I spent last week in Seoul, South Korea being the “American judge” at the finals of the 7th annual Korea Wine Challenge…which you’d know if you’ve been following my Tweets and Facebook page updates. This international wine competition is becoming more and more serious and important with each passing year. It is encompassing new and interesting wines that reflect the interest of many exporting countries to increase their offerings in this dynamic and expanding north Asian wine market. Continue reading »

As a true epicure, I always try to be as adventurous as I can when I am dining out, especially if being hosted by others. Some items are in bounds (pigs ears, sea cucumbers) and some are out of bounds (snake blood, monkey brains). Arriving in Korea and expecting to settle down on my first night to a great meal with beer and soju (Korea’s native ‘hard liquor’), I was informed by my hosts that the rage du jour in South Korea is a beverage that is something between wine and soju, made from rice, and sold under the moniker of macoli, essentially a lower proof alcohol unfiltered rice based wine. Looking something like milk, it’s a little sour, a bit fizzy, but it goes down easy and pairs beautifully with the national cuisine. Need a beverage to tame the heat of kimchee without causing heartburn, this is the ticket. Continue reading »

The 1980’s birthed the advent of so-called fusion cuisines, bringing together multiple cultures and traditions on a single plate. Asian fusion led the pack with intricate melding of Western and Eastern foods that are still with us (from the now-almost-pedestrian Chinese Chicken salad, to varying conjoining Asian noodle dishes with Italian stalwarts). Many of these efforts have become very successful as witnessed by my good friend Mourad Lahlou’s Aziza restaurant in San Francisco (Moroccan inspired but not your basic couscous house), Floyd Cardoz’s efforts at Indian inspired Tabla in NYC and Vikram Vij’s equally inspired Vij’s in Vancouver.

But Korean meets Mexican. Hmmm… hadn’t thought about that one. During the last week in Seoul I have been eating my weight in kimchi and kalbi (grilled beef short ribs, Korean style), and wondering why it is that Korean food hasn’t taken off in the US outside of Los Angeles. Continue reading »

It dawned on me as I was writing this blog that it’s been, in essence, a full year since we launched this site (and with it this blog) and here I am again… back in Korea and judging the now 5th Annual Korea Wine Challenge. It’s been a crazy year and it’s amazing what a difference twelve months can make… not the least of which is that the dollar has appreciated significantly against the Korean won (980’ish to the dollar last year and over 1500 per dollar this year… yikes!). New times, and (this year) new wines… Continue reading »