With the pandemic having messed up my travel plans, little wonder I was champing at the bit. One Sunday afternoon, when it was particularly frustrating, I found myself seeking solace in Netflix. And suddenly a click of the button transformed that screen space into a world of reimagined travel delights. Joyfully I plunged into unfolding dramas which opened up Turkey from the days of the Ottoman Empire, Mexico and the dynamics of tequila exports&ndashand drugs, the peccadilloes of the French court &hellip
Korea came to me a bit late in the day compared to Indians who&rsquove been steeped in the Hallyu wave for some time now. What hooked me in particular, were the historical dramas which led to an astonishingly rich cultural banquet. One of the most fascinating aspects of the courtly pursuits was the fantastic spread of food&ndashat every meal, served up in beautiful shiny kansa utensils. Kansa utensils, as old timers would tell you, is bell metal in English, comprising an alloy of tin and copper&ndashboth good for one&rsquos health.
So my visit to the #Discover Korea Food Festival tied up quite well with my current Korean frame of mind.
The Pullman Hotel in Aerocity has pretty much pulled off a good one with its Korean Food Festival at Honk. The tie up with Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has been a fortuitous one for culinary buffs who enjoy foodie adventures. The #Discover Korea Food Festival @ Honk is on till May 11, 2022. Chef Neeraj Tyagi, the culinary Director of Pullman Hotel, has teamed up with Chef Jiyeol Kim, a Korean Chef and K-food expert from the Embassy of Republic of Korea, for an extravagant Korean menu.
The convivial atmospherics added their own flavours to the delights of chef&rsquos offerings, ranging from signatures such as Kimichi Jigae and Guksu soups, Kimbap options like Mushroom and Avocado Kimbap and Tuna Kimbap, traditional spicy Korean Fried Chicken, Dwaejigogi-Bokkeum, Bul &ndash Dak, Tteokbokki, to name a few. Veggie palates too were spoiled for choice.
On the occasion Mr. Y.G. Choi, Director Korea Tourism Organization shared how &ldquoKorean food is the culmination of its traditional culture containing the soul and emotion of the Korean people,&rsquo which I found mirrored so beautifully in the K-dramas Indian audiences are gobbling up.
KTO is planning to encourage luxury customers to try Korea and its food and culture in India and entice them to purchase the special travel plan and be ready to travel to Korea in 2022. KTO is anticipating a rise in demand for travel to Korea by Indian outbound travellers in year 2022, with world travel opening up after a hiatus of two years.