Packages and promotions

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul invites Seven Yi to H. Bar for one night H. Bar inside the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul will host Taipei mixologist Seven Yi for a one-night guest shift on Wednesday. Yi, known for experimental cocktails with food pairings at his bars Room by Le Kief and Mad Men, will present a course-style menu that reworks classic drinks with modern techniques. The eight-seat bar operates like a tasting counter, so reservations are essential. Cocktails are priced at 29,000 won, served from

Feb. 6, 2026

'Dubai chewy cookies' reach namesake city

The “Dubai chewy cookie,” a Korean-made treat that has swept South Korea, has finally landed in the Middle Eastern city that borrowed its name. Time Out Dubai, an online lifestyle magazine, listed the dessert among the top nine food trends expected to take off in the city this year. According to the article, a cafe in Dubai has begun selling the treat, with each "cookie" priced at 29 dirhams ($7.90) or about 11,000 won. The outlet also shared a video on Instagram last Friday featuring the desser

Feb. 1, 2026

From brunch to brushstrokes: a weekend for the stomach and the eyes

From a cozy all-day brunch spot in Yeonhui-dong to a sprawling illustration fair in Gangnam, this weekend’s picks offer a simple pleasure: good food for the body, and good visuals for the soul. Tucked into Yeonhui-dong — a western Seoul neighborhood known for its quiet streets lined with independent cafés, restaurants and small concept stores — Grain Seoul offers an all-day brunch built around a simple premise: food that is both flavorful and nourishing. The cafe is perfect for those who don’t l

Jan. 30, 2026

Packages and promotions

Sweet escape for two at Glad Hotels Glad Hotels is offering a limited-time Valentine's and White Day package that pairs a one-night stay with a curated gift set and late checkout. The Red Holiday Stay includes a 375-milliliter bottle of Hwayo 19 soju with two glasses, a heart-shaped box of Lindt Lindor chocolates and a message card. The package is available through March 15 at Glad Yeouido, Glad Mapo, Glad Gangnam Coex Center and Maison Glad Jeju. Rates start from 114,000 won, positioning the st

Jan. 30, 2026

Fads may come and go, but Korea’s love for chewy textures endures

Dubai chewy cookies are sweeping Korea, driving nationwide sellouts and price hikes. Unlike your typical crumbly cookie, this viral dessert — a Korean twist on the Dubai chocolate bar — delivers a dense, chewy bite, with melted marshmallow wrapped around pistachio cream and kadaif. Many already see the dessert as a fad, much like Chinese candied fruit tanghulu and yogurt ice cream before it. But the texture behind the fixation, known in Korean as "kkudeok kkudeok," has taken hold as an enduring

Jan. 29, 2026

In the depth of winter, 3 Seoul oyster bars at their peak

In Korea, January is prime time for oysters. Plump and briny, they are at their sweetest and most mineral-rich, prized not only for flavor but also for their iron and copper content, which are believed to help boost stamina and prevent anemia. It is also the season when caution matters most. Because norovirus risk rises in winter, freshness is paramount, and those with weaker immunity are advised to eat oysters cooked rather than raw. For those seeking them at their best, Seoul’s oyster-bar scen

Jan. 24, 2026

How ‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2 is reshaping Korea’s dining trends

Netflix’s culinary survival show “Culinary Class Wars” Season 2 may have ended earlier this month, but its ripple effects are still being felt across Korea’s dining scene — not just in conversation, but in concrete consumer behavior. According to an analysis by restaurant reservation platform CatchTable on Friday, the show's second season has helped shift diners’ attention from passive viewing to active planning, turning curiosity about chefs and dishes into searches, waitlists and fully booked

Jan. 23, 2026

From Euljiro sashimi table to riverside study retreat

A good weekend in Seoul can move effortlessly from a shared winter meal to a quiet late-night corner with a view. This week’s picks pair the convivial aged sashimi trays of Wooki Sikdang Bada with an unexpectedly serene public study space tucked inside Hotel Naru Seoul — two places that show how the city does everyday pleasures with style and ease. One of the fish Koreans crave most during winter is bang-eo, or yellowtail sashimi. It’s widely available — from neighborhood sashimi restaurants to

