jae boo do

los angeles, ca

link to yelp

i have to thank angie for introducing me to korean cheese corn! it's cheesy buttery spicy korean corn served on a hot pan. love. she also introduced me to korean bbq with a twist - seafood instead of meat. it was strange, but delicious. and a little dangerous. clams and mussels had a tendency to pop and explode if they were left on the grill too long. so you have to watch the grill carefully and grab the hot shells with your gloved hand before disaster strikes. it's an interactive eating experience - lots of fun, lots of yum. and there's korean cheese corn! what else do you need to know?

kogi truck

los angeles, ca

website

one of the kogi trucks parks outside of my office building EVERY WEDNESDAY. so dangerous. the food is extremely heavy, but so delicious. i've tried the kogi dog - hot dog topped with kimchi and mayo; the blackjack quesadilla - grilled tortillas with spicy pork, onions, and cheese; the short rib tacos; and the short rib burrito. all of them are amazing. all of them are super greasy. it looks like there are a lot of vegetables in the picture, but that's only a crunchy topping to what is greasy meat, mayonnaise, and cheese underneath. southern california's healthy vibe might be rubbing off on me because i haven't been back to the kogi truck in a while - it's just too much for lunch. try it, but don't make it a habit.

genwa

los angeles, ca

website

okay, the backlog is getting overwhelming and i'm now getting nearly daily reminders from various people that i haven't updated my blog in forever. so i'm going to try to catch up, but might end up paying short shrift to some places. like this one. i've already suggested that los angeles has the best korean bbq in the country. (having tried korean bbq in NY, LA, Seattle, and SF, i consider myself an expert). anyway, cindy c took anthony and i here for korean bbq before catching our flights back to palo alto and DC. in august 2012. (did i mention that i'm behind on my blogging). anyway, it was delicious. my favorite is the thinly sliced daikon wrapper for the barbecued beef. the perfect crunchy and tart balance to the fatty meat. yum! okay, one down. only several dozen left to go ...

sorabol

san francisco, ca

website

after breakfast at the ferry building i walked over to union square to do some shopping. having learned my lesson from my last visit to the westfield shopping center, i went back to tina's food court recommendation - korean food at sorabol. i'm pretty sure they cook the bulgogi in butter. according to jinny, that's how real koreans cook, anyway.

in an attempt to be healthy, i decided to add some spicy tofu, which was good but uninteresting. next time i'll just get extra bulgogi. the kimchee is free - grab a few containers when you get to the end of the line. good flavor to the kimchee, it adds the right amount of acidity to match the buttery bulgogi. there's probably better korean food in the city somewhere else, but sorabol is a great option if you get hungry while shopping.

so gong dong tofu house

palo alto, ca

link to yelp

the volvo ended up requiring overnight repairs so i was stranded. derek left work to pick me up and we decided to grab a meal nearby at so gong dong tofu house. i had been there before when we first moved from new york and i remember having a very disappointing bibimbap.

well, i've either forgotten what good korean food tastes like or so gong dong tofu house just does a better job with their soon du bu (spicy tofu soup). my soup was quite tasty and derek actually enjoyed his kalbi. i need an real korean person to try this place out and let me know if my taste buds are still working.

namu @ ferry building farmer's market

san francisco, ca

website

the weather cooperated quite nicely for cindy's visit. it was a gorgeous sunny saturday afternoon when we went to the ferry building in sf. walked through the stalls, got some cheese from cowgirl creamery and amazing almond brittle coated in dark chocolate from g.l. alfieri. there's also a farmer's market behind the ferry building in the plaza with produce stands and food booths.

cindy and i found a booth serving korean food and decided to get the kimchee fried rice. this is now the second picture on my blog of cindy holding food in front of a landmark as she angled the plate of fried rice in front of the bay bridge. fried rice was decent and appropriately spicy. we realized too late that the booth next to namu had fried macaroni and cheese, which might have been a more interesting option.

korean bbq

palo alto, ca

link to yelp

yes, that is apparently the name of the restaurant. which is somewhat descriptive because they do serve korean food, some of which was probably barbecued earlier in the day. it's tucked away in a corner of town & country mall. in fact, we had been to town & country at least a dozen times before and we had never seen it. derek found it on the internet when he was searching for korean food.

