J I N H W A F I C A T I O N

Korea meets Russia : Elza Fancy Food in Brighton Beach, New York

It's been a long, long time since I'd even logged in this website.

Well, I did something extraordinary. I gave a birth to a lovely, but sleepless (so far) little girl! 9 months of pregnancy, and a true traumatic delivery, then now I'm a novice parent. Enough reason to neglect this blog, don't you agree?

Being a parent means a lot of things. And one of those is that you can't go anywhere without thinking of hassles you have to go through with a new born baby. Even going to a grocery store on my block makes me think, think, and rethink. 

So, going to Brighton Beach that requires me  an hour subway ride for lunch? Forget it. But it's a painful give-up because I do miss authentic, hearty Korean Russian foods there at Elza Fancy Food. This post is a true 'pre-baby' nostalgic one. 

The place used to be called 'At Your Mother-In-Law' Cafe.  but I saw a same chef in the kitchen before and after. 

Obviously, Koreans migrated to Russia (Soviet Union then) in late 1800s to 1900s. After so many years, they do look like Korean but they rarely speak Korean. However, Korean foods did survive in their gene. Elza Fancy Food is the perfect example of this survival. 

Unassuming attitude is everywhere in the place. Not so Russian feel, I would say. Just a Russian TV channel hints you they might serve you something Russian. Or Russian Korean. Or Korean Russian. On the menu you will find a handful of 'Korean' this and that. 

You will notice an extensive list of Kimchi, first. They call it 'Chim Cha' or 'Hye'. It's not surprising old Korean name for Kimchi used to be 'Dim Che'. A strong connection there, you can imagine. 

From the most common napa cabbage kimchi, Chima Cha ($3.40/lb), to exotic eggplant hye ($3.99/lb), Elza Fancy Food has many options to offer.  

Chim Cha has a cleaner taste than regular kimchi you'd find at a Korea restaurant. My hunch is that Elza's version skips fish sauce. Theirs is more like refreshing salads. I loved it. 

Eggplant hye wasn't bad, but it was oily. It also had black pepper in it, which is an odd ingredient for regular Korean kimchi. Guess it's Russian infusion.  

Cucumber cha ($3.99) was similar to eggplant one. Not so spicy but oily and peppery, but you can definitely tell fermentation is part of the making process.  

Now, this is my favorite, Yug-Gyadya ($7.5). Elza put another name next to it, 'Korean beef soup'. If you're familiar with Korean cuisine, this one would remind you of Yug Gye Jang, a spicy beef soup with various of vegetables and glass noodles.  Here, they serve you a white soup with all kinds of spices, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Mix and match as you wish. 

This was the my version. It's so hearty and satisfying. Mix a bowl of rice right into it, then have a spoonful bite with a piece of kimchi. A little sweat on your forehead and nose will tell you that you're eating really WELL and your body likes it too! 

My other favorite is Kuksu (picture above). Yep. This one has an identical name. Kuksu means basically noodle dish. At Elza you can have a refreshing cold noodle soup. I suspect it's beef broth. Kuksu comes with beef strips, cabbage, egg, cucumber with a touch of dill. Again, dill is herb that you would never see in Korean dish. 

Now, this giant omelet isn't particularly Korean. Eggs are everywhere! Inside of this, you'd find beef, mushroom and good amount of mayonnaise. It can be little heavy for someone, but filling.  It's served with carrot kimchi.  

I am missing this little place, tucked in on the corner of burstling streets of Brighton Beach. Maybe I can visit with my little one soon, hopefully. 

Share |

Grilled Pork Belly Korean Way : Miss Korea in Korea Town, New York

Koreans love to grill pork belly. One report shows that a Korean eats 9 kg of pork belly a year on average. That's at least once a week, people. Their love for pork even made it possible to open a pork butcher shop in Jordan, a Muslim country. 

Since I'm away from that pork belly loving culture, it's about once or twice a YEAR that I'm grilling pork belly. What a shame..

