OPTIONS: One of the many varieties of kimchi is seen during a preview dinner for the returning Taste of Korea promotion at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort Aqua restaurant. Jonah Benavente/The Guam Daily Post
POPULAR DISHES: Taste of Korea returns this weekend at the Dusit Thani, and so do some of the most popular dishes from the country. Some of the dishes included in the buffet, seen here, are Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki and spicy stir-friend pork with tofu. Jonah Benavente/The Guam Daily Post
LET'S EAT: The buffet opens as guests rush to get a Taste of Korea on Thursday at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort in Tumon. The dining promotion at Aqua, which was postponed for several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is making its return this weekend. Jonah Benavente/The Guam Daily Post
COMFORT FOOD: Stir-fried seafood and vegetables wait to be sampled during a preview dinner Thursday of the returning, weekendlong Taste of Korea promotion at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort. The dish, red with the spices and chilis it was cooked with, is just one of the many warm and comforting options waiting for diners at the hotel's restaurant Aqua. Jonah Benavente/The Guam Daily Post
OPTIONS: One of the many varieties of kimchi is seen during a preview dinner for the returning Taste of Korea promotion at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort Aqua restaurant. Jonah Benavente/The Guam Daily Post
POPULAR DISHES: Taste of Korea returns this weekend at the Dusit Thani, and so do some of the most popular dishes from the country. Some of the dishes included in the buffet, seen here, are Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki and spicy stir-friend pork with tofu. Jonah Benavente/The Guam Daily Post
LET'S EAT: The buffet opens as guests rush to get a Taste of Korea on Thursday at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort in Tumon. The dining promotion at Aqua, which was postponed for several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is making its return this weekend. Jonah Benavente/The Guam Daily Post
COMFORT FOOD: Stir-fried seafood and vegetables wait to be sampled during a preview dinner Thursday of the returning, weekendlong Taste of Korea promotion at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort. The dish, red with the spices and chilis it was cooked with, is just one of the many warm and comforting options waiting for diners at the hotel's restaurant Aqua. Jonah Benavente/The Guam Daily Post
Diners looking for a buffet this weekend may want to try to grab a table at Aqua, located in the Dusit Thani Guam Resort in Tumon.
The hotel is bringing back its award-winning Taste of Korea celebration tonight and for Sunday brunch and dinner, coinciding with the Korean holiday of Chuseok or Hangawi - an autumn harvest festival and three-day holiday in South Korea.
It’s the third year the Tumon hotel will be offering the promotion, after an unavoidable pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But its return is just one example of a recovering tourism market, said Dean Huntsman, regional vice president for operations for Dusit Hotels and Resorts.
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“The last couple of months, the support we’ve been getting out of Korea has been absolutely fabulous," he said Thursday evening, referencing the recent uptick in travelers from South Korea vacationing on Guam. Huntsman later said: “It’s been a tough couple of years for all of us, I’m sure. But we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we’re really excited.”
That night, industry partners including tour companies, airlines and the Guam Visitors Bureau, as well as The Guam Daily Post were invited for a preview of the dishes conceived by three celebrated chefs from South Korea whose resumes include top hotels and high-level diplomatic clientele, including one regarded as a master chef in the country.
“The menus that chef Baek (Young Ran) and I have selected for this Taste of Korea require a lot of labor and devotion,” said chef An Dong Chan. “Nevertheless, we did our best to prepare and make it with the hope that the guests of Taste of Korea could experience as many new and diverse Korean food as possible. So I hope you get a good experience with delicious, traditional Korean food this time.”
The food served this weekend is familiar, yet surprising, warming in many respects - and as delicious and decadent as residents and visitors have come to expect from locally available Korean fare.
Many of the dishes will satisfy those looking for spice in their meal. From the tteokbokki simmering in a sauce that didn’t skimp on chili paste, to stir-fried seafood and vegetables stained a fiery red, there are plenty of options. But locals should keep an eye out for the brisket soup - a comforting bowl of kådu just pika enough to keep you going back spoon after spoon, bowl after bowl.
And if the preview dinner is any indication, those lucky enough to make a reservation should also keep a watchful eye out for when the braised short ribs are refilled. The sweet, savory and buttery beef dish was the first hot item to be extinguished by Thursday’s guests.
Don’t dismiss the cold side of the buffet, though. There are heat and surprises in store there, as well.
All the varieties of kimchi should be sampled to get a better appreciation of how distinct each one is. Even those averse to spicy foods have an option especially for them: the nabak, or water kimchi, which is miles away from the standard, mom and pop store jar found in many refrigerators on Guam.
Instead of a punch of spicy fermentation and tang one might associate with the word “kimchi," nabak is a mild palate cleanser: where crisp vegetables give way to the kind of acidity that pairs well with the rich main dishes elsewhere on the buffet line.
Fans of Korean cuisine’s integration of fruit into meat and seafood dishes will love the event’s twist on shrimp salad. Its creamy dressing with hints of sesame coat the seafood that’s paired with red onion and pear to introduce surprising notes of sharpness or sweetness with each successive bite.
Kids, meanwhile, are sure to dig into the Korean-style fried chicken and deep-fried dumplings - but parents should also encourage even their picky eaters to add the japchae to their plate. The one served Thursday added kid-friendly sweetness thanks to the strips and bits of bulgogi nestled in between the stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables.
Customers dining at Aqua this weekend for Taste of Korea will also be able to live cooking stations including bibimbap, galbi and much more.
“I have cooked in various countries such as U.S.A., Mexico, China and Japan to promote Korean food, but this is my first time cooking Korean food in Guam,” said chef Baek. “We have prepared a great variety of foods for your various experiences. We hope that those who visit Dusit Thani's Taste of Korea could enjoy the food we prepared.”
Dinner: 5 to 9 p.m. $49* for adults and $25* for children ages 6 to 11.
Sunday brunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. $65* for adults and $25* for children 6 to 11.
Seating is limited. Inquire about Dusit Gold Membership pricing to get 20% off.
For more information, or to make reservations, call 671-648-8000 or book online with OpenTable.
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