A taste of Korea at the Hyatt Regency

DINERS who crave for Korean cuisine are in for ten days of a mouth-watering feast as Hyatt Regency Saipan celebrates the Chuseok festival at its Kili Café & Terrace.

To give its diners a taste of authentic Korean cuisine and bring the spirit of “Chuseok”, a Korean thanksgiving celebration here, Hyatt Regency has brought in two chefs from the Hyatt Regency Incheon.

“From Oct. 1 to 10, diners at the Kili Café & Terrace will be treated to a wide selection of authentic Korean buffet prepared by two chefs from Korea,” Hyatt Regency Saipan’s executive chef Gabrielle Colombo said.

Kyoung-Yoon Jeong and Kim Tae Hoon arrived on Saipan on Tuesday and will be staying until Oct. 11.

The two chefs said that the diners can expect a variation of Korean dishes every night.

Colombo said that Hyatt Regency Saipan’s restaurants host various festivals throughout the year, but it has been some years since they brought in chefs from other countries.

“This time, we would like to bring Korea here to make our diners enjoy the true taste of Korean cuisine,” Colombo said.

Joong brings with him six years of experience at the Hyatt Regency Incheon while Kim has been with the hotel for the last four years.

But the two chefs had been assigned in other Hyatt hotels in Thailand, Philippines and other countries before.

Colombo invites the community not to miss dinner times at the Kili Café & Terrace and indulge into the chef’s creations like a spicy Korean Hot Pot, marinated grilled meats and seafood, and traditional dishes like Bulgogi beef stew and Kimchi pancakes.

He said the dining at the Kili Café for the Chuseok festival is a rare experience that cannot be equaled to dining in a Korean restaurant here.

“It’s an eat-all-you-can, drink-all-you-can feast on Korean dishes that you shouldn’t miss, and the food choices are endless,” Colombo said.

Included in the Chuseok festival dinner buffet is a wide selection of appetizers like assorted organic greens with choices of dressing and condiments, Shitake mushrooms muchin, Bulgogi mixed salad, Korean beef tartare, fresh tofu salad, Japchae, glass noodle salad and various kimchi.

The seafood bar carries reef red sashimi, seared bonito tuna, spicy lime dip, green mussel, snow crab, fresh Pusan oyster, fresh river shrimp, lemon wedges, miso bean dip, mignonette, wasaby cocktail sauce and spring onion sauce. The live cooking station offer diners assorted Korean pancakes with dipping sauce and seafood bibimbam rice.

The hot selection bar carries steamed rice with selected beans, braised chicken with spicy vegetables, Angus beef with rib stew with soy sauce, fried squid with chili sauce, and grilled autumn vegetables with marinated garlic. Top off your meal with tempting delights from the dessert bar—a selection of traditional Korean sweets and desserts.

The Chuseok dinner buffet at the Kili Café is open from 6 to 10 p.m. from Oct. 1 to 10 for $35 per person. For reservations and more information, call 234-1234 extension 26.

This article was first published at the Marianas Variety Oct. 2,2009 issue.

Hot & Spicy Wednesday nights at the Palms

IF the craving for something spicy and hot-hot-hot hits you, the place to be is at the PauPau Bar of Palms Resort Saipan on Wednesday nights.

A wide selection of hot & spicy dishes.

Last Wednesday, the restaurant launched its “Hot, Hot and Spicy night” theme with a full buffet of the hottest and spiciest dishes you could ever find in the island.

Palms Resort Saipan Executive Sous Chef Habib Akbar said this is the first time they are offering a fusion of Mexican, Mediterranean and Indian cuisine all on Wednesday nights.

“We would like to offer our clients variations in our hot and spicy buffet each time, in addition to the main dishes,” Akbar said.

The best sellers for the night are the fajitas, beef and chicken shawarma, spicy kebab, burritos, tacos, nachos and a wide array of curry dishes and salads.

A wide selection of tempting desserts is available in one section of the PauPau Bar—fresh fruits and cakes and desserts that carry Mexican flavors.

Complete your ‘Hot! Hot! Hot” dinner at the PauPau Bar as you choose from a wide selection of sumptuous dishes and cap your dinner with a choice of bottomless miller draft beer, tequila, or iced tea.

Nothing beats having a hot and spicy eat-all-you-can dinner with the blend of savory spices and herbs permeating the air, attentive waiters and staff garbed in Mexican attire assisting you to your tables, singing chefs serenading you with favorite hits, and a superb sunset at the backdrop.

Akbar said that in the next weeks, they would provide Mexican beats to add to the festive air.

“In the next weeks, customers can expect much improved services as we move toward transforming the whole bar into a Mexican-Mediterranean-Indian setting and provide customers with a satisfyingly unforgettable, hot and spicy dinner,” Akbar said.

Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry B. Tenorio said he enjoyed the wonderful food, the great service, the superb setting, and he “would be back for more.”

MVA’s Bruce Bateman shared Tenorio’s zest for the hot spicy night at the PauPau Bar.

“The food is fantastic, the setting fabulous and everything is a blast,” Bateman said.

Assistant Food and Beverage manager Christina Lustre reiterated her earlier statement that for Palms Resort Saipan restaurants, customer satisfaction is the name of the game.

“We are quite surprised with the wonderful turnout of customers for the launching of our Hot Spicy Nights, and for this we again thank the community for supporting us,” Lustre said.

Sunday brunch at Kaenju

True to its commitment of finding ways to satisfy the diversified palates of its clients, Palms Resort Saipan has another treat as Kaenju Restaurant opens its Sunday Brunch on August 30, 2009.

“This is another new feature we are offering to our clients, one that you should not miss and we would like to invite everybody to be with us as we launch Kaenju Restaurant’s teppanyaki Sunday Brunch,” Akbar said. For inquiries and reservations, please call 670-322-3311.

This article was originally published HERE