang)When there seems to be nothing in the fridge, bibim guksu made with kimchi comes in handy for a quick meal. Well-fermented kimchi is truly all you need for this humble dish. But, you can add other vegetables such as cucumber, carrot, red cabbage or lettuce, if available. I added some perilla leaves (kkaennip) in this recipe. In no time, these spicy, sweet and tangy noodles will be ready for your table.2 servings Ingredients:● 2 servi

Autumn package at Hilton Namhae Golf and Spa ResortHilton Namhae Golf and Spa Resort presents a fall accommodation package available from Sept. 21 to Oct. 31. The all-inclusive package includes a one-night stay, breakfast and dinner for three people and entrance tickets to the hotel’s spa facility. Guests who reserve for three or more people will be given a cosmetic travel kit of the organic skin and body care brand Dr. Bronner’s. The cosmetic kit will include the new product Green Tea Castile S

Tempura promotion at Millennium Seoul Hilton Millennium Seoul Hilton’s Japanese restaurant Genji is offering a tempura course meal featuring the seasonal ingredient pine mushroom. The eight-course dinner, priced at 180,000 won per person, includes a sashimi selection of sea bream, halibut, sea bass, abalone and cuttlefish; steamed lobster with pine mushrooms; deluxe pine mushroom tempura and more. A la carte items are also available, including pine mushroom tempura priced at 100,000 won. Tempura

Decadent cakes and elegant drinks at new spot in Samseong-dong

Gaji bokkeum (stir-fried eggplants) (Korean Bapsang)This easy but flavorful side dish is one of my favorite ways to cook eggplants. Look for slender eggplants with a dark-purple color and shiny skin. Eggplants are stir-fried with simple seasonings, and the gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste) adds a nice kick to the tender eggplants. As a variation, add some thinly sliced pork or chicken, adjust the seasoning accordingly, and enjoy it as a main dish. Ingredients:● 2 medium-size Asian eggpla

In kitchens across the nation, families gather together to make traditional Korean dishes for Chuseok, one of South Korea’s largest annual holidays. This Sunday, households will be busy crafting songpyeon, half-moon-shaped rice cakes, and other delicacies to offer up to ancestors in appreciation of a good harvest this coming Monday morning. Those ceremonial tables, loaded to bursting with carefully prepared food, will vary from home to home, serving as edible symbols of the foodways of each fami

Fall package at Lotte Hotel Seoul Lotte Hotel Seoul is presenting a fall package that includes a picnic at a royal palace in Seoul. The “walk package,” priced at 280,000 won, includes a one-night stay in a superior room, breakfast for two, a picnic box containing four pieces of bread and two cups of coffee, and an admission ticket to four major historical sites in Seoul, including Gyeongbokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine. The hotel will hold Oktoberfest 2014 from Sept. 20 to Oc

Korean staff present sample dishes during a celebration marking the opening of the first Asian branch of Panda Express in Seoul on Wednesday.Panda Express, a chain of restaurants serving American-Chinese cuisine, launched its first Asian branch in Seoul on Wednesday. The global restaurant chain joined hands with Seoul-based SF Innovation Co. to open Korea’s first Panda Express in the basement of Lotte Department Store in downtown Seoul. SF Innovation is a Korean restaurant business well-known fo

It used to be that pickling was something only your grandmother did. But that doesn’t apply anymore.Younger generations are embracing pickling as a way to explore their interest in food, preserve the season’s bounty and cut their food budgets.These days, pickling is so trendy that it’s even been parodied by the comedy show “Portlandia.” In one skit, the actors’ penchant for pickling gets out of control as they drop everything from parking tickets to dead birds into jars of vinegar.Jokes aside, p

Wanjajeon (pan fried meatballs in egg batter) (Korean Bapsang)Most Korean homes make several types of jeon dishes (pan-fried battered food) for their holiday feasts. Wanjajeon is among the popular choices. Meatballs are called gogi wanja in Korean and used in many traditional dishes such as soups or hotpots. When they are egg-battered and pan-fried, they are called wanjajeon. They are also commonly called “donggeurangttaeng,” meaning “a round thing.”To make jeon, the meatballs are gently pressed

New eatery serves up bibimbap, tteokgalbi and fish pancakes

Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) (Korean Bapsang)Samgyetang is a chicken soup made with a small, whole chicken and ginseng. It’s an iconic summer dish in Korea. As strange as it sounds, Koreans eat this boiling-hot soup to beat the heat and stay energized during the summer. In my house, it’s a nourishing comfort food that we enjoy all year around.Typically, samgyetang is made with a young chicken, which is known as a Cornish hen in the U.S., for its tender and tasty meat. If you need to feed mo

Chuseok package at The Grand Hilton Seoul The Grand Hilton Seoul presents three Chuseok holiday packages, available from Sept. 5-10. Package 1 includes a one-night stay in a deluxe room and two movie tickets. Package 2 comes with breakfast for two at the buffet restaurant. Package 3 includes a one-night stay in an executive room, two movie tickets and happy hour for two adults. Package 3 also includes free access to the Executive Floor Lounge, which offers breakfast and happy hour finger food an