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The Lotte Hotel, which enjoyed a wealth of exposure after luring Super Bowl hero Hines Ward to the establishment for the length of his stay in Korea, is still enjoying a hearty serving of the "Hines Ward effect." According to the hotel on Friday, Ward and his mother enjoyed their first meal in Korea at its Mugunghwa restaurant, and there continues a steady stream of guests looking to dine on the same fare that the famous duo savored.
The night of Ward's arrival on April 3, he dined on Galbi (ribs) from a domestically raised Hoengsung cow, along with Pajeon (fried wheat flour patty), Dwenjang Jigae (soybean paste stew) and Naengmyun (cold noodle soup). On April 11, the athlete enjoyed the ¡°Daejanggeum¡± menu, which includes Sinsunro (Korean royal Mongolian pot) and skewered beef and mushroom Sanjeok. An employee of the hotel said, "With the explosion of interest in the Daejanggeum menu and Hoengsung Galbi, sales of those two entrees have increased by 30 percent."
The dishes are gaining in popularity as treats Koreans serve foreign clients on their visits to Korea. Meanwhile, the hotel displayed the chopsticks that Ward and his mother used when they ate Jjambbong, and they are fast becoming a sightseeing stop at the hotel.
Arriving in Korea, Ward¡¯s mother Kim Young-hee said, ¡°I¡¯d like to eat Jjambbong the most,¡± drawing people¡¯s attention, and she and her son tasted the Jjambbong offered by the hotel¡¯s Chinese restaurant Dorim before they left Korea. At the time, the restaurant presented the footballer with a membership of the Chopstick Club for VIP customers and offered them a set of fine chopsticks. The chopsticks they used were put in an exclusive case with their signatures and are displayed with other VIP chopsticks.
A hotel staffer said, ¡°Customers are showing a lot of interest in the chopsticks displayed in front of the restaurant -- they have become a PR boon for us.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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