So recently, when the pork belly craving God descent, I didn't resist. I decided to check out one of the most recent Korean restaurants in New York, Miss Korea. It turned out they have a nice lunch pork grill menu with a decent price tag. 

A better exterior design of Miss Korea looked promising. I like the big opening window, too. 

It's quite a big space inside. Do you see overhead grilling fume ventilation systems? For lunch, it didn't work at all. When we asked why, one of the waiters said, it was working "FAINTLY". But, honestly, it didn't work. When we pressed harder, she chose to keep her silence. 

One of the joy of Korean eating is endless side dishes (banchan). When you order BBQ stuff, they will give you a full version. So to experience side dish frenzy fully, consider ordering BBQ, not a bowl of cold noodle. Miss Korea spread out about 10 items before the meal. Nothing exceptional, but they hit the average taste bar. 

Grilled pork belly always tastes better when wrapped into a lettuce leaf on the bed of spicy scallion salads. The white old kimchi was accompanied to be grilled together with pork. Delish, delish. Try this trick at home, too. Slices of kimchi grilled with pork belly oil will open your eyes, I promise. 

The main cast of the day; Pork belly. It's unfrozen which makes a big difference. The belly was thick and healthy looking. Three strips were a lunch portion for two people ($12.95 per person). Four strips for a dinner menu. The lunch menu reads "cook your own BBQ with today's chef special soup" but they didn't serve the special soup for us saying they "don't serve the soup", so I don't know if the menu tells you the truth. 

Grilling time! Waiter does the job, so don't worry if you're new to this stuff. But, again, without ventilation system working, be prepared to be soaked with porky smoke. 

I like it as crispy as possible. Look at that brownish grilled kimchi. Sooo good. 

A perfectly grilled pork belly slice on a bed of scallions; it was full of tastes in my mouth. Pork belly means "three layers flesh" in Korean. What you see is three layers of white fat, though. When the fat loses some of weight making itself tight and chewy, you know it's grilled to perfection. 

It's hard to go wrong with this kind of dish unless the meat is really bad. Miss Korea's version wasn't exceptional to me. Like I said before about side dishes, the pork belly just hit the average. If you give me a blind test, I wouldn't distinguish it's from Miss Korea. There's no special about their pork belly. 

However, if you do the test about this Kimchi cold noodle ($4.95), I will definitely know it's theirs. It was unexpectedly yummy. Slightly sour with a sweet touch from soda (possibly Sprite) was refreshing. Floating kimchi slices and cucumbers were crunchy and noodle was cooked well. This was a half portion, a usual way to finish a Korean BBQ meal. So, next time, show off your sophisticated knowledge of Korean eating ordering one of those cold noodles after BBQ. :)

Spicy Cold Buckwheat Noodle (Bibim Naengmyun, $4.95) was good, too. But I kept tasting MSG-like buzz in the sauce. I would go for Kimchi noodle instead of this one. But it's just my taste. 

Service was spotty. Our waiter didn't look like she knew what she was doing; that kind of confusing manner makes me nervous, especially when it comes to a BBQ . And this is one of the reasons that I absolutely favor old-mom-like waiters at older Korean restaurants. I mean, they can be mean, but they know what they're doing. 

The whole meal experience wasn't memorable, but the Kimchi noodle stood up for me. I guess if you're a pork belly connoisseur, you wouldn't be satisfied at Miss Korea. But go there for their Kimchi noodle! 

Share |

Mexicali Blue : Grilled Taco & Burrito in New Paltz, New York

We go up to New Paltz, New York quite often. Relatively short drive, easy hiking courses, and abundance of green always eases our busy eyes. Since it's only a weekend trip, we are not serious about where to eat there. Usually a cozy brunch at B&Bs is enough or left-over from our cooking with local veggies is more than good. 

