Food Crime: VIPS’ British Promotion
VIPS (pronounced, um, vips) is Korea's version of Sizzler. It's a chain steakhouse run by CJ Foodville that has been around since 1997. When I first came to Korea in 2004, it and Outback were the only places to get steak, really. Back then Outback was even better. But...
Zen’s Booze Review: 7brau India Pale Ale
A Day in King Crab Vegas
There are no casinos in Yeongdeok, but few other places rival the gaudy, hyperreal simulacra of the infamous city in the Nevada desert. Clinging to the buildings on Yeongdeok’s waterfront are giant crustaceans in bright orange armour. The town seems to exist only as a...
Noryangjin Food Stalls Threatened
Curtis File has written a story for Yonhap about the popular Noryangjin food stalls and the movement by restaurants and convenience stores to kick them out. This may sound familiar to you, as it's where we posted about the unique Poktanbap "Bomb Rice" (and recipe)....
Taco Bell's Grilled Bulgogi Taco and Burrito
Woke up with a bit of a hangover this morning--and late--so I got out the door craving some junk. Taco Bell is next to my subway station. Walking up, I noticed this. Lunch. Decided. And here's what it looks like in real life. There are ample veggies in the taco. The...
Travel Tips (Mistakes) We’ve Learned When Traveling to America with Kids
We just got to my dad's house in Denver last night after a grueling 28 hours of flying and layovers. This is my wife and daughter's first time in America. I've done this trip a few times, but this is the first time I've traveled with a child. I've learned a few things...
Review: Something's fishy with Kiss-myun Spicy Chicken Ramyeon
I admit I eat 라면 ramyeon (ramen) once in a while. I've even made a ramyeon dessert once, but I've never reviewed ramyeon before. When I saw packages of Ottogi Kiss-myun aka Kiss noodles at my local Korean grocery store, I was drawn more by the name than the contents....
Andrew Salmon’s take on beer in Korea
Not to be outdone, legendary Korea pundit and one-time ZenKimchi contributor Andrew Salmon has a thing or two to say about Korea's flaccid beer duopoly (flaccid in the taste, not the power). If the government lowered the ceiling on beer production, it could release a...
Korean Beers in the News
Wow, the two big Korean breweries are getting a double punch this week. First is an in-depth piece (as in tons of numbers) by our good friend Joshua Hall (Wine Korea) in The Wall Street Journal. He talks about how the FTAs barely put a dent in beer prices in Korea...
Tteokgalbi in the Wall Street Journal
Last week, my first ever piece for theWall Street Journal was published. It covers Chef Woo-joong Kwon and his restaurant East Village, which strives successfully to do Korean fine dining. We particularly talk about his restaurant's signature dish, an upgrade of...
Banchan pizza: A second life for side dishes
Typical of many Korean households, my refrigerator is stuffed with little containers of leftover 반찬 banchan. Many recipes for those side dishes are scaled to serve six to eight people, so the two of us always have leftovers. I can only eat so much 비빔밥 bibimbap. While...
Buddhist Temple Lunch: Day 5–Bibimbap
This time I made sure to get to the temple bistro at a decent time. They were still busy when I walked in. I paid and headed to get my tray and plate and--oh! We have baru bowls and wooden utensils. I looked at the sign. "비빔밥 입니다" "Bibimbap imnida." Oh, we're having...
Buddhist Temple Lunch: Day 4–OOPS!
I showed up a bit late to the temple cuisine bistro. Too late. The plates were covered, and they were packing up the food. So, that didn't pan out. I needed some lunch, but I didn't want to break the Korean vegetarian streak I've been on. I suddenly got a craving for...
Buddhist Temple Lunch: Day 3
Ah, lunch time again! Today's was a bit starchy. Here's what was on tap. Sundubu Guk - This mild soft tofu soup had mushrooms and was flavored with wild sesame Mixed Rice - Same rice as before with kidney beans and other goodies Mung Bean Jelly - Not much flavor, even...
Buddhist Temple Lunch: Day 2
I was running really late today and ducked in for lunch before entering the office. I only had a slice of bread for breakfast while heading out the door. Here is today's temple lunch. Doenjang Guk - A thin soup of soybean paste and that really good tofu with some...
Bamboo Salt Almonds
As I mentioned, I need a mid-afternoon snack. I find that a bag o' nuts does me fine. My usual mixed nuts I couldn't find at E-Mart. But I saw these. Aw, I had to try it out. Bamboo salt is a Korean way of making salt by putting brine into bamboo and roasting it over...
Buddhist Temple Lunch: Day 1
Trying to do something new. Our office near Insa-dong is a short walk from Baru Gong, the Buddhist temple cuisine bistro. They have a W7,000 lunch buffet. Being Buddhist temple cuisine, it's mega-vegan. I'm trying to take better care of myself--mostly. I tried to go...
The Coffeeist Manifesto: No More Bad Coffee!
If you have enjoyed my occasional posts about coffee in Korea, you might like my new book, The Coffeeist Manifesto, just released on the Amazon Kindle store. This book contains everything the novice coffee aficionado needs to know about the coffee industry, how to...
Restaurant: Danji, New York
The gritty Irish-American roots of the Hell's Kitchen area of New York City are giving way to a more eclectic food scene and home to Chef Hooni Kim's Danji restaurant, which is America's only Michelin-rated Korean restaurant. This was the second Korean restaurant I...
