Crave__February_2018

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Korean Carrie Bradshaw strutting down Cheongdam Fashion Street in sunglasses, shoppingbagshookedoverherleftelbow, a skinny latte in her right hand... you get the idea. Even if you don’t drink coffee, the many small, cosy cafes are a good place to rest your feet after shopping and sightseeing. Hipster coffee joints are clustered around thepopularuniversityarea,Hapjeong- Hongdae, while the local artsy crowd heads for the cafe street in Samcheondong. For something different, there’s a raccoon café in Yongsan District called Blind Alley (yes, you can pet and feed them), and a Sherlock Holmes-themed cafe in Gangnam. Caface prints your selfie onto your drink, while Monster Cupcakes celebrates Halloween all year round. For those seeking refined dining experiences, head south of the river forsomeoffinest,mosttalked-about restaurants, including South Korean celebrity chef Edward Kwon’s LAB XXIV (the iced persimmon is delightful). At Soigné,chefJunLeeservescontemporary Korean cuisine in the form of an “episode” menu that changes every three months. Chef Tae Hwan-ryu offers a 23-course menu of Japanese-French hybrid cuisine crafted with local Korean ingredients at Ryunique. Or try his latest restaurant, Rooftop by Ryunique, in Apgujeong. Whenitcomestostreetfood,Korea’sfirst permanent market, Gwangjang, is a great place to start. It overwhelms the senses, with mung bean pancakes sizzling on a grill, customers shouting their orders, and ganjang-gejang (soy sauce crab) and other fermented delicacies oozing umami and mouthwatering pungency. Eventually Isettleddownatoneofthestallswith my travel companions to sample some tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), Korean fish cakesinaclearbrothandtosipmakgeolli (fermented rice wine) from small metal bowls. One of my biggest regrets, however, was not trying the live octopus sashimi, despite the friendly persuasion of the ajummas (Korean middle-aged ladies, all with similar perms and the same shade of lipstick) manning the stalls. There’sagreatdebateamongKoreans about which store serves the best chimaek (Korean fried chicken and beer). Everyone gives a different answer – BHC, Baengi, Goobne,Kyochon–eachendorsedbya different celebrity. But there’s a consensus thatthebestwaytoenjoychimaekisat theparkbytheHanRiver,atsunset.Take a picnic mat, grab a few beers and order fried chicken (there are people handing out flyers) to be delivered to your exact spot. Sunbathe, people-watch, leaf through agoodbook,andtuckintocrispyyet tender fried chicken and ice-cold beer. For a more hands-on food experience, try gimjang, or kimchi-making, which waslistedbyUnescoasIntangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. I signed up at the Museum Kimchikan, where the chef-instructor guided us through the ingredients, steps and techniques of makingkimchi.Ipackedaboxofmyfinal productinmysuitcasetobringbackto Hong Kong, but be sure to wrap it up in several ziploc bags unless you want your clothes smelling like kimchi, as I learned thehardway. Thebestwaytoendthedayistovisita jjimjilbang, a bathhouse where you can steam, sauna, bathe, eat and even sing karaoke. If live music tickles your fancy, head to one of the many jazz lounges in Itaewon, the Lan Kwai Fong of Seoul. All That Jazz is the first jazz club in Korea and offers some of the best live jazz in town for areasonablylowcovercharge.It’sadark, moodyjazzbarthatdoesn’tscrimpon quality (or alcohol) in its drinks, making ittheperfectwaytowinddowninthe company of friends, old and new.
Seoul First Things First Maps Google Maps isn’t accurate in Seoul. Download Naver MapifyoucanreadKorean, orHanchaoMapifyoucan read Simplified Chinese. Getting around Download the helpful Subway Koreasmartphoneapp. Taxis are accessible and the drivers of black “international” taxis are supposed to understand basic English. Iris Wong Airport Ifyou’retravellingonaSunday, gettotheairportthreehours in advance or risk missing your flight owing to long queues. There are plenty of restaurants and shops to keep you occupied.
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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018 WARM AND TOAS
Page 4: The chilly temperatures of early sp
Page 7 and 8: ROMANCE IN THE SKY Bonne Saint Vale
Page 9 and 10: Alvin Leung Executive chef, Bo Inno
Page 11 and 12: 3 Go: Ralph’s Coffee 3/F Ocean Te
Page 13 and 14: Lunar New Year Menu: Sha Tin 18 at
Page 16 and 17: Dressed in white, guests enjoy an e
Page 18: Everything we want, from great read
Page 21 and 22: Culinary stardom wasn’t part of c
Page 23 and 24: MY FAVOURITE THINGS WITH EDWARD KWO
Page 27 and 28: Executive chef at Chesa Cheesefondu
Page 30 and 31: The At Crave, we have the luxury o
Page 32 and 33: at COA “There are many variations
Page 34 and 35: Words Iris Wong Food photo Happy Yu
Page 36 and 37: SOUP SONGS Your guide to Chinese so
Page 38: structural integrity of the scallop
Page 41 and 42: Five Snake Soup Nothing warms you u
Page 43 and 44: Yan Du Xian Beat the winter blues w
Page 45 and 46: Hot and Sour Soup with Wild Sichuan
Page 47: Double-boiled Soup with Soft-shell
Page 50: “IgrewupinCanada,andIsometimeswen
Page 56 and 57: What to Do Where to Stay Art: Le M
Page 58: HANA SUH Tour Guide Hana Suh ditche
Page 61 and 62: 1 2 3 1. Meat Pie This palm-sized A
Page 63 and 64: 7 8 9 7. Apple Pie Among the most i
Page 65 and 66: Power through winter with this adve
Page 67: www.gourmetasia.com/enroll 400+ exh
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Crave__February_2018

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