the restaurant is basically a buffet of pre-cooked korean food, most of which gets nuked in the microwave before they serve it to you. you choose two entrees and two ban chan for your plate. i went with the japchae (noodles), bulgogi, crab seafood salad and kimchee. the food isn't great - the bulgogi is a bit dry and the japchae is a little bland, but it's basically the quality that you would expect from a fast food korean buffet spot in a mall. (although the korean in the westfield san francisco mall is much better).

korilla bbq

twitter

website

los angeles has the famous kogi truck, which started the whole korean taco movement. what is it with so many food movements these days? anyway, i've never been able to try the kogi truck, but nyc finally got its own version with the korilla bbq truck. every day, people vote on its website to determine the next day's lunch location. midtown east won a few weeks ago. once again, jenny and i found ourselves waiting in a very long line with a lot of other asians.

the korilla truck was relatively new when we went, so it was still working out some of the kinks. there was an overwhelming amount of options - type of meat, type of veggies, type of sauce, type of kimchi, cheese or no cheese, even salsa? i enjoyed the cucumber kimchi - it reminded me of the spicy cucumbers my mom used to make. but frankly, the korean tacos were just alright. kimchi + bulgogi is always going to taste good, but i didn't find anything interesting about adding it to a taco. the corn tortillas were dry and overpowered the rest of the taco. it's a novel idea, but the execution needs some work.

bcd tofu house

new york, ny

website

after a very funny ricky gervais show at MSG, i convinced derek and eric to go to bcd tofu house for a late dinner. despite the fact that i can't handle spicy food, i love spicy tofu seafood soup - sun du bu. i think the version at tofu house is excellent, especially since i can customize the spiciness level. we also ordered kimchi bi bom bop (they don't have kimchi fried rice which is what derek wanted) and pajun. very good.

i have one question, though. at the end of each table, they place a castiron bowl with rice inside. after scooping out the rice and serving each person at the table, they pour water into the bowl and leave it on the end of the table. we decided there were two possible explanations: (1) to make it easier to clean the bowls later and (2) so that you can eat the crispy bits of rice at the bottom of the bowl. do any koreans read my blog? what is the point of the watery rice bowl?

NOTE: koreatown location is apparently closed.

new york hotdog and coffee

new york, ny

CLOSED

derek and i have passed by this place many times, usually on our way to another restaurant. the sign in the window "korean buglogi hot dogs" catches our eye, but we never stop since we're eating elsewhere. derek is particularly intrigued by the combination of an all-american hot dog and korean barbecue. a few weeks ago, we finally decided to make a special trip to satisfy his curiosity.

the verdict? interesting, but not that great. it tasted like sauteed beef and onions on top of a hot dog. the bulgogi wasn't flavorful enough to make a real difference. i had a plain hot dog and although i enjoyed it, it wasn't worth making a special trip for. the whole restaurant is very odd - why the combination of hot dogs and coffee? it just doesn't work.

koryodang

new york, ny

website

after eating spicy korean food, i like to indulge in a cool dessert. in k-town, there's not a whole lot of choices (unless you want frozen yogurt, ew). i've actually been to koryodang quite a few times. it's interesting because i'm pretty sure that the servers neither speak nor understand english. which is fine, because other than taking your order, they don't really pay any attention to you. also, this place is really expensive ($7 for a coffee). i know, i'm really talking it up. whatever - it's a lowkey and convenient place to get some post-dinner sweets.

jinny ordered a korean shaved ice dessert with fruit, red beans, and mochi that looked quite delicious. i saw that they served crepes and decided to order a plain crepe with powdered sugar. the server appeared to understand and acquiesce. however, when my dessert arrived, it was a gigantic crepe stuffed with a slice of cake soaked in liquer, piles of bananas, and whipped cream, then topped with chocolate sauce, almonds, and a ridiculous amount of powdered sugar. and a side of ice cream. it wasn't bad, but it wasn't what i wanted. oh well, i'll be back anyway.