Jan. 23, 2026

Packages and promotions

Sheraton Grand Incheon launches Seollal To-Go and festive gift sets Sheraton Grand Incheon offers a festive way to celebrate Seollal at home with its “Seollal To-Go” feast designed for five to six people and priced at 290,000 won. The spread includes Korean holiday classics such as braised short ribs, beef bulgogi, japchae, assorted jeon, abalone jang, grilled croaker and seasonal banchan, with an optional LA galbi add-on (700 grams) for an extra 50,000 won. Pick-up is available Feb. 9-18, with

Jan. 23, 2026

‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2 stars bring TV heat to everyday tables

The cameras have stopped rolling on Netflix’s hit cooking competition “Culinary Class Wars” Season 2, but its flavors are here to stay. Chefs who once battled for supremacy under studio lights are now shaping meals at home, in convenience stores and at supermarket counters. Dishes born in the show's high-pressure cook-offs are influencing food trends nationwide as they are transformed into ready-to-eat meals and even premium spirits. The phenomenon traces back to the first season, when runner-up

Jan. 20, 2026

Packages and promotions

Pullman Ambassador Seoul Eastpole offers staycation package for families Pullman Ambassador Seoul Eastpole is courting urban families with a staycation package that bundles space, play and convenience into a single night away. The Pullman Family Stay includes a one-bedroom deluxe king residence with a complimentary extra bed, breakfast for two adults and one child at the 24th-floor Embers restaurant and admission for one adult and one child to Champion The Black Belt, an indoor activity park at

Jan. 16, 2026

Son Jong-won's good vibes and unsparing reading list

Son Jong-won has been building a following through his appearances on JTBC cooking variety show "Chef & My Fridge," but his recent turn on the second season of Netflix's megahit "Culinary Class Wars" propelled him into full-fledged stardom. A member of the show's "white spoon" team of established chefs, the 41-year-old is the executive chef behind two Michelin-starred restaurants: Eatanic Garden and L'Amant Secret. Well-mannered and neatly styled, with a composed demeanor and an unshowy confiden

Jan. 13, 2026

Social media is rewriting Korea’s ramyeon rules

At first glance, it sounds more like a dare than a recipe: Mix the blisteringly spicy stew-type Buldak Artificial Spicy Chicken Flavor ramyeon with a pouch of beef and seaweed soup, boil them together, and enjoy. Yet this unlikely combination — now widely known online as Buldak miyeok tang myeon — has become one of South Korea’s most talked-about food trends, driven not by chefs or brands, but by consumers experimenting in their own kitchens. The dish combines Buldak ramyeon, known for its inten

Jan. 10, 2026

What counts as ‘good food’ in Korea? Long lines, viral shows and mounting stress

On a chilly afternoon outside Namyeong Station in Seoul, a surprisingly large crowd quietly waits in line for bungeoppang, a traditional Korean fish-shaped pastry filled with red bean paste. The vendor, 62-year-old Kim Jong-sik, flips each one by hand, refusing to mechanize his craft even as demand surges. He sells up to 1,000 pieces on busy days, he says. “If I used machines or more staff, I could sell even more,” Kim says. “But then it wouldn’t taste like mine.” His small store has become a mi

Jan. 10, 2026

Packages and promotions

Strawberry Reverie afternoon tea at Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul is reframing its afternoon tea experience this winter by relocating it from the lobby lounge to the darker, more intimate Paris Bar. The seasonal “Strawberry Reverie” afternoon tea centers on fresh strawberries. The buffet-style format allows guests to move at their own pace, set against the bar’s subdued lighting and live cello and piano performances. Alongside tea and coffee, strawberry-inspired nonalcoholic drinks are off

Jan. 9, 2026