Category: Shameless Self Promotion

  • The 'Hansik Samchongsa' in the Weekly Chosun

    The 'Hansik Samchongsa' in the Weekly Chosun

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    The Weekly Chosun (주간조선) has published a really good article by Shin Hye-gi about the Hansik “Samchongsa” (“삼총사”), or the Korean Food “Trinity” of food bloggers–that being Seoul Eats, Fatman Seoul, and ZenKimchi.

    I’m a slow reader in Korean, but Eun Jeong was wowed by the article, reading it three times. She said it was bold and included a lot of criticisms from us on what’s been going on with the Korean food globalization campaign. She laughed while reading it in the taxi. I glanced at her.

    “What?”

    It looks like Ms. Shin printed my comment that only Steve Jobs can dictate to the public what they want. It’s also Alkongi’s first mention in the media. I’ve also never noticed before how even the color schemes of our sites complement each other.

    If you want to get a copy, here’s what the cover looks like. The article should be online next week on their site.

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  • 10 Magazine: Big Food Issue for April

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    This past month was a good bit of work for 10 Magazine. Late February, I was getting ready to go to Daegu on assignment for the publication when the editors called me.

    “We’re thinking of doing a brunch cover story. Can you do it?”

    Stephen Revere is a religious Sunday bruncher. I knew that. I like brunch spots, too, but I haven’t been thoroughly checking them out. So I was wondering how I could possibly hit a bunch of brunches in less than a two week period and write up a big cover story. I was about to pass when I asked, “Can I get some help?”

    “Sure.”

    I contacted Paul Matthews (Paul Ajosshi) and Brian Dye (Kiss My Kimchi). They are both great food writers, and their style of writing fit closer to what I had in mind–not pretentious and too judgmental with a dash of dry wit. I read a lot of food reviews, and I find the most boring ones are the ones that would say, “Well, the toast had a firm crumb, but the eggs were sub par and not refined enough to match the orange grove and subtle cat sweat tones of the applewood smoked bacon.”

    I like reading about food, not someone’s personal finicky hyper-judgementalism mistaken for criticism. The purpose of a review is to help you find your match, and I’d like to think we accomplished it. I also thought, in keeping with the theme of the magazine, that we should to a top 10 list.

    We, along with Stephen, went through a lot of brunch restaurants when making our list. We had to come up with stricter criteria to help us whittle it down.

    Hotels will have their own separate page. (Strike the hotels)

    They have to have more than a couple of breakfast options. (Strike some of the pubs)

    Bakeries are out.

    With spring coming, the two criteria we worked on besides the food were the coffee (taste and value) and outdoor seating. The night I returned from Daegu (and writing other articles for the magazine on the bus trip–thank you, new laptop) we all got in on a multi-hour conference call with our combined lists and decided who would take over what writing and photography duties. We wrote about the places that we knew the best and returned to the ones that we were unsure of, keeping track of everything on a shared Google Doc.

    The piece started fleshing out and taking shape. I had already written the bookends in my hotel room in Daegu. The stuff Paul and Brian were turning in was great, along with Stephen’s input. I pulled together all the writings and notes and just wrote the whole article from those, and I think we came up with something entertaining and informative.

    So we’re pretty proud of this issue. At least, I am. It was fun collaborating with Brian and Paul. And now I hear that Paul has become the new film writer for the magazine.

    Get a copy of this month’s issue. It’s in a lot of restaurants and pubs, as well in the guest rooms of the major hotels. There’s also the subscription option. I also have some articles in there about Chef Nick Flynn of the Intercontinental, a review of Ho Lee Chow, and a short “food find” of the Dragon Hill Lodge.

  • TEDx Seoul Salon Pictures

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    The video isn’t up yet, but if you’re interested in checking out some pictures of the TEDx Seoul Salon on food, they’re posted on Flickr. Click here to see the whole set.

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    It’s very exciting to have a franchise of TED in Seoul, and they’re planning more events, big and small. The food event was exhilarating and fun was had by all. If you’re in the area, see if you can come to the other events.

  • Audio: Korean Food Survival

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    Here’s a recording of my hour-long talk on basic kitchen survival skills and how to cook foreign food in Korea when there’s only Korean food around.

    Give it a listen or subscribe through iTunes.

  • TEDx Seoul and KOTESOL Talks

    The two presentations turned out well. The TED event was full of energy–passionate intelligent people. It also helped the mood that there was a little rock festival playing right outside the building. Speakers talked about food from a Korean poet, food and art, the need to diversify Korean alcohols (including beers), and a great story of makgeolli’s fight for respect in noveau riche Korea. Jennifer Flinn of Fatman Seoul, whose site I’m happy to announce is back in business, talked about the anthropology of Korean food blogging compared to western food blogging. As with hers, my piece was one of those rapid-fire three-minute talks. The topic was “10 Tips to Globalize Korean Food (from an American Perspective).”

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    I could tell places where I screwed up, but I feel much better about it now. I heard that Roh Tae-woo’s daughter was in attendance. Afterward we had some good fresh oysters on the half shell, freshly made sushi from a master behind the counter, and a variety of artisinal makgeollis. Oh, there was also some North Korean Taedonggang beer on hand for tasting. I also got to meet some great interesting people. It was one of those moments when I felt that those petty little differences we expats tend to inflate on Koreans and they do to us just didn’t exist. We all laughed at and gasped at the same things.

