“Loving Hut is no ordinary international cafe. The moment you walk in, you feel the difference.” Unfortunately the difference you feel when you walk into the new branch of Loving Hut in Daegu’s Siji district, is a strange sterile glow off the white walls and an eerie sense that something isn’t right. “- love pouring from every corner, every painting and every dish – creating a flowing ambiance and yet calmness that touches you deep in the heart” reads the brochure on the table. But the “Supreme Master Televison” on the wide-screen TVs repeating the moto “Be veg. Go Green. Save the Planet” over low-resolution stock shots swooping across a manufactured landscapes bring to mind a dystopia science fiction scenario, not inner peace. Supreme Master Ching Hai, the founder of Loving Hut, and self-proclaimed leader of the “Quan Yin Method”, stares straight at you from the screen and with her spastic eye fluttering erratically she proclaims: “Be Veg. Go Green. Save the Planet and the stars and moon will applaud you.” (more…)

What: Grace Scotch Bonnet and Habanero Hot Sauce

Where: JPStar This online grocery store sells lots of imports from Japan and around the world.

How Much: w2990

Why: Grace Kennedy Foods is the biggest name in Caribbean food products for a reason. They make wicked tings fe nice up ya rice and peas. Why buy imported hot peppers in the mecca of hot peppers? Habanero and Scotch Bonnet have a  flavour distinct from the peppers you get here. They are a little hotter and have a bright fruity flavour that, along with allspice, is the key to authentic island dishes. Check out the Recipe of the Week this Wednesday for a great Caribbean dish that you can use it in.

Style: Japanese
Location: Downtown, Daegu
Price: approx. w30,00 for two
Hours:  12pm to 9pm daily. Closed 1st and 3rd Wednesday.  1pm-3:30pm and 5:30pm-9pm Sat-Sun. and holidays
Contact: 053-426-5660

They keep confusing hours, they close early and open late, it’s impossible to get a seat, the servers have permanent scowls and have no time for you to ponder the menu. But, none of that will stop me from coming to Gyeongdo. Despite their attempts to drive away business Gyeongdo is still drawing crowds. Why? They are making one huge mistake. They continue to serve the freshest, most authentic Japanese food in the city.  (more…)

It’s grape season in Korea and I can’t think of a better way to enjoy grapes than an icy granita. Granitas are a slushie-like frozen desert similar to a sorbet that originated in Sicily. This recipe requires no ice-cream machine or special equipment and only three ingredients: grape, sugar and water. The end result is unadulterated grapieness that takes nothing away for the grapes brilliant flavor in the height of the season. This recipe does require a little bit of elbow grease and some patience but the end results will knock your socks off.

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What: Fleur de Sel, Sel de Mare, Sel Gris  de Guerande
Where: Lotte Department Store, beside Daegu Station
How Much: w16200 for 500g of Fleur de sel, w8800 for 1kg of Sel Gris, w5800-w9800 for Sel de Mare
Why: Foodies will tell you it’s one of the best salts in the world and 1 kg will last you years. Fleur de Sel is the best of all but also the most expensive.
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Every weekend, Daegu‘s downtown is flooded with expats looking for a night of fun. Bars like Old Skool, Commune’s, and the many dance clubs have their hands full of foreigners ready to sate their desires, whether they be for alcohol, music, or the opposite sex. A smaller number of Daegu’s foreign community, searching for something a little more familiar, pull their stools up to another bar, far from the bright lights of downtown. Sugar Joe’s is the bar few know about, and that’s just the way their patrons like it.

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As summer slowly leaves us it takes with it all kinds of beautiful ingredients like red onions and fresh herbs. Thankfully we figured out a long time ago how to preserve summer’s bounty. I normally like to do gravlax at Christmas but by that time my dill will be long gone. There is also nothing like a bit of pickled red onions to go with it, and as you may have noticed, red onions aren’t available in the supermarkets here after August. So its time for a little pickling and curing to take full advantage of the last of my herb garden and the last of the red onions. Whole sides of salmon can be found at Costco and are usually fresh enough for curing but check the date and give it a good sniff to make sure. If it smells fishy, don’t buy it. Pickling spice can be found at some supermarkets and at Hannam Market in Seoul (see our Seoul map). You can also use any combination of the spices that you have as long as they are whole. Dill is also available at Hannam Market but you can use any fresh herb you can find. Last year I used “미나리” or Water Dropwort and some dried dill. Curing the salmon takes three days and the pickling takes at least one so plan ahead.

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