However, that all changed after we found out about this ridiculously good taco joint right on the Main Street. And if Anthony Bourdain approves it as "Best Taco on the East Coast", you are just obligated to go there.  

Mexicali Blue, has become our must stop in New Paltz. 

The foremost important thing about Mexicali Blue is that foods start and end on the grill. Beef, pork, salmon, tuna, veggies, catfish, whatever you order, they will pull fresh item out of a refrigerator, then let them sizzle on the grill. No defrost time for frozen stuff here.

Another standing out point about Mexicali Blue is crunchy texture. Look at those burritos lined up. Black beans and rice (they only use brown rice, stir fried with corns) are not mushy. One of my main complaints about burritos was that runny-ness, which gave an impression of lazy, tired ingredients inside. THAT is  not found here. 

Despite of my dull passion for sauces, Mexicali Blue ones are tempting. All freshly made, coconut to raspberry to blueberry to roasted garlic, variety is  impressive. 

So, shall we eat now? 

First one is Port0bell0 Mushroom Taco (the picture on the top). One head right went to the grill, then cut up, mounted with sweet red onion & super fresh guac on the toasty grilled blue corn taco for $3.75. What do you want more? 

This is Chicken Taco ($4.25) with freshly chopped tomato, cilantro, and onion. Cilantro sometimes gets me, but not this fresh one. Slightly burnt white chicken was pleasantly smoky.

Tuna Burritos ($11.50) was impressive. Asian inspired marination with Teriyaki sauce, this sushi degree of fresh tuna was cooked perfectly pinky. Then crunch cabbage with a kick of wasabi aioli all complimented each other. Also, I love the lightly oil brushed, then grilled tortilla. Its grilled, caramelized mark is always yum. 

Right one is Chilime Burrito($11.50). Lime juice bathed chicken with hot sauce, cheese, guac, fresh salsa and herb sour cream created every bite joyful. If you have a spicy craving, this is the one to go for. 

On the left is Shrimp Garlic Marinated Burrito($10.50). Perfectly grilled shrimp was sweet. Then raw cabbage balanced that mellowness out. My another favorite.  

Veggie Quesadillas ($7.95) was gooey with susbstance. A giant flour tortilla held up a nice mix of melting jack cheese and pico de gallo (fresh salsa) and chunks of meaty portobello.  

Achiote Burrito ($11.50) wrapped orange juice marinated pork, cilantro, guac, onions, pineapple with coconut ailoi. It truly is their version of Hawaiian Pizza. Overall sweet, but pork was a bit tough and pineapple overpowered the organic balance of all. 

Look these guys. Food So Good It Hurts? As I'm writing this, I feel the pain. 

They do franchise, but didn't hear that they found anything in New York City, yet. And of course, we emphasized UWS is THE best place to open one. We even hinted the address of a vacant space near us. Meh. Didn't work out.

Ah, they say they deliver.... Can you deliver yammy burritos to UWS.. like right now?

Share |

Mia Dona : Italian Meatball Restaurant in New York

I have an obsession with The New York Times 's Vows section on weekends. 

This one is very similar to my another passion with Obituary section, but happier one. Of course, these people are completely unknown to me. However, that very fact makes everything more romantic, doesn't it? 

Last weekends, when reading another couple's pinky story on wedding, for the first time, I noticed the name of the bride; Donatella Arpaia. Is this that chef from Donatella and Mia Dona? I read on, and yes, it was her. What a cute story, but I will save their Sherlock Holmes-like love story for you to read. 

That reminded me of my late visit to Mia Dona, apparently, I forgot to blog. I've heard about her mighty meatball cart during lunch, saw the long line, good anticipation was built, then reservation was made.  

First thing welcomed me at this half-sub terrain restaurant was a very, very kind manager. That warm vibe and the bright, woody floor matched perfectly. 

Bread arrived with a heavy iron skillet. Simple italian bread was so-so, and the pound cake like bread was unnecessarily sweet and stale. 

