One bite of Plant’s moist, fragrant pumpkin salted caramel cake is not nearly enough. Despite its double-decker heft, a slice of the new vegan-vegetarian spot’s cinnamon and nutmeg-spiced cake disappears in an instant, leaving behind a small trail of crumbs that beg to be licked off the plate as well. Rich ivory icing, caramel drizzle and soft, sweet crumb come together for a great dessert that is 100 percent vegan, according to Plant co-owner Mipa Lee. Along with pumpkin and soy milk, Lee, 29,

FoodOct. 25, 2013

This spicy noodle soup, “jambbong,” is one of the most popular Korean-Chinese dishes alongside “jjajangmyeon” (noodles in a black bean sauce). Adapted for Korean tastes by early Chinese immigrants in Korea, Korean-Chinese cuisine (although called Chinese by Koreans) is a huge part of Korean food culture. You will find it surprisingly easy to make this popular bowl of noodle soup at home with easy-to-find ingredients. Restaurants usually use hand-pulled noodles, but for home cooking you can use r

FoodOct. 25, 2013

Art house film director Jeon Kyu-hwan’s drama “The Weight” is finally hitting local theaters next month, a year after the movie won the Queer Lion prize at last year’s Venice International Film Festival.The film, which is Jeon’s fifth feature-length film, tells the story of a hunchback mortician and his transgender sister. It is the first Korean movie to win the prize at Venice, which is given to the best film with LGBT themes.Actor Cho Jae-hyun, who plays the mortician, won the best actor prize

FilmOct. 25, 2013

K-pop giant G-Dragon won the grand prize at the 6th 2013 Style Icon Awards in Seoul on Thursday.Known for his charismatic performances and songwriting, the leader of boy band “Big Bang” has been among the so-called best dressers in the pop scene for years. He recently bleached his hair platinum for his music video for “Coup D’etat,” which topped music charts at home and abroad. The singer was named the “Style Icon of the Year” at the awards ceremony held in Sangam-dong and broadcasted in 11 coun

Oct. 25, 2013

Kim Jang-hoon, a pop singer well known for promoting Korea overseas, has launched a campaign to create a 10 billion won ($941,000) Dokdo fund online.The launch also marks the Oct. 25 Dokdo Day.According to his agency Concert World, Kim kicked off the drive to collect donations from internet users through Daum, a local internet portal, and GoodbuySelly, a website run by singer-turned-businessman Kim Tae-wook.“I set the target amount at 10 billion won as an expression of strong will,” Kim said. “N

PeopleOct. 25, 2013

Singer Hwanhee, a member of Fly to the Sky, was discharged from his two-year military service Friday.“I came back to you after a long break. Thank you very much for greeting me,” the 31-year-old said to his fans who gathered at the Seongdong district office where he fulfilled his military duty. “I will try to sing good songs.”He debuted as a member of the duo in 1999 and released his first solo album in 2009.(swchun@heraldcorp.com)

PeopleOct. 25, 2013

Kimjang, the traditional practice of making kimchi before winter, may soon be included on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, government officials announced on Wednesday. Representatives of Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration submitted the recommendation for kimjang, categorized under the title “Kimjang; Making and Sharing Kimchi,” to be added to the UNESCO list. Kimjang refers to the process of preparing large vats of the spicy, fermented cabbage with a large gathering

CultureOct. 24, 2013

A festival aimed to promote the cultural diversity of 10 Southeast Asian countries is to be held in Konkuk University’s Millennium Hall in Seoul on Saturday.Hosted by the ASEAN-Korea Center, the fifth “Bravo! ASEAN in Korea” will feature traditional and modern music performances by those from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Out of 42 teams that vied for spots in preliminary sessions held in Hongdae in Seoul and Ansan in Gyeonggi Province, 10 teams were selected to

PeopleOct. 24, 2013

A Korean sculptor who made “The Greeting Man” in Montevideo, Uruguay has reproduced the art work in a village located in Yanggu, Gangwon Province.Yoo Young-ho, 48, will unveil a copy of the six-meter sculpture in front of the Yanggu Unification Hall near the Demilitarized Zone on Saturday, the office of Haeanmyeon in Yanggu said.He installed “The Greeting Man” on Oct. 25, 2012 in the capital of Urugugay. He donated it to the Latin American country as part of his project to link cultures and peop

