After learning how to make bread in Germany, owner-chef Lee Ho-kyoung opened a small bakery, christening it Backerin, in Seoul’s Samseong-dong in July 2020. From her small perch, she sold her take on German bread -- several varieties of pretzels and brotchen -- and sweets like her moist mini lemon gugelhupfs. Even before Lee opened Backerin, she was fond of bread. “While living in Korea I already loved bread so much I baked bread at home on occasion,” Lee, 30, revealed in

Food Nov. 13, 2021

Dope Pizza Bakers head baker and CEO Shin Jae-uk and his team take a maximalist approach to their New York-style pies. “Our basic philosophy is to top our pies with pepperoni so there are no empty spots left,” Shin, 34, said in explaining how Dope’s Pepperoni Planet is made in an email interview. Every inch of that glorious pie with its chewy thin crust, punchy red sauce and gooey mozzarella is covered with crispy, unctuous rounds of pepperoni. “There are customers w

Food Oct. 30, 2021

A newcomer to the burgeoning bakery scene, Levain Rules has quietly carved out a substantial niche for itself with a mouthwatering selection of sourdough and sandwiches. Six months have passed since the bakery opened in Seoul’s Samseong-dong and not only has the bakery expanded to a second location in Shinsegae Gangnam, but the baked goods are so popular that it can be difficult to get one’s sandwich of choice after 2 p.m.    “We make a limited number of sandwiches

Food Oct. 16, 2021

After amassing 14 years of coffee roasting expertise in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Ilsan Coffee Factory’s head roaster and CEO Jung Kang-jin launched a showroom called Standard System in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong this past August.  Until then, Ilsan Coffee Factory’s roasts were only available wholesale or online. “We received a lot of requests from our regulars to open a showroom for a very long time,” Standard System brand manager Lee Ji-hye, 33, explained in a

Food Sept. 25, 2021

When husband-and-wife team -- Francesco Mannino and Kim Soo-joo -- opened Punto Dolce in eastern Seoul’s hip Seongsu-dong last December, the concept was clear -- to fuse owner-chef Mannino’s extensive experience as a pastry chef with his Italian roots. “Our idea is to create a point where people can come to enjoy Italian modern desserts,” Mannino, 46, explained why he and his wife christened their store “punto” which means “point” in Italian in a

Food Sept. 4, 2021

Perilla oil or “deulgireum” is a staple of many kitchens in Korea. The traditional oil adds a layer of nutty, aromatic warmth to bibimbap and namul, Korean vegetable dishes, and is known for its high content of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, which help support a healthy immune system. For schoolteacher-turned-CEO Chung Jung-eun, it was the health benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids present in perilla seeds that played a huge role in her decision to harvest perilla and p

Food Aug. 21, 2021

At Artisan Croissant Bukchon, a small bakery located in Seoul’s Gye-dong, one will find various riffs off the popular buttery pastry, including the shop’s scrumptious laugencroissants and classic plain croissants. The bakery, which opened in 2017, is a sister shop to the prominent Artisan Bakers, which opened in Hannam-dong in 2012 and currently has four locations throughout Korea. Unlike Artisan Bakers, which specializes in everything from sourdough to pastries, Artisan Croissant

Food July 31, 2021

There are plenty of burgers to be had in Seoul. Burger fiends can take their pick from global heavyweights like Shake Shack or homegrown classics like Brooklyn the Burger Joint. There are also newcomers, like Pound, an American-style joint that opened in Seoul’s Sinsa-dong near Garosugil this May. At Pound, one will find owner-chef Eom Yoo-sang’s tasty, no-frills take on the perennially popular hamburger. “I like to be able to taste the patty,” said Eom, 32, in an

Food July 17, 2021

Served up in a white carton box, the chow mein at Woktionary -- GFFG’s latest enterprise -- with its slick, glossy noodles punctuated by shards of tender pork and nutty sesame seeds, is, for those who miss and enjoy American Chinese cuisine, nostalgically addictive. “We start off by practically frying the pork in hot oil before tossing in the veggies and noodles,” Woktionary head chef Kim Han-su, 32, said in an email interview. Woktionary is the latest brainchild of GFFG --

Food June 26, 2021

Brewed from locally sourced rice and water in Brooklyn, New York, Hana Makgeolli’s “takju” -- an unfiltered Korean rice libation -- sold out five times after launching some nine months ago, according to brewer and founder Alice Jun. Jun, 28, admits to being surprised by the positive response -- the kind of sales she expected to see two to three years into business, not in less than a year. To meet demand and give everyone a fair chance at tasting their takju, Jun and managi

Food June 12, 2021

It was Gelateria Dodo owner Shin Ye-ha’s penchant for the Italian dessert that prompted her to open her own gelato spot. “I have always liked gelato and there was this gelateria I frequented,” Shin, 30, explained in an email interview. “One day the owner told me the shop would be closing.” After hearing she would no longer be able to get her regular gelato fix, Shin decided to learn how to make it herself and tapped the owner of her favorite gelateria for knowle

Food May 29, 2021

When owner-chef Yoon Areum quietly opened her gem of a restaurant in southern Seoul’s Sinsa-dong this February, she was determined to take a hands-on approach with the menu. Everything from the pasta to the bread to the bacon served at Bistro Anthro is made from scratch. While one might find such an undertaking to be ambitious, Yoon and the crew seem to have mastered it all. Their take on pan de cristal, a high-hydration bread hailing from Catalonia, is airy with a textured crumb and

Food May 15, 2021

Chocolate crafter Yoon Hyung-won summed up Cacaodada’s approach to craft chocolate when he said, “While the term ‘bean-to-bar’ has long been used in the industry, one could say the term ‘bean-to-chocolate’ is actually easier to understand.” This is certainly true for Cacaodada, which from its inception in 2016 not only makes chocolate bars from scratch but also brownies, cakes, drinking chocolate and more recently, chocolate jam.  Chocolate craft

Food April 24, 2021

When spring arrives in Korea, it’s the perfect time to make fragrant soups and rice cakes with young Artemisia princeps also known as mugwort or “ssuk” in Korean. For Bittelock Agricultural Corporation CEO Choi Yoon-hee, however, early spring holds greater significance for a different species of mugwort called “gaeddong-ssuk.” Also known as sweet wormwood, or Artemisia annua, gaeddong-ssuk has a long history that dates back over 300 years as a medicinal herb in

Food April 10, 2021

At Esto, a wine bar which opened in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, in October, owner-chef Park Joon-beom tinkers with fragrant lavender and smoky romesco to create flavorful, eclectic eats. “Instead of sticking to a single cuisine, I like to take inspiration from a diverse range of cuisines,” Park, 32, said in an email interview. Park, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America and racked up experience at Spanish and French restaurants, draws from his experiences to take classics and r

Food March 20, 2021