natural tofu

32nd (5th/bway)

link to yelp

despite the granola-sounding name, it's just a typical korean restaurant. located at 34 W. 32nd, you have to walk through an office lobby and go up the stairs toward the "seoul garden" sign to find the place. the ventilation isn't great and jinny was attacked by a giant bug. not good.

i ordered the tofu soup (mild) and jinny did the same (spicy). my tofu soup was alright, but i prefer smaller pieces of seafood and meat. the kalbi on the side was decent, but nothing special. and the ban chan was just okay. combine the just-okay food with the ventilation and infestation issues ... i think we'll try a different k-town spot next time.

fried chicken dinner @ momofuku noodle bar

new york, ny

website

large-format meals, where a restaurant prepares a preset meal for a large group of people, are a growing trend in nyc. some examples include resto's pick-an-animal meal and the ssam bar's bo ssam feast. derek, however, loves fried chicken and has had his heart set on the noodle bar's fried chicken dinner since it debuted last fall. momofuku uses an egalitarian online system, so whether you're able to snag a reservation depends entirely on luck and persistence. after months of trying, derek managed to get reservations for 4 of us at 11:45 pm on a friday night. not the best time slot, but with less than 40 reservations available each week, you take what you can get.

the long-awaited night finally arrived, but derek didn't leave the office until 11:15 pm. michelle, jenny, and i also had long weeks at work. so it was four bleary-eyed young professionals who sat down at momofuku just before midnight. a few glasses of wine later, however, we were ready for our giant mountain of fried chicken served two ways - southern and korean. the seasoning on the southern style was a little too salty, but the meat inside was amazingly moist and flavorful. honestly, i've never had juicier fried chicken breast. the korean style was extremely crunchy with an appropriately sticky sweet spicy sauce. an hour and a half later, we had managed to finish about 2/3 of the mountain without falling asleep. quite an accomplishment. it was a delicious and fun food adventure - there's something special about sharing a giant plate of chicken with friends - but next time we'll do a fully conscious trip to bon chon instead.

bon chon (boka)

new york, ny

website

michelle, derek and i skipped dinner in order to wait in line to see "sherlock holmes" (which was highly entertaining) so by the time the movie got out at 1:30 am, we were very hungry. michelle suggested bon chon nearby at st. mark's, which is always open late. i've only had bon chon when derek brings home takeout, so this is the first time i've been in the actual restaurant. the st. mark's location is nice - clean and laid-back.

we ordered some lychee soju and a half & half order of chicken - half spicy and half garlic+soy. the lychee soju was surprisingly good. the chicken was amazing. korean fried chicken is double-fried and dressed with a light glaze. this gives the skin a light crispy texture. imagine walking through a foot of snow on the ground, where the top of the snow has frozen. each time you take another step, you have to break through the crispy shell to sink through the soft snow below. that's what this chicken is like - you bite through the delicate crispy skin to reach the juicy meat inside. so good.

arirang

new york, ny

link to yelp

korean comfort food! who knew? well, jinny. she brought me to arirang in k-town. it's a little hard to find, so i'm going to include the address in this post: 32 W 32nd St. we ordered the seafood pajeon and chicken soup with homemade noodles (kal-jaebi). as you can see from the photo, the portions are huge. and very filling. be careful, the noodles will expand after you've eaten them...

the pajeon had fresh tasty bits of seafood, lots of green onions, and wasn't too greasy. i usually prefer my pajeon flatter and crispier, but it was still good. the noodles are like thick jiaozi wrappers - chewy and doughy. the soup was very rich and hearty - like a poultry version of tonkotsu broth. tastes just like the chicken broth my mom makes at home. this noodle soup is perfect if you're ever feeling under the weather or otherwise in need of doughy noodles.

bibim bar

new york, ny

link to yelp

derek and i were in the mood for asian food and decided to wander down to st. mark's and try to find something around there. we ended up at bibim-bar, which i read about on serious eats. it's actually one avenue past the main st. mark's strip. we both ordered the dolsot bibimbap with bulgogi and shared dumplings and kimchee pajeon.