Restaurant: Kristalbelli, New York
The opening of "the next Korean barbecue restaurant" in midtown Manhattan by K-pop star and producer Jin Young Park has generated some controversy. Some think the restaurant's aesthetic is too antiseptic to provide an authentic Korean experience. Some reviews have...
Korean coffee chains skimp on coffee
Just when I thought my coffee-related posts at ZenKimchi had run their course, the Joongang prints this article about a study by the Korea Consumer Agency that made me spit out my coffee: Coffee chains skimping on beverage quantities That Starbucks Americano might...
Looking for the Best Coffee in Seoul?
There's a great write-up on 10 Magazine's website on the 10 best coffee shops in Seoul. Here's what they had to say about one of my favorite coffee shops: Club Espresso – Buam-dong Repel North Korean commando attacks and hike down from Inwangsan to find the safest...
Edible Curios: Ice in my Noodles
The cicadas are screaming, parasols abound and mould is creeping out of every corner. Summers in my city, Daegu, are oppressive.
My South Korean Mouth
To gain an appreciation of Korean food, I needed to learn a new language for eating – a new way of decoding the dinner table. When I first arrived in Korea, I didn’t understand any of the food I encountered. Most of it was unrecognisable, and tasting became detective work.
Video: The Star King Kimchi Jjigae Competition, part 2
Here is the second and final part of the Star King "Cooking King" kimchi jjigae competition where I was on the judging panel. On this one we see the second part of the preliminary round as well as the second group of semi-finalists, along with the finalists and...
Kimchi Beer?
The Korea Times has posted a story on two brewers, one from Ontario and the other from Philadelpia, who have incorporated kimchi into making one of their beers.
WTF: Ramen Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Sarah! WHY!!! Yes, we do a Kimchi Grilled Cheese at the Journal, but you have to be seriously stoned with the Taco Bell closed to want to eat this. Here's the recipe.
Cold brew coffee: Easy, cheap, delicious and home-made
Following up on the theme of my last post regarding a coffee question from a ZenKimchi reader, I thought I would share my personal method for making cold brew coffee. If you ask a coffee connoisseur to recommend a 'coffee maker' for you, they will probably giggle...
Podcasting with Qi Ranger
I had the great fortune to appear on camera with the famous Qi Ranger for his final podcast of the season.
Coffee Question: Dutch coffee
I recently received a great coffee question in my inbox from ZenKimchi reader Ron Handel: ...this past week at work a parent brought me a bottle of Dutch coffee. It is in what looks close to a wine bottle. The directions on how to enjoy it are written in Korean so I...
Seoul Coffee Expo 2012
The success of the Korea Cafe Fair, held in the tail end of winter the past two years, seems to have motivated the COEX convention center to start organizing their own effort, the Seoul Coffee Expo. I, on behalf of ZenKimchi, was on hand for the first annual expo....
Korean Pantry: The Pastes
When starting out your Korean pantry, the pastes are some of the most uniquely Korean components. At the Asian supermarket, I'm sure you've stared at that wall of green, brown, and red plastic tubs, wondering what they held inside. Let's demystify all that. Doenjang...
Video: Roy Choi of Kogi Taco Truck
Filmmaker Fridolin Schoepper created a video about Roy Choi, the much celebrated chef who started the whole Korean taco and food truck craze. Chef Choi will be part of The Avant/Garde Diaries, a show curated by Mike D of the Beastie Boys.
Survival Guide to Korean Coffee Part IV: For the Haters
Although Korea's coffee market has matured in recent years, there are many places capitalizing on the trend but cutting all the corners they can. This is the third post in a four-part series by Steve Ward designed to teach you how to find the good hole-in-the-wall...
Survival Guide to Korean Coffee Part III: On Roasts
Although Korea's coffee market has matured in recent years, there are many places capitalizing on the trend but cutting all the corners they can. This is the third post in a four-part series by Steve Ward designed to teach you how to find the good hole-in-the-wall...
Amazing Grilled Octopus
I'm always excited when, after living here for eight years, I find a great food that I had never had before. Friends, meet Nakji Gguri. It's barely grilled octopus. Still rare in the middle while just kissed by charcoal flames. This particular kind was just rubbed in...
Survival Guide to Korean Coffee Part II: No ‘x’ in Espresso
Although Korea's coffee market has matured in recent years, there are many places capitalizing on the trend but cutting all the corners they can. This is the second post in a four-part series by Steve Ward designed to you how to find the good hole-in-the-wall Korean...
Self-serve Beer Bars
I'd been hearing about self-serve beer bars not only opening but exploding in Seoul. These types of bars exist in other cities around the world, but it's a very new concept in Korea, and it's catching on quickly. Import beers are becoming popular with young Korean...
Survival Guide to Korean Coffee Part I: The Basics
Although Korea's coffee market has matured in recent years, there are many places capitalizing on the trend but cutting all the corners they can. This is the first post in a four-part series by Steve Ward designed to teach you how to find the good hole-in-the-wall...
Yonhap Feature: Visitors learn to make their own Korean dishes
Here is my latest feature article for Yonhap News. I started working on this in Seoul then finished it when I came back to New York. I am introducing a few different options for people who are considering a Korean cooking class in Seoul. The table below didn't make...