Olive oil was fresh, but salt and pepper sprinkled on the top was even more refreshing.

We opted a lunch pre-fixe for $24.07 which came with Lobster Bisque, Grilled Hanger Steak, and Zeppole. Also, added a few more items to our lunch. Here we go. 

Lobster Bisque with focaccia croutons was above the average, but salty. Creamy, tomato based soup was comforting, but just too salty to continue to savor.

Mama Maria's Meatballs ($10) met my expectation. We chose a spicy one, and it was the subtle spicy-ness that enhanced the whole meatball experience. It was juicy, soft, and melting. 

Grilled Hanger Steak was topped with watercress and pickled onion salad. Sweet and sour taste excelled our appetite. Meat was well cooked and the portion was good.  

Cavatelli with Rock Shrimp ($17) was overall good, but not memorable. Not quite sure where that bland taste is rooted... 

Zeppole with lemon cream was the highlight of the day. Toasty, sugary mini donuts dipped into creamy, but airy, lemony cream was delightful. 

I wouldn't say our dining experience was rocking, but it was satisfying, and I'm planning to go back for meatballs. This time, it will be all about meatballs.  

 Share |

Old Talbott Tavern : Southern Fried Chicken in Bardstown, Kentucky

Kentucky Fried Chicken was fixated in my mind long before I footed in a flight to Louisville, Kentucky recently. 

I even thought I would pay a pilgrimage to Sanders Cafe where the very first KFC was battered and fried by Mr. Sanders. Then, my religious feeling about it started to fade once my friends recommended this place, Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, Kentucky.

Built in 1779 (see it at the doorstep in the picture above?), and has been called the oldest western stagecoach stop in America? My curiosity became uncontrollable. Many times, I eat with my head not with my mouth, I must confess. 

Old Talbott Tavern has changed names so many times in its over 200 years of survival. However, its legends of people who ate and stayed still stay alive. Maybe that's what Food & Wine meant by "a slightly spooky charm". 

Andrew Jackson, Hennery Harrison, and even King Louis Philippe from France stayed here? Abraham Lincoln when he was 13 years old slept here as well. More recently(!), Alexander Walters, one of the co-founders of the NAACP was born here to a slave mother. 

So.. Mr. Sanders who? 

Quintessential look of an old stagecoach stop; Open veranda upstairs. Some dusty men sitting there with their boots up with a cigar or a shot of whiskey.... my mind was in a mode of Back to the Future. 

You can go upstair browsing around. The veranda looked historic. Now, upstairs still has rooms to stay. I wouldn't consider to stay since its old wooden floor is quite squeaky. 

The tavern has different seating areas. We sat at the casual half bar/half seating area. The old naked stone walls and dark wooden floor made me sniff around its history. 

More family dining area was also available with historic frames and relics. With history and story, and self guided tour, it was time to eat some birds. 

Before the bird, Burgoo was presented. This funny name dish is like a watery chili soup with all kinds of meat. Traditionally burgoo didn't come from Kentucky, but apparently Kentuckians love it so much that almost every restaurants in KY feature this soup on the menu. With a spicy kick, burgoo is a must try if you're in KY. 

Southern Fried Chicken ($16.99) was the highlight. The menu warned that it would take "55 minutes to prepare". I didn't believe. So when our charming , slightly Southern accented waiter, Matthew came, I asked. "Does it really, REALLY take 55 mins?"  with a New Yorker's disbelief attitude. 

"Yes, Mamm" , he was serious. Then he explained, "lard needs to be melted in our iron cast skillets, first." Lard? Did he say lard, indeed? I shut myself up. I was going to taste a real Southern Fried Chicken, here. Non of that sissy olive or veggie oil stuff here. 

But my ADHD ego wasn't able to be calm. I called Matthew again. "Can I go in the kitchen and see?" as if I was entitled. 

"No, Mamm", he was serious. But his Southern hospitality gave me another chance.

