When the second phase of the high-speed KTX train project is completed in December 2010, a person will be able to travel from Seoul to Busan in two hours and 10 minutes instead of two hours and 45 minutes now.
The Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Ministry announced yesterday that it will launch the second phase next month. Under the plan, a station will be built in Ulsan and Busan Rail Station will be renovated by December 2010.
As part of the project, construction was launched last year to build the Shin Gyeongju Station.
Once the project is finished, it will take about 91 minutes to travel the first leg (Seoul to East Daegu), and an additional 39 minutes to travel the second leg.
The Ulsan Station’s construction will start next month. It will be a four-story building whose structure will symbolize the wings of a crane.
Once completed, the station will host 11,000 travelers daily, said the ministry. The new high-speed train will shorten by about two hours travel time to Seoul from Ulsan.
Likewise, the new Busan Station will reduce traffic running through it. In addition, once the construction of North Busan Port is completed, more than 150,000 people will ride the train in the new station, turning it into a new hub of transportation and tourism.
Senior ministry official Lee Jong-guk said, “Once the second-phase project is completed, Koreans can travel to and from every corner of the nation in half a day.”
An hour and a half from Seoul to Daegu. Plus the building of a KTX station in Gyeongju. Those shitty seats are almost bearable now.
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Korea Times Staff ReporterOrange King in Seattle, Washington, is well known for its hamburgers, barbeque and teriyaki. Now, its signature dishes are available here in Seoul.
Owner D.H. Han enjoyed going to Orange King when he was a student at the University of Washington in Seattle in the 1980s. He liked it so much that he decided to bring the Orange King franchise to Seoul.
Ten months ago, Orange King opened at its current spot next to the Soon Chun Hyang Hospital in Hannam-dong. From the outside, it seems like a fairly ordinary restaurant with a terrace, but inside the restaurant has a surprisingly stylish interior.
Orange King has a nice, cozy atmosphere that encourages people to sit back and relax. There are framed, colorful prints of Seattle’s best-known landmarks like Pike Place Market and Space Needle on the walls reminding customers that Orange King originated from Seattle.
Orange King’s menu features appetizers, barbeque, hamburgers, teriyaki, pasta, steak, salads and wine. Appetizers include white wine sauteed mussels, Seattle clam chowder and a variety of salads.
There is a lot of focus on the famous Orange King burgers. The deluxe burger is 4,500 won, but with French fries and soda, it’s 7,000 won. There is also a chicken barbeque burger, teriyaki burger and the popular double deluxe burger (6,500 won for burger and 9,500 won for set).
Barbequed ribs, teriyaki chicken and beef dishes are some of the best-selling dishes at Orange King.
The lunch menu, served between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., includes pasta, teriyaki and steak dishes at reasonable prices. Prices range from 5,500 for Oriental chicken salad, 9,000 won for barbequed ribs, 9,000 won for beef teriyaki and 8,500 won for spaghetti pomodoro.
We ordered the rib-eye steak (15,000 won) and the creamy chicken parmigiana (10,000 won) lunch set, which is served with salad and soda.
A good-sized rib-eye steak was served with grilled mushrooms, eggplant and baby potatoes. It was cooked well, but the steak sauce was somewhat weak. On the other hand, the creamy chicken parmigiana was flavorful, although the sauce texture may be too creamy for some people.
On some evenings, singers and musicians entertain diners during their meals. While the kitchen closes at 9:30 p.m., Orange King has an evening menu, which includes burgers, available between 9:30 p.m. and 1 a.m.
Incidentally, Orange King uses Korean beef for its rib-eye steak, and Australian beef for its hamburgers.
Orange King is located just past Soon Chun Hyang Hospital in Hannam-dong. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Call (02) 749-5515.
Bulgogi Brothers is an upscale gogi restaurant in the Seoul and Gyeonggi area that has been gaining positive buzz for its cuisine, wine selection, and traditional interior. A great place to impress a date with your wallet or being dragged along to by the boss and co-workers. The restaurant makes an effort to appeal to not only Koreans, but foreigners around the country, as well, and has recently announced plans to open new locations in Daegu (Dong-A Shopping?) and in the Haeundae area of Busan, this summer.
And judging from the feedback from this Korean blogger and his foreign wife, it looks like it’s worth a go. (Edit:I didn’t add the photo captions. The blogger did that.)
(From 안동얼짱)
The Seoul International Film Festival begins this weekend. Lots of good entries this year. They also have a very good English site that profiles the films and also has a lot of online films that can be watched from the comfort of a smoky PC bang.
Cunga Conga in Myeongdong is kind of an anomaly of sorts. An African-themed restaurant featuring a menu with Korean and Mexican cuisine. But to rule out any confusion, it should be known that their tortillas are done very right and are the real draw. Worth a visit if you are in the area doing some shopping.
I remember going to Casa Maya (까사마야) years ago when they were in Apgujeong. Great memories of margaritas on a patio. I don’t recall the food, off-hand, but this was the only Mexican place near me, when living in Seoul (Casa Loca’s former Apgujeong location hadn’t opened by that time, nor was Dos Tacos‘ in Gangnam), so my atttitude on the food was ‘beggars can’t be choosers’. That’s not to suggest it wasn’t good, it’s just that I was happy enough to be having it. I’ll have to defer to Ines Cho’s more candid review in the Joongang, when she visited Casa Maya’s new location in Hongdae after they closed the one south of the river.
Edit: What’s with Apgujeong being kryptonite for Mexican places? First Casa Maya moves, then Casa Loca’s place in Apgu and King Taco bow out. I’m still reeling from the loss of Shwing, even though that had nothing to do with Mexican. Dos Tacos is still in that area, though. But who knows for how long.
I suppose a Best Mexican food in Korea series cannot go without some mention of Casa Loca. They came onto the scene in 2005 with the impact of a stick busting open a Piñata, bringing in a Mexican chef from Mexico City to oversee the kitchen, rolling out great branding, website, marketing, TV advertising, PPC ads for every possible Mexican keyword on Naver, etc…The food review TV programs lapped it up and also gave them some free exposure. Then the Apgujeong location opened and talk began to circulate of 2 other locations possibly opening up soon. Then, something must have happened internally, as the prestigious Apgujeong location has since closed and things quieted down. The Yeouido location still stands and churns out some of the finest Mexican that Seoul has to offer, with burritos, tacos, tostados, jalisco, and they’ve even tweaked a bit for any Koreans who are finicky, by offering accepted western staples, like steak and BBQ ribs.