    They’re going to translate all the speeches and post them online. I’ll tell you when they’re available.

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    The KOTESOL presentation surprised me because it turned into a conversation more than a lecture. It started when I was showing places to get ethnic ingredients when people raised their hands and shared their tips on where to get stuff. If you were at the conference, please share those tips again here in the comment section.

    I was really wondering if participants would actually find the information useful or if it was already old hat. Turned out it was not too bad. I should really rework it and make a YouTube video if people think that it would be helpful. Stafford and the organizers took videos of the talk, so those may get online soon in some form or another.

    In the meantime, I’ve made a PDF of the Powerpoint slides, and I’m making the recipe handout sheet available. Just click on the following links to download.

    Korean Food Survival Slideshow (PDF)

    Recipes (Word)

  • Vote Early. Vote Frequently.

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    10 Magazine is holding a poll on which is the best English blog in Korea.

    Just some info. vote zenkimchi Not making a call to action or anything.

  • Foodies in the JoongAng Daily

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    The JoongAng Daily has a piece on food bloggers, particularly Chalica Park of Vegetarian in Korea, Daniel Gray of Seoul Eats and there I am with the lovely Danielle Buckley of Wonju Wife (and Zenkimchi).

    Foreign foodies flock to the Web

  • Joe on KBS World

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    Seoul Scene with Matt Kelley

    Seoul Scene with Matt Kelley was gracious enough to ask me on as a guest to talk about Seollal and about the Food Journal. Click on the link below to go to the page and then click on the tiny orange TV icon to watch the streaming video. In fact, you can invent your own drinking game on how many times I clear my throat and push up my glasses. Actually, I knew there were video cameras in the room, but there was no monitor, so I was in “radio mode” and oblivious to the idea that I should look more composed on camera and get my hand out of my face.

    Seoul Scene with Matt Kelley

    See if you can catch a glimpse of Dan Gray in the opening, minus Buddhist crotch.

  • Latest in the Korea Herald: "2009 a year of food hits, misses"

    Latest in the Korea Herald: "2009 a year of food hits, misses"

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    I wrote a piece reviewing the year in Korean food for the Herald.  Here’s the intro:

    This was the year that Korean food was going to make its debutante debut. Restaurant industry seers Baum & Whiteman predicted Korean food would hit it big in 2009. It did make some headway, but not in the way the public and private Korean food promoters on the peninsula predicted.

    Despite wasting money in changing the names of traditional snack foods, full-page ads in American newspapers and promoting the expensive, pretentious side of Korean food in the middle of a worldwide recession, these efforts created more wrinkled eyebrows than wows. Korean food did pick up in popularity with street food galbi tacos, good ol’ barbecue and the humble makgeolli. The words “topokki” and “Ricetard” joined “well-being” as Korea’s most cringe-inducing culinary vocabulary disasters.

    Ethnic restaurants multiplied while Korean cuisine modernized. The roti bun trend faded as cupcake cafes increased. Brunch was still the price gouge of choice. Thanks to Omer Yilmaz, Turkish kebabs spread from Itaewon to Jongno to suburban department stores. The boneless samgyetang entered the repertoire of fine dining through the efforts of chefs

    Edward Kwon, Ciaran Hickey and Sungsoo “Eddie” Ahn. Chef Kwon put on his Gordon Ramsey toque to judge the Korean reality TV chef competition “Yes Chef” while local expat favorite “Star Chef” Kim Hu-nam made appearances on Korean and American televisions.

    The H1N1 flu panic brought more sanitation practices to the food industry — even though temporarily — such as hand sanitizers for customers and layers of plastic over baked goods. The flu scare didn’t prevent first lady Kim Yoon-Ok from cooking pajeon for Korean War veterans in New York. It didn’t scare the professional gagmen of “Infinite Challenge” from promoting bibimbap in The New York Times with a great picture that unfortunately associated the dish with funerals through more awkward English.

    Industry gurus still predict the ongoing popularization of Korean food through 2010, though it’s showing signs of fading on the American west coast. Expect to see international chefs playing with new forms of kimchi. Korean tacos will appear on chain restaurant menus. Gochujang will be the cool new condiment while Korean fried chicken hits middle America.

    On Korean shores, cupcakes will become more fashionable, possibly inspiring an increase in home baking. Watch for these keywords in the coming year: Indian, gorgonzola, kebabs, Uzbek, macarons, ceviche, cocktails, culinary tourism, burgers, pastrami and tacos.

    For the Top Ten Korean Food Events of 2009, click here.

    What were the big Korean food events in your opinion?

  • ZK in the JoongAng Daily with Christmas Tips

    ZK in the JoongAng Daily with Christmas Tips

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    Check out today’s JoongAng Daily for a piece I wrote about surviving Christmas in Korea as an expat–especially for those of you who don’t want to shell out $100 for steam table turkey.

    Beat the buffet rush and cook at home with friends (JoongAng Daily)