[Temple to Table] Seasonal food from the earth: Dongchimi

Declaring that temple food is not just cooking, Ven. Gyeho says, “Cooking describes the process of transforming food from nature to culture, and diverse techniques are applied to make it more beautiful and tasteful. On the other hand, nature is alive in mountain temple food. The food monastics eat daily becomes their medicine. Our body is part of nature, so we should eat seasonal food from the earth in accordance with the season.” For example, in spring when new buds sprout, one shou

Dec. 24, 2022

Best Restaurants in Hongdae, Seoul

This information is provided by CATCH TABLE. -- Ed. 1. Side Note Club, Ryse Hotel Side Note Club is a rooftop lounge where guests can enjoy trendy cocktails and live performances. The atmosphere is chic and modern, and the view from the rooftop is breathtaking. The lounge's menu features a range of unique and delicious cocktails, as well as a selection of small plates and snacks. Guests can also enjoy live DJing and concerts by local artists. Reservations can be made for Side Note Club, Rys

Dec. 22, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul offers festive menu for Christmas Flavors, the luxury buffet dining destination at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, greets the Christmas and New Year season with a special festive menu. The buffet features diverse dishes from Korea, China, Japan, India and around the world, as well a selection of traditional Christmas cakes and desserts. Seven live buffet stations serve piping hot oven-roast turkey, a variety of grilled lobster, crab and meat dishes cooked to order, and seafood d

Dec. 16, 2022

Best Restaurants in Gangnam, Seoul

This information is provided by CATCH TABLE. -- Ed. 1. Restaurant Allen Welcome to Restaurant Allen! It is a French fine dining restaurant with great wine pairings. Meal courses consist of dishes that are well-balanced overall and delicately designed platings. Lettering services with desserts are available if you visit on anniversaries. Reservations can be made for Restaurant Allen via CATCH TABLE. 2. PERIGEE One of the best pasta places in Seoul. All dishes are made with sincerity that ma

Dec. 15, 2022

Bowl of hot beef soup to warm your day

While Koreans enjoy many different types of soup at each meal, seolleongtang, a hearty bone broth soup, easily tops the list during the winter months. Seolleongtang is made by simmering ox bones, specifically leg bones, with brisket and other cuts of beef for hours. The density of the smooth, milky soup depends on the quantity and types of the beef cuts that go into the broth making. Those who love this hearty Korean beef soup cannot help but wonder, “What is the difference between seolleo

Dec. 10, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul Launches ‘Joyful Winter Memory at JW’ package JW Marriott Hotel Seoul's new winter package features one night in a JW Marriott guest room offering panoramic views of the Han River and downtown Seoul through floor-to-ceiling windows and a selection of exclusive gifts, from wines to new year diaries, diffusers and more. Package guests also receive one bottle of choice between two varieties of special wine produced in collaboration with Roc de Saint Jean (es

Dec. 10, 2022

[Temple to Table] Temple food staple: Siraegi bokkeum

“Food is important for life! Physical health should be maintained by food first and then by medicine. That’s why we need to prepare food with great sincerity because it gives us life. What are the three components of temple food?” To this question from the Ven. Gyeho, all present became immersed in thought. “They are purity, pliability and accord with the Dharma. Of these three, the foremost is purity. The cook must have a pure mind without the three poisons of greed, hat

Dec. 10, 2022

Best Dining Bars in Seoul 2022

This information is provided by CATCH TABLE. -- Ed.   1. Opnng Opnng is a 2023 Michelin Guide Seoul wine bar that provides a good atmosphere for wine lovers who visit. This stylish wine bar attracts customers with its fancy mood and numerous wine lists. Please call us directly for reservations of more than five parties. Reservations can be made for Opnng via CATCH TABLE.     2. Found Local Found Local is a cafe and wine bar that offers Korean food-based dishes and natural wines. P

Dec. 8, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents Sweet Memories Afternoon Tea Set The Lounge at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul celebrates the arrival of seasonal winter strawberries with the Sweet Memories Afternoon Tea Set, available from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. This season’s tea set features a variety of unique JW Marriott Hotel Seoul desserts crafted by the hotel’s pastry team from strawberries, plus a selection of savory items. Served on a two-tier silver tray by Greggio, the tea set features five strawberr

Dec. 3, 2022

Best Italian Restaurants of 2022

This information is provided by CATCH TABLE. -- Ed. 1. Jae(在) Restaurant Jae(在) is famous for its Tajarin menu served by an Italian bistro specialist chef Lee Jae-hoon. Bolongnese lasagne and tenderloin steak are must-order menus. Please note that the restaurant only offers course menus on Saturdays and holidays. Reservations can be made for Jae(在) via CATCH TABLE 2. Osteria Orzo Osteria Orzo offers a variety of Italian cuisine, starting from pastas and risottos to beef dishes. The white r

