This was published in the Friday, March 12th 2010 issue of the Korea Herald. Italian food isn't hard to find, but popularity doesn't mean that just any spaghetti would be something that an Italian would find palatable.  Of course, there are the reliable standbys such as Sortinos in Itaewon, Seoul, Antonio in Cheongdam and Primo Baci Baci in Hongdae. But for every reliable Italian restaurant, there are at least three duds. So are there any good new Italian restaurants in Seoul? I was determined to find out. I chose three: Dam Dam in Hongdae, J and T Trattoria near Seoul National University and Lugo in Apgujeong. Each has positives and negatives, and since they are different price ranges, there's one for everyone's budget. Dam Dam 2595 In a hidden Hongdae back alley is a cute little restaurant. It has a brick exterior with moss growing between the cracks - appropriate for a good first impression. Its two-syllable name, "Dam Dam," is a holler to every...

I wrote a Valentine's day guide for the Korea Herald and it's the most read story of the day! AZA. You can check it online here  Your Valentine's Day guide Guys, picking the right restaurant for Valentine's Day is important to your romantic wellbeing. Be sure to make a reservation. If you don't have a reservation already, this is the equivalent of forgetting your anniversary or her birthday. You don't want to be that guy. It is not enough to just pick the right restaurant - the cafe or bar afterwards is just as important. And girls, it's 2010. You are more than welcome to make reservations and give hints on the places you would like to go. If you would like, you can have this page opened to this article and just strategically circle the restaurants, bars, cafes, you would like to go. (A heart or a star would be a good hint.) The restaurants on this list have a good mix of atmosphere and taste. In general, I am staying away from franchise places. I am ...

At the end of December 2009, the Chosun Ilbo published an article stating that the current spelling of "Makgeolli" might cause some non-Koreans to mispronounce it as Mak-jolee. The author suggested that the spelling should be changed and this would popularize this alcohol overseas. He recommended a few different options such as Maggoli, Makkoli, and Makoli. I wish that the author had done some research to test this opinion, because it caused quite a stir with the aT Center (The Agro-Trade Center) and amongst the Korean public. The aT Center is a government organization that has been heading the Korean Food Globalization project and my company (O'ngo Food Communications) has been working with them on several different projects including how to market makgeolli overseas. Back in October of 2009, our company and the heads of many makgeolli companies had a meeting to discuss changing the name of makgeolli. I will tell you the same thing I told them: it is not cost effici...

You can see my full write-up at the Korea Herald.

You can catch my weekly articles in the newspaper on Wednesday.