"Why do you need to go in?" 

"I want to see the lard and skillet for myself...", my defeated voice was crawling. 

"Is that it? Ok. I will take a picture of it and show it to you then."

His iPhone screen showed pieces of chicken bathed in hot bubbly lard. "Is this what you wanted?", this kind lad made sure to comfort this annoying customer.  I was satisfied and my fellow diners giggled.

Now, the taste. Heavy lard smell was right at my face. At first, I was confused if I was eating pork or chicken. Seasoned batter was thick and crispy. However crispiness wasn't from light batter, it was a result of thick batter fried in lard long, long, long time. 

Like I said, I eat with my head. As soon as I processed how it was cooked, my heart slowed down and my brain was frightened by possible 4 digits calories. I emailed an SOS message to my husband; "My heart has stopped, please send me an ambulance."  

But overall, it was worthwhile. I would order this again when I go back. Then, I will make sure that I witness that lard from the beginning to end. 

My friend ordered Tavern Burger ($9.95). It was a nice, juicy half pound meat with toasted bun, but wasn't memorable. I loved that un-apologizing cup of mayo, though. So blunt, but yet naive and honest. 

Derby Pie is a must in KY. Its hurting-ly sweet taste goes well with a bitter cup of coffee.Chocolate and walnut messed up in a pie shell couldn't be sweeter, yet it was hard to stop digging. 

Bardstown has a nickname; Bourbon Capital of the World. If you are up to Bourbon tasting, this is the right place. It features an extensive bourbons by glass. 

It was such a Kentuckian dinner. From burgoo to lard to derby pie... then Matthew's warm southern hospitality toward this not-behaving diner... Next time, bourbon is on me, man! 

Share |

Jones Wood Foundry : English Pub with Foods in New York

The Royal Wedding was over. I still didn't get over the ant waist line of Kate Middleton.  

Hollowed by her unreal waist line, gorgeous lacy wedding dress, simple but gracious atmosphere she carried during the wedding, I headed to Jones Wood Foundry, a recent English pub, in Upper East Side, New York. 

Jones Wood Foundry which serves sausages and meat pies might not be the best place to talk about tiny waist line. But, how cares. We are only to talk about it, not make it, you will see. 

This lovely pub is being welcomed by neighbors in UES ; its homey, casual, but lively mood give locals something comfortable and fresh.

The name, Jones Wood carries unknown (at least to me) history of New York as well. The area (between 66th and 77th streets, framed by what are now Third Avenue and the East River ) where the pub resides now was once a lush woods where high society people would go for retreat. This bush was all gone before 1900, but now it revives in the name. 

Once entering, you will pass the long bar area featuring various beers including most of Trappist (both tap and bottles), then you will walk down to this bright, country house like dining area. The roof windows and the garden give plenty of natural light to brighten this open space. 

The garden is right next to the dining room. It's outdoor, but managed to be cozy. 

Then at the back, there's this pub-ish, dark leather seats. Where we sat had sky windows above us, so it was still pleasantly bright, but the general mood is dark and a little claustrophobic because of lower ceiling.

A china coffee cup seemed appropriate for this English pub place, but coffee could've been better. 

After Kate's thin body line, we all (silently or psychologically) agreed to binge on pork. I chose 'Toad in The Hole'($14). This dish has many possible origins of how it got its name, but I did not understand one of them. So I'm not sharing it here, but what I will share for sure is that its divine taste. 

Basically, it's an open popover with grilled sausages & onions in it. Delicious. Eggy, milky, warm, toasty yorkshire pudding with juicy chipolata sausage and sweet onions. How can you not dig into it? But it will take about 25 mins to cook, so be mindful depending on your starving level. 

Sausage Sarnie($12) was a simple sausage sandwich with grilled onions. The menu described it came with ketchup and caramelized onion. This ketchup which made its name on the menu wasn't special to me, but sausage was good.  