Dec. 1, 2022

Scottish whisky Balvenie, Korean artisans collaborate to create art

The Balvenie, a single malt Scotch whisky, has collaborated with Korean artisans for the exhibition “The Balvenie Makers Exhibition," highlighting one thing they have in common -- the unrelenting pursuit of the highest craftsmanship when creating their products. Hwigyeomjae in Bukchon, Seoul, built as a hanok, is decorated with barley, provoking curiosity from visitors about barley's relation to the whisky brand. Founded in 1892, Balvenie still grows its own barley for malting an

Nov. 26, 2022

[Temple to Table] Cold remedy: Black trumpet mushroom

Stories of temple food ingredients told by monastics embody the culture of temples. Their communal lifestyle necessitates handling food in bulk like restaurants, but, unlike restaurants, temples depend a lot on preserving food. In spring and fall they prepare ingredients in bulk and store them to use when needed. In spring, a temple may order 300 kilograms of shiitake mushrooms, dry and store them, and use them for up to a year. Spring is the best time to prepare dried shiitake mushrooms because

Nov. 26, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Andaz Seoul Gangnam launches Meat & Co. Steakhouse Andaz Seoul Gangnam’s restaurant Jogakbo has newly opened Meat & Co. Steakhouse, an American-style steakhouse serving high-quality Korean beef and American steak. The signature menu items include Korean beef fillet tenderloin, grilled and flavored with hardwood charcoal at a high temperature of over 400 degrees Celsius; 28-day dry-aged Korean beef bone-in rib eye; shrimp cocktail with avocado; and caramelized onion soup with cheese

Nov. 25, 2022

The Best Sushi Restaurants in Seoul 2022

This information is provided by CATCH TABLE. -- Ed.   1. Sushi Ren A high-end omakase restaurant with a private room to enjoy a peaceful meal with special people. It only serves the best quality of sushi that continuously attracts and satisfies its core customers. Experience the famous sushi omakase served along with the premium services by the best chefs in Seoul. Reservations can be made for Sushi Ren via CATCH TABLE     2. Sushi Kurumi A luxurious and high-end sushi omakase res

Nov. 24, 2022

Irresistible winter snacks return

As winter arrives with a chill in the air and longer nights, you can see long lines of people hoping to grab a warm bite at street vendors that come out in force in wintertime. Unfortunately, spotting street vendors for winter snacks has become more of a challenge as a result of high inflation, the prolonging pandemic and bigger businesses such as coffee franchises and home meal kit producers having begun to offer winter snacks. However, many people still find hot snacks fresh off the street ven

Nov. 19, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents early bird Christmas promotion The Atrium Lounge at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul offers 10 percent savings for customers who book Christmas cakes in advance through Nov. 30. This year’s selection features two cake creations: Santa Cakes crafted from chocolate mousse filled with mixed berry cream, with feuilletine added for crunchy texture; and Opera Log Cakes, crafted in the shape of a log with dark chocolate ganache, soft pastry cream and coffee aromas. Adv

Nov. 18, 2022

Best Korean Restaurants in Seoul 2022

This information is provided by CATCH TABLE. -- Ed. 1. Solbam One of the best contemporary fine dining restaurants we can proudly recommend. The course is made up of dishes based on Korean food. Enjoy the wonderful taste and the creative plating throughout the whole meal. Reservations can be made for Solbam via CATCH TABLE 2. I'm So Seoul A luxury restaurant that serves Korean beef dishes. There is a private room for customers who would like to have a quiet meal with their parties. Core

Nov. 17, 2022

One whole fried chicken has more than a day's worth of calories

One whole Korean-style fried chicken contains far more calories than the daily intake recommended by the World Health Organization, industry data showed Tuesday. According to a survey of 24 products from the top 10 fried chicken franchises in Korea conducted by the Korea Consumer Agency, the calorie content of one whole fried chicken ranged from 1,554 to 3,103 kilocalories. The daily recommended calorie intake is 2,000 kcals for adult women and 2,500 kcals for men. The chicken with the highest c

Nov. 15, 2022

[Herald Interview]Gigas owner- chef Jung values time spent on farms

At 10:30 a.m., the chefs at Gigas, a Mediterranean restaurant located in an alley within Apgujeong, Seoul, are already busy slicing and chopping ingredients, getting ready to receive dinner guests. Enter the rustic-looking, two-story building with a blue canopy with the words "Modern Mediterranean" on it, and you are immediately hit with a complex mix of vegetable scenes punctuated by a sharp citrus note. Gigas, which opened in early 2021, received a Michelin Green Star in October, b

Nov. 12, 2022

[Temple to Table] Recovering health through food: Water kimchi and jeon

Having entered the monastic community in 1980 at Sinheungsa Temple in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, under the tutelage of Venerable Seongil, Ven. Seonjae showed remarkable talent in preparing temple food early on, thanks to her “magic hands” inherited from her grandmother. Ven. Seonjae’s health declined for a while due to hepatic cirrhosis, but she was healed through food. After this personal experience which confirmed for her the medicinal quality of temple food, she took actio

Nov. 12, 2022