Korean celebrity chef, Cathlyn Choi, hosted the second annual “A TASTE of KOREA” Gala, at the Garden Suites Hotel, sponsored by the LA Korean Culture Center and Carma Media Entertainment. The gala event treated guests to a spectacular red carpet evening of Korean cuisine and entertainment, including music, dance and a fashion show. The “A Taste of Korea” Gala also commemorated the Korean Chuseok Holiday.
Vice Director of the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles Mr. Jong Moon Kim commented about ‘A Taste of Korea’ event, “Thanks to the inspiring efforts of Ms. Cathlyn Choi who created this event, all Koreans can feel a little prouder about their heritage and culture and hopefully more people will partake in preserving and sharing it with others.”
The event celebrated Cathlyn Choi’s popular TV Korean cooking show ‘Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen’ now airing on PBS Socal. Dubbed as the ‘Korean Food Ambassador’, Mrs. Choi’s show is currently the only Korean Chef in the US with her own TV cooking show in English.
The evening began by escorting guests down the velvet-roped red carpet into the elegant ballroom past ornate flower arrangements donated by the Korean American Association of San Diego. Guests sipped on cocktails and noshed on delicious Korean appetizers with a hosted wine bar sponsored by Bekseju Wines, with an hour of popular standards music performed by Entertainer Barry Cohen from ‘Big Daddy Orchestra’.
Provided by Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion, candle lit handmade Lotus flower table centerpieces and Korean panel screens accented the room in elegantly. Guests were given gift bags featuring a variety of popular Korean ingredients sponsored by Korean food manufacturer, Chung Jung Won.
Ms. Choi opened the program by asking her guests to observe a moment of silence in the room, in honor of 9/11. A highlight video screening of her 3rd season program titled ‘Cathlyn’s Korean Food Challenge‘, was shown to the guests which included a special welcome video message from renowned French Chef, Bernard Guillas of the Marine Room restaurant in La Jolla, featured in episode 1 of Cathlyn’s program. He revealed that for the first time, the prestigious Marine Room is now offering Royal Dduk Bokki, a popular spicy Korean rice cake dish as an appetizer and that their discerning diners simply love it!
The screening also featured a two part special episode that Cathlyn had produced in cooperation with the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles. It featured recipes and excerpts from a cookbook written by Korea’s First Lady, Kim Yoon-ok, called, ‘Hansik-Stories of Korean Foods’. Ms. Choi was honored to receive a congratulatory letter presented by Deputy Consul General Yong Jin, Choi on behalf of the First Lady and the Blue House in Seoul Korea after the screening. Los Angeles County Commissioner Barbara Sinclair also presented a congratulatory proclamation to Ms. Choi for the event on behalf of Second District County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.
Each course of the elaborate Korean dinner had been featured on Cathlyn Choi’s cooking show. Dinner concluded with impressive dance performances by the Kim Eung Hwa Dance Academy, including a gorgeous traditional Korean Fan Dance, an Arirang Dance featuring adorable youngsters and a breathtaking Korean Drum Dance.
One of the highlights of the evening was the Hanbok fashion show featuring over 20 original traditional and fusion Hanbok designs by renowned Korean designer Kim Me Hee, whose custom designs have been worn by the Hollywood elite including actress Sandra Oh and Nikki Hilton.
‘A Taste of Korea’ was certainly a successful event showcasing Cathlyn Choi’s Korean culture beautifully and especially for non-Koreans in attendance who greatly appreciated the experience she provided for them.
Choi enthusiastically said, “I am very happy to share my wonderful Korean foods & rich culture with others through my TV show and the many live events that I produce such as this one. I’m honored that I’m able to create a better awareness and appreciation for Korean people and culture in the US.”
View 2 special episodes from Hansik – Stories of Korean Foods.
For information on Cathlyn’s cooking show, visit www.cathlynskoreankitchen.tv
For more on Cathlyn Choi upcoming hosted events, visit www.haninevent.com or www.carmamedia.com
