Taking pleasure in cooking, Ven. Kyungwoon calls herself a “food practitioner.” This is because making food the proper Buddhist way with good ingredients and sharing it with many is to practice the Buddha’s teaching that “Food is good medicine.” Its purpose is also to spread the spirit embodied in temple food, based on the belief that “What we eat creates our body and mind.” Eight years ago, Ven. Kyungwoon fell ill when she was about to finish her junior

Sheraton Grand Incheon launches 'Sheraton Pocha' promotion Sheraton Grand Incheon is launching a special promotion with Korean alcoholic beverages at Bb, the hotel's lobby dining bar. Starting Friday, different drink options will be served with various Korean late-night eats, such as savory seafood pancakes and gochujang octopus. Some 28 drink options are available, including traditional Korean cocktails, makgeolli, soju, wine and beer. The promotion runs through Dec. 31 from 6 p.

Michelin unveils Michelin Guide Seoul 2023 restaurants

The 14th edition of the Gangneung Coffee Festival will be held at the Gangneung Olympic Park Ice Arena for four days, from Friday to Monday. The indoor arena's first and second floors will be set up as coffee brewing, tasting, and product selling booths, while food trucks and resting areas will be installed outside the arena. This year's festival will be run as an eco-friendly festival, according to the Gangneung Culture and Arts Foundation, the main host of the event. "We have co

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul launches collaboration cake with Chantecaille In celebration of the hotel's upcoming seventh anniversary, Four Seasons Hotel Seoul has launched a gluten-free cake, Tasty Palette, in partnership with Chantecaille, a premium cosmetic brand. Pastry chef Jimmy Boulay created the special cake using local ingredients. Acacia honey from Korea and coconut is used in place of gluten-free flour, sugar, or artificial sweeteners, and domestic figs are used as the main ingredien

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Embassy in Seoul has invited two-star Michelin chef, Maria Marte, to introduce Dominican cuisines to Korea. Hosted by the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, Marte has been introducing a series of Dominican dishes, desserts and cocktails, through the hotel's promotion, "Dominican Week," since Monday. Dishes by Marte as well as Elaine De W

The 2022 Seoul Gourmet Week is set to kick off Friday, aiming to introduce Seoul's unique and diverse culinary culture. During the seven-day period, 100 restaurants in the city selected by a team of 20 food experts, will be offering special menus and benefits. The complete list of participating restaurants is available on the Seoul Gourmet Week's official website, which includes brief introductions to each restaurant's signature dishes, including plant-based options. This weekend,

Most travelers seek out popular restaurants while visiting a foreign country. But spontaneous ventures to street vendors can leave a lasting impression, if one finds the right place. From ordering food at crowded outdoor vendors to enjoying small talk with the staff before the menu is served, the unique cultural codes of the city are easily captured through the experience. Gilgeori toast, or Korean street toast, is one of the main street food menus for commuters who want to grab a quick breakfas

Farmers' markets return to Seoul, connecting producers and consumers

For those unacquainted with Korean cuisine, kimchi can taste and smell a bit strong. But don’t let that first impression scare you off from the amazingly rich, versatile and savory world of kimchi, says Son Jong-won, executive chef of L’Amant Secret, a Michelin-star restaurant at L'Escape Hotel in Seoul. At a cooking demonstration on Tuesday with 20 foreign guests, the chef showcased how the fermented cabbage, which has a varying mix of pungent, sour and spicy tastes, can ta

To go forth and become a monk is not a trivial matter. Its purpose is neither to seek bodily comfort nor to be warmly clothed and fully fed, nor to seek honor and wealth. Rather, its purpose is to escape the cycle of birth and death, to sever one’s affections, to walk in the bright wisdom of the Buddha and to save sentient beings by showing them the way out of the threefold world. Baru gongyang, the monastic communal meal, is a Buddhist practice that promotes solemnity and pensiveness. Eac

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents ‘Autumn Holiday at JW’ package JW Marriott Hotel Seoul greets autumn with a promotion filled with autumn-themed gifts, presenting a seasonal staycation. Featuring a choice of Griffin Suite or Deluxe Room, the autumn package includes a facial serum, volumizing cream and softening lotion set by Cle de Peau Beaute, with a total value of 150,000 won. Mont Blanc desserts crafted by the JW Marriott Seoul pastry team are available for package guests to tak

No need to go to big-box store for tipple, specialty shops offer variety of beverages fit for solo drinking at home

Two popular on-the-go meals in South Korea, gimbap and tteokbokki, have been named on CNN’s list of the top 50 street foods in Asia. Gimbap, the seaweed-wrapped rice roll stuffed with vegetables, eggs and various meat sliced into bite-size discs of goodness, has long been Koreans' go-to soul food along with tteokbokki, a dish made of white rice cakes in a thick, fiery red sauce. Stressing gimbap’s portable size, the US news network said “not unlike Japan's makizushi (

The fall season is here, and so are family reunions as the Chuseok holiday approaches . Women of the house traditionally prepared food for the ancestral rites and later, the extended family sat down to a table overflowing with special dishes prepared for Chuseok, a time of thanksgiving. "Jeon" has been a constant staple among the ancestral offerings and later on the family dining table has had an assortment of jeon, typically slices of zucchini, fish and meat covered in a thin coat of