PeopleOct. 24, 2013

LONDON (AFP) ― Britain’s baby Prince George was christened in a private ceremony on Wednesday, with his proud parents Prince William and Catherine giving the world a rare glimpse of the chubby three-month-old boy.Wearing a frilly cream lace gown, the third in line to the throne was carried into the Chapel Royal of St James’s palace by his father, his mother Kate close by, elegant in a cream Alexander McQueen outfit.Queen Elizabeth II and the couple’s parents and siblings, including William’s you

PeopleOct. 24, 2013

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg set a new record for corporate compensation in 2012 with a package worth more than $2.278 billion, according to a survey by a corporate governance firm.The report by GMI Ratings showed Zuckerberg’s salary of $503,000 and bonus of $266,000 were eclipsed by stock options worth some $2.27 billion.This was the first year the survey found any chief executive collected more than $1 billion, according to the GMI report released Tuesday.One other CEO’s c

PeopleOct. 24, 2013

The world’s largest congress of Christian churches will be held in Busan on Oct. 30 under the theme “Pilgrimage to Busan: An Ecumenical Journey into World Christianity.“More than 5,000 participants including 800 Christian delegates, several leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox churches and Islam will explore Christian unity, justice and peace at the World Council of Churches 10th Assembly. “It is an Olympics for Christians,” a member of the organizing committee said. Among the 2,800 fo

CultureOct. 24, 2013

THE HAGUE (AFP) ― A Facebook petition supporting a Dutch Christmas character called “Black Pete” on Wednesday hit a million ‘likes,’ revealing the liberal nation’s attachment to a beloved figure the U.N. has warned may be racist. Anger over the issue has swept the Netherlands after a U.N. human rights body said it was assessing whether “Zwarte Piet,” who accompanies Saint Nicholas during a traditional children’s festival before Christmas, is racist.The character, who arrives on a gift-filled boa

CultureOct. 24, 2013

Actress Ha Ji-won is famed for portraying strong, independent heroines that run the gauntlet from modern-day boxer to national ping pong athlete to Joseon-period detective. Her latest role is no exception. After winning audiences over as an ass-kicking stuntwoman in the hit TV series “Secret Garden,” Ha is returning as a history-making, ruler-to-be in MBC’s “The Empress Ki.” “I really like historical romances,” Ha, 35, said at the drama’s press conference in Seoul on Thursday. “When I starred in

TelevisionOct. 24, 2013

Singer-songwriter Lee Juck is set to hold a December concert commemorating the release of his fifth studio album, which will hit stores some time in November. Lee’s agency announced the concert details on interpark.com, stating the concert would be held on Dec. 6 and 7 at Kyung Hee University’s Grand Auditorium in Hoegi-dong, Seoul. “This concert will be a mixture of a visual spectacle and dynamic music fit for the large-scale venue. We want to provide an extreme musical experience for listeners

PerformanceOct. 24, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Ex-Beatle Ringo Starr joked Wednesday that he would welcome playing with former bandmate Paul McCartney again, but only if the group was called “Ringo’s.”The veteran drummer made the quip after singing a few hits including “With a Little Help from my Friends,” as he promoted an upcoming South America tour with his All Starr band of ageing rock stars.Starr was joined on stage by Todd Rundgren and Santana keyboard player Gregg Rolie among others to play selection of songs also

PerformanceOct. 24, 2013

It’s been 17 years since “Bridget Jones’s Diary” first hit the scene, turning freelance journalist Helen Fielding into a best-selling author and screenwriter. Her latest installment, “Mad About the Boy,” follows Bridget, now 51, as she copes with the loss of her beloved Mark Darcy while trying to raise their children. We talked with Fielding over the phone about how it feels to bring Bridget back into the public eye (while taking lots of heat from those Colin Firth fans!).The following is an edi

BooksOct. 24, 2013