Dining with 'Culinary Class Wars' chef, Daehangno’s winter lineup
As we put the holiday spirit behind us and winter settles in, another weekend approaches. Streaming shows at home and ordering in are comfortable defaults, but for those brave enough to leave the house and head out into the cold in search of a meal or entertainment, two options stand out.
You might assume that restaurants run by chefs featured on "Culinary Class Wars" are expensive and almost impossible to book amid the show’s runaway popularity. But an exception lies in the center of Seoul: a restaurant operated by a well-known member of the show that remains both affordable and surprisingly attainable to reserve.
Hikarimono, a Japanese dining spot specializing in customizable rice-bowl set menus, offers a refined experience with sweeping views over Jongak Station on Subway Line No. 1 and neat, modern interior designs. While the weekday lunch menu centers on donburi-style sets, the restaurant also distinguishes itself with its array of side dishes. Highlights include potato salad accented with lotus root, as well as pufferfish milt — a prized delicacy in Japanese cuisine, known for its creamy, custard-like texture and subtly sweet, rich flavor.
The restaurant is helmed by Kalmakase, who led the black spoon team through its battles against the white spoon team. Diners might expect Hikarimono's prices to reach the same heights as its chef's popularity. Instead, they remain accessible: Weekday lunch dishes are priced between 30,000 and 40,000 won, while dinner offerings vary by day.
Strategically located within Gran Seoul’s Starfield Avenue, the restaurant is easily reached by public transportation and sits amid a cluster of Seoul’s buzziest cafes, including Standard Bun, Bitter Butter and France Louvre Baguette. Pairing a meal at Hikarimono with a post-lunch cafe stop will make for a perfect afternoon in Jongak.
Hikarimono
33 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Even as winter tightens its grip on Seoul, the cold brings with it one of the liveliest moments of the year for the performing arts. From January through March, Daehangno, the city’s best-known theater district, once again transforms into a festival hub for new creations, as ARKO Selection — Arts Council Korea’s flagship annual support project — unveils its 18th edition.
Widely regarded as the country’s largest platform for new performing arts works, the program presents 34 productions across six genres, inviting audiences to experience the breadth of Korea’s contemporary stage. While performance schedules vary by genre and production, audiences can expect at least one new work to be staged every weekend through the end of March.
This year’s lineup includes six plays, six musical productions, eight dance programs, five music performances, two operas and five traditional Korean artworks. Together, they tackle pressing questions of our time, ranging from virtual reality, gender and individual choice to climate crisis, surveillance, democracy, migration and community, each articulated through the distinctive language of its genre.
For this weekend, contemporary dance "In the End" runs from Friday to Sunday, translating the erosion of human relationships in digital environments into physical movement. Also on offer are two musicals: "The Blue Lion Wanini," a coming-of-age musical adapted from a beloved children’s book that has sold over 1 million copies, and "James Byron Dean," which imagines a road trip linking actor James Dean and poet Lord Byron.
In the theater category, the play "Pool" begins its nine-day run on Saturday. The science-fiction thriller explores grief and solitude through the pursuit of a “data error” in a virtual-reality world, unfolding in a first-person, game-like format.
Most performances take place at the ARKO Arts Theater and Daehakro Arts Theater — at both venues' main and small halls — as well as five other venues across Daehangno.
ARKO Arts Theater
7 Daehangno 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Copyright © 코리아헤럴드. 무단전재 및 재배포 금지.