Following the globeal popularity of “Culinary Class Wars,” a cooking reality show from Netflix, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is holding a special event with Mosu chef Ahn Sung-jae, offering a chance to taste a fine dining meal for 40,000 won. The event will take place at Sevit Island by Banpo Hangang Park on Nov. 3. Under Ahn’s lead, contestants from the Netflix show -- Kang Seung-won (Triple Star), Bae Kyung-joon (One Two Three) --, as well as Oh Jong-il, the head chef fr

Whether you have it for lunch at your desk, in the car on your way to a meeting, or even save it for the end of the day, a Japanese lunch box, or bento, is a great mid-day meal option, especially for busy office workers. Bento is not only economical, it's a healthy and fun way to treat yourself to a variety of meats, vegetables and soups. Goaji — a Seoul restaurant whose name in Japanese is suggestive of deep flavors — specializes in grab-and-go bento lunch boxes, which are prep

More than 110,000 users attempted to book a table at the restaurant of the winner of Netflix’s hit reality cooking show, "Culinary Class Wars," temporarily crashing a reservation app on Thursday. Reservations for the Italian restaurant Via Toledo Pasta Bar, run by Chef Kwon Seong-jun, also known by his nickname "Napoli Mafia," opened on the restaurant booking app Catch Table at 10 a.m. on Thursday. As fans rushed to secure a table, the app became unresponsive and was do

Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel presents a new gastronomic journey Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel, located in Incheon’s Songdo-dong, welcomes autumn with the “Culinary Journey of Yue.” The promotion, held at the hotel’s fine dining restaurant Yue, offers various Chinese dishes made with seasonal ingredients such as abalone, natural pine mushrooms, oysters and more. The highlight of the upcoming promotion is steamed lobster covered with black bean sauce, according to the hotel.

Julien Perrinet, Hyatt’s executive pastry chef for the Asia Pacific region based at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, aims to offer a stunning gastronomic experience to those with a sweet tooth at an upcoming chefs’ collaboration between Park Hyatt Seoul and Park Hyatt Tokyo. The French-born Perrinet, 42, has honed his pastry skills across multiple countries -- France, Canada, Qatar, China, Singapore, India and more -- and did not hesitate to share some of his concerns before showcasing desserts

For many office workers, one worry will never go away until their final working day: What should I have for lunch? In a bustling Samseong-dong area in southeastern Seoul, there are various food alleys behind Samseong Station on Subway Line No. 2 and Bongeunsa Station on Subway Line No. 9. From Korean barbeque to Japanese restaurants with sushi counters and grab-and-go sandwich shops, the area boasts varied offerings. But when it comes to filling and healthy Korean meals, they are hard to find. A

The Georgia Wine Festival, showcasing exceptional wines from the country where the oldest evidence of winemaking was discovered, will take place on Sept. 24, according to Wine 21, the event organizer, Thursday. The festival, hosted by the Georgia National Wine Agency and sponsored by the Embassy of Georgia in Korea, will feature around 90 wines from 24 Georgian wineries. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore a selection of top-quality Georgian wines including made of Georgian grape vari

Going into the Chuseok holiday, many expect to gorge themselves on delicious and hearty food to celebrate the full moon before the autumn harvest. While food is an essential part of Korea's main traditional holidays, it is important to note that these savory dishes are often high in calories. In fact, most of these bite-sized delicacies contain more calories than a bowl of white rice. For those who are health-conscious, understanding the nutritional content of these beloved Chuseok foods co

This Chuseok, South Koreans are expected to make approximately 37 million trips across the country to visit family, pay respects to ancestors and celebrate the harvest festival. Long hours on congested expressways could be tiring, but rest stops that offer a variety of foods and entertainment could help fight the exhaustion. Here’s the list of some of the most popular dishes at different rest stops across the country. 1. Ginseng galbitang (ginseng beef short rib soup) Geumsan Insam Land

South of Seoul's Han River, Gangnam, is an on-trend area for drinks and bar bites. Chock full of fine dining restaurants and wine bars, it’s very hard to choose just one place from the list. Whether for catching up with a friend, a date with your loved one or even a cordial meal with your colleagues, dining bar Vuur in Gangnam-gu is a place where you can experience good food at the level of fine dining, in a creative atmosphere for more reasonable prices. Opened last year, Vuur is loc