the bibimbap in the hot stone bowl was pretty good. better than manna kitchen, i expect, but not better than k-town. dumplings and pajeon were good, but not great. derek pointed out that it's probably meant to be a late night spot. the evidence - they had a wide selection of sake, it was empty at noon on sunday, the fabric on the seat cushions was stained and dirty, and none of the furniture matched. definitely not worth hiking all the way to first avenue for - might as well walk north to k-town instead.

karendipity cooks: kimchi fried rice

lest you think that my kitchen is used solely for storage and reheating leftovers, i will from time to time post items that i have cooked myself...

made a giant pot of kimchi fried rice, which derek loves. not as good as the restaurant version but that's probably because i use a little bit of olive oil instead of the sticks of butter that koreans prefer. ingredients: kimchi, sirloin steak, green onions, olive oil, eggs, rice, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, garlic, sesame oil.

chop kimchi into bite-size pieces. thinly slice steak, mix with cornstarch, then season with soy sauce/sugar. heat a bit of olive oil, add onions, then add steak. chop up cooked steak into bite-sized pieces. separately, do the same thing with the scrambled eggs. in a giant pot, heat onions and garlic in olive oil, add rice, season with a bit of soy sauce, fry for a while. add kimchi. add sesame oil. continue frying to preferred crispiness level. try not to burn anything. eat.

momofuku noodle bar

new york, ny

website

new york city is currently obsessed with david chang and his momofuku restaurants. he's probably the hottest chef in the city right now and has been for a few years. however, few outside of the city have heard of him because he doesn't have a show on foodtv. i'm not enough of a foodie (yet) to follow chefs that closely, but i appreciate the quality of the ingredients at momofuku and their unique approach to food. i'm definitely looking forward to the release of the momofuku cookbook. i might even (gasp) cook something in my own kitchen.

once you have a bowl of the momofuku ramen, you'll never be able to eat instant noodles out of a styrofoam cup again. okay, that's not true, but while you're eating your styrofoam noodles you'll be wishing you had a bowl of momofuku noodles. when compared to ramen setagaya and ippudo, momofuku wins as the porkiest and most "american." as you can see, there is crispy pork belly, shredded pork shoulder, and a perfectly soft-boiled egg. the broth is rich and fatty - amazing. derek had the chilled spicy szechuan noodles, which he really enjoyed. as part of the momofuku approach to dining, the menu changes frequently. the momofuku ramen is a constant, but derek really wants to go back before they replace the chilled spicy noodles...

korea palace

new york, ny

website

okay, so it's a little disappointing to blog about korea palace right after writing up my two paragraphs on sorella. it's midtown. it's close to work. it's korean food. there's really not much more to say than that. is korean food better in k-town? yes. do i wish that sorella was in midtown? yes. but what can you do?

thankfully korea palace is a great place to meet up with similarly-midtown-bound friends. lin and i had a fun lunch chatting over oxtail soup and naeng myun noodles (my icy spicy soup - refreshing as always). i suggest getting to the restaurant around noon because any later and you'll either have to wait for a table or you'll get stuck in the back room. if you're craving bi bim bap and you're stuck in midtown east (you know who you are) - they also serve a decent bi bim bap in a hot stone bowl. otherwise, hop on the subway and head down to 32nd street.

soo won galbi

los angeles, ca

link to yelp

wow - this was quite a lunch. jinny and kurt found this place on yelp. there's an odd "valet" system where a guy stands near the restaurant, parks your car for you in the small lot that you just drove into, and then halfway through your meal, gives your keys back to you and asks for money. whatever - the food was amazing! i'm glad my brother chris drove an hour into the city to join us and he seemed pretty happy as well.

this was better than any korean food that i've had in new york and it was half the price of our usual k-town bbq meals. the highlight? the BEEF BACON. we're pretty sure that it's brisket, but somehow the thinly sliced pieces of meat sizzle on the hot grill right in front of you to the point where it starts tasting like bacon. but with beef. yum. this restaurant also provides flat rice noodle and sliced daikon wrappers to wrap your meat in. so good. i'm glad i went, but my visits to 32nd street k-town will never be the same again.