This JWF Burger & Chips ($18) was massive. On the thick wooden board, they displayed each item nicely. A huge burger with swiss cheese and bacon was perfectly salty for me. The patty was juicy, but the meat wasn't confident enough to declare that it's the finest burger in the world. Pickles were fresh, and grilled tomato was plum. Thick fingering fried potato was satisfying size, but didn't have much of flavor. And a nice patriotic flag was cute. 

Pork  binge wasn't enough. We went for sugar. Sticky Toffee Pudding ($9) sounded English and indeed, "it's the most popular dessert in the house" according to our kind server. A well baked muffin with warm, sticky toffee & caramel was sweet, as sweet as Kate's wedding dress. A dollop of vanilla bean ice cream with lightly candied, toasted almonds was yummy. The combo of those two sweets didn't feel safely healthy, but hey, Prince William got married! 

We must've stopped with sticky pudding, but we ordered another round of dessert. Fresh strawberries with warm chocolate and vanilla cream ($8). It was simple as it was. Fresh, fruity bites were refreshing, but strawberries were a little sour. 

But it came from this big mountain of strawberries which looked really good. 

 

Almost every conversation on the Royal Wedding ended with 'Aw...'.  A perfect modern fairytale was over, and our sausage driven, chatty brunch was over too. 

As I walking out, I saw the princess, a real size of cardboard version, again. There she was, smiling away the gracious confidence. Passing by her, I recounted what I just consumed; sausage, burger, fries, toffee, caramel sauce, vanilla cream, chocolate....

I held my breath, and sighed away my enlarged waist line. 

Share |

Lincoln Ristorante: Italian Restaurant at Lincoln Center in New York

Lincoln at Lincoln Center has been on my mind. Of course, I wanted to taste their much acclaimed foods, but something not quite culinary part of it concerned me - The ceiling.  

I worried about the ceiling which is the grass lawn roof of Lincoln Center. What if people run across the lawn loudly? What if I feel hammering noise from the ceiling? What if some wild kids fall through the ceiling? I mean, it went on and on. Our lousy upstair neighbors can take a full credit for this anxiety. 

Pre-consumed with nervousness, I was sitting there, at Lincoln on a lovely spring afternoon, nonetheless. 

The majestic dark wood ceiling was classic, silk-ish blue booth was gorgeous, padded seating was comfortable, bright massive window was letting a spring mid day sunshine through in... I looked across. 

Across the massive glass window, I saw young talents from Julliard School which reminded of me possible noise upstairs, again. What if stressed out students start to climb the lawn and jump up and down?

Oh, this poor soul. Deep inhale, and complete exhale... Let the food calm me down. 

Thin crackers landed. Sprinkled with rosemary, salt, olive oil, they were light and delightful. Perfect preparation for carb before bread. 

Amuse bouche was chick pea croquettes. Warm, hummus like texture with an exotic spice kick was gently surprising.  

My appetite skyrocketed after looking at this pretty dish - Fritto Di Granseola ($20), lightly battered, perfectly cooked soft shell crab. Its meat was just sweet and juicy. Lemon aioli was complimentary, and these vegetable pickles were absolutely joyful. I kept crunching on red radish, carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers. So delicious. 

I stated to relax. This was the restaurant by chef Jonathan Benno (who was the second in command at Per Se and the French Laundry) after all. Sam Sifton of the New York Times gave 2 stars.

Insalata di Pollo Alla Griglia ($20), a chicken breast arugula salad was luxurious. Well seasoned, juicy meat felt almost like dark meat, arugula wasn't overpoweringly dressed, big slices of parmigiano-reggiano were savory. Also, orange was so sweet that it was unreal. 

Cod is in season these days, so I had to try. Merluzzo ($20), a pan seared cod with peperonata and caperberries was more than good. Generous portion of tomato and bell peppers with spicy kick was well balanced. Caperberries were delightfully adding sour and salty taste. The fish was perfectly cooked leaving the meat so juicy and tender. It was so fresh that I did taste...almost pure blank. Does it make sense? 