Table tennis star and Paris Olympic double-bronze medalist Shin Yu-bin has become a favorite in the Korean food industry, landing major ad deals with top brands. The 20-year-old athlete brought home medals in mixed and women’s doubles, ending the country’s long medal drought in table tennis. Cameras caught her munching on snacks -- bananas, rice balls, and energy gels -- during breaks as the competition heated up. These endearing moments quickly went viral, adding to her charm alongs

Just as if you had walked into a local bakery somewhere in rural America, “What A Bread” (WAB), a newly opened bakery in a bustling food alley next to Yongsan Station, is where you can enjoy a creative variety of baked goods. The last few years have seen Korean bakeries grow more creative than ever, with genre-bending techniques and innovative flavor combinations. WAB, which perfectly fits into the category of bakeries that offer good pastries, has the freshest and the most filling

Amid record hot summer weather and soaring consumer prices, more Koreans are choosing to enjoy samgyetang, or chicken soup with ginseng, at home using convenient home meal replacements (HMRs). According to the Korea Consumer Agency, the average price of samgyetang at Seoul restaurants has risen to 16,885 won ($12.32) this year, a 2.8 percent increase from last year’s 16,423 won. In 2015, the dish cost 13,591 won, and through 2022, it remained around 14,000 won. However, following the e

Hidden in a back alley of Namyeong-dong in Seoul's Yongsan-gu or near subway line No. 4 Sookmyung Women’s University station, Nampark truly stands out from other restaurants down the road – a street filled with trendy restaurants that open and also close down without fanfare. Nampark, which takes its name from the family names of married head chefs Nam Joon-young and Park Ji-eun, sells Vietnamese pho and other Vietnamese food that locals enjoy during the day, something light and

A recent survey reveals that 7 out of 10 South Koreans have opted for sugar-free or non-alcoholic beverages while drinking. According to a Lotte Members survey on alcohol consumption trends, 71.6 percent of 2,000 adults surveyed nationwide reported having tried sugar-free soju. The primary reasons cited were “lower calories” (40.4 percent) and “healthier perception” (25.9 percent). Additionally, 76.4 percent of respondents had experience drinking non-alcoholic beer. The

Cucumbers are having a moment in Korea. As one of the most representative vegetables of summer here, cucumbers usually star in summer dishes like cold noodles and soups as a garnish. But this season, they're more than just supporting players — cucumbers have taken center stage. On social media, cucumber gimbap is all the rage, thanks to TV celebrity Choi Hwa-jung. On her YouTube channel, Choi, 63, introduced the dish as an “easy to make, yet surprisingly delicious” dish

Nudake, an artisanal coffee and dessert shop in bustling Garosugil in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is more than a bakery. As you step into the museum-like cafe by the eyewear brand Gentle Monster, you will notice the very distinct concept of Nudake Sinsa, with a massive croissant statue and croissant-shaped door handles not to mention the buttery aroma of the flaky delicacy. Next to the giant pastry sculpture are the edible pastries on display. Nudake’s Sinsa-dong outlet, the third of its kind, is b

Westin Josun Seoul presents summer Champagne promotion The Westin Josun Seoul in Jung-gu, central Seoul, offers two Champagne promotions to celebrate the summer season. The Ninth Gate presents two bottles of Champagne with truffle fries for four guests. The restaurant offers Moet & Chandon Imperial and a bottle of the guests’ choosing among Taittinger Reserve Brut, Champagne Drappier Carte D’Or Brut and Louis Roederer Collection 243. The weekday dinner promotion is priced at 250,

“Kaiseki” dinner, referring to a style of traditional Japanese cuisine that comes with a series of intricate, small dishes, is a perfect way to get immersed in the savory and exquisite flavors of Japanese dishes. Chef Nobuhiro Yoshida, a veteran chef or a chef de cuisine at Japanese restaurant Kozue located on the 40th floor of Park Hyatt Tokyo, is in Seoul this week for a Park Hyatt Seoul’s guest chef promotion event – Tokyo Night in Seoul. Yoshida, with 30 years of expe

While most burger joints in Seoul pride themselves on high-quality beef patties and homemade buns, Le Freak takes a different approach as an unprecedented gourmet burger. Le Freak, which opened its first branch in Seongsu in 2019, specializes in chicken burgers. Its signature Nashville Hot Chicken Burger is a simple chicken burger filled with red cabbage coleslaw and a crispy hot-fried chicken thigh sprinkled with spicy powder -- you can choose from three different levels of spiciness. But Le Fr