March 14th is White Day in Asia So I have gotten several e-mails asking about what White Day is, so Newbies, here is your cultural lesson for the day. February 14th (typically, what we consider to be Valentine's Day) in Asia is the day that women give chocolates to boyfriends (or guys they might be interested in). It is a downpayment for White Day (March 14th) where boys are supposed to return the favor with gifts. The tradition in Japan is to give 3 times the amount of chocolate that the girl gave in exchange. In Korea (in the past) guys would give gifts of sparkly wrapped hard candy, but that tradition is changing. These days many guys will give chocolate, cakes, take the girls out to romantic dinners, and...lingerie. You can find out more information on White Day and other holidays on the 14th here: The 14th of the Month in Korea: Beware the Ides of February, March, April, May... Here is a list of restaurants, I recommend see this list:  http://www.seouleats.com/2011/01/v...

I hope you are all doing well today. I know that Valentine's Day was a couple days ago, so I was wondering how was your Valentine's Day Dinner? It's one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants and I would like to know which ones were good and which ones didn't quite meet expectations. I received a couple messages stating that some of the places I listed in my Valentine's Day Round-up weren't... exemplary. One such message I got mentioned a well-known Italian Restaurant in Itaewon that is...in the basement. The message said: "Dan, I love you, but take (the name of the restaurant here) off your V-Day recommendation list, really disappointed ㅜㅜ. Just really mediocre pizza and bad tasting, small amount of overpriced pasta. just expected more from a 100,000 won meal for two."  Anyone else have similar experiences? I must admit, I didn't go out that day. I was feeling a bit under the weather so I ate Ginseng and Chicken Soup, drank ora...

Valentine's Day Seoul Restaurant Guide  I am feeling a bit like cupid these days because I have already gotten e-mails from guys and girls about where they should go for Valentine's Day. I guess people are just planning in advance this year. I'm working on a new comprehensive guide, but for now this is an updated restaurant listing from last year.  Dan Guys, picking the right restaurant for Valentine's Day is very important to your romantic wellbeing. Be sure to make a reservation. If you don't have a reserved, this is the equivalent of forgetting her anniversary, birthday, or name. You don't want to be that guy. It is not enough to just pick the right restaurant. The café 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,...