Among many hotels in Seoul, Korea Lotte Hotel’s French restaurant Pierre Gagnaire initiated a One Hour business lunch in place of its more than Two Hour business lunches served in the past, there are other choices however, for people that have no time constraints.

Renaissance Hotel’s Irodori Japanese restaurant has begun delivering bento boxes, Japanese-style lunch boxes to executives in the area.

It seems that speedy lunches are becoming a trend as well as lowering of prices for lunch in line with the economic downturn.

The Matsutake Mushroom is not so much about taste as it is fragrance, it has a very faint, in some cases, almost indistinguishable earthy, pine scent. They are hard to find and are usually hidden under leaves at the foot of a pine tree. Each year it is becoming harder to find enough of them in Japan to meet demand, to supplement the supply they are also gathered in Korea, China and the Pacific Northwest coast of North America.