Linguine Alle Vongole ($24) had extraordinary, super delicious razor clams in it. Astonishingly cooked to a perfection, it was just sweet. A hint of lemony taste with ramps (wild leeks) announced that spring finally has arrived. 

Halibut ($22) was a little thin to be cooked juicily. It was good, but not very good.  We asked the sauce on the side. 

This yellow sauce was made of saffron and cream. The taste was somewhat exotic, and mussels and fava beans gave something to chew on. Green garlic was missing in this rather thick creamy broth. 

Pappardelle Verdi Al Ragu Di Vitello ($24) was solid. Green homemade large broad fettucine was chewy and satisfying. Ground veal and pancetta (italian bacon) were altogether made too heavy and meaty for me, though. I needed something clean and cool taste to counter balance the heaviness. 

Dessert time. We chose gelato of chocolate, torrone(italian nougat), and stracciatella (chocolate chips) for $10. A pinch of lemony taste of torrone was fantastic and stracciatella was more milky than chocolaty which I loved, anyway. 

A cute tray of sesame biscotti,  crunchy hazelnut coco bites, chewy and fresh nougat arrived before us. We enjoyed the foods so far, and didn't want to miss out another addition to complete our lunch. 

Dipping  a biscotti into coffee, unwrapping the chocolate slowly, playing with springy nougat...perfect spring friday lunch was getting over. I looked across the window again, students disappeared into classes already. 

My unnecessary worries about noisy ceiling vanished by then, too.  

 Share |

AsiaDog : Asian Toppings Meet Hot Dog in NoLita, New York

Everything is Starbucks-ized these days.

This highly personalized concept seems to work. You choose skim or soy milk for coffee, you select whole wheat bun over white, you mix match colors for your new sneakers, you can even choose what kinds of news you are going to consume. 

The idea of personalization in this rather categorized world retouches dull 21st century consumers. Many options do not necessarily celebrate one's free will or desire, but we still do think that way, when we see an array of choices. (I didn't mean to be philosophical before introducing a hot dog joint, but guess I just did.)

So why not, individualized, personalized hot dog, people? 

AsiaDog famed itself driving & parking around New York City. Dogs, buns, and Asian inspired toppings delighted New Yorkers. Energized up with dog eaters' enthusiasm, Asia Dog recently opened their first brick and mortar shop in NoLita, New York. 

Its simple entrance without a big sign, a toned-down, heavy use of woods interior, an exposed brick wall, an open kitchen, big clean open-able window... It's a chic place, indeed. 

Let's Starbucks-ize dogs. First, choose your dogs from beef, chicken, or veggie for $4.5. Feeling organic? Organic beef is available for $5.5, too. Then  choose your bun. White or Wheat? Then go for your toppings. They offer 7 different kinds. We ordered 4 hot dogs (with all wheat buns) and 1 corn dog. "It's just a hot dog" is what we thought when ordering. 

With a refreshing freshly squeezed Limeade Soda ($3), we were ready to 'dog'  in. 

First one was Vinh with beef. This Bahn Mi style dog was well balanced between sweet pickles and jalapeno spice-ness. Toppings were fresh bringing out another level of it. Generally its taste was mild, but balance was the word to describe this one. Good start. 

Mel+Steve with beef was chosen only because I liked the name, but the taste was not memorable. Its toppings were Asian sesame slaw, scallions, and sesame seeds.  The taste just didn't live up to the name or the vibrant color. If slaw was more sour, it might've been better? 

Ginny with beef was all about homemade Kimchi. Surprisingly well fermented kimchi stood out. It's not super spicy nor smelly; it's well controlled version for non Koreans, you know. Dried nori didn't do much for the taste, but looked good. I'm still not convinced if kimchi+hot dog combo brought something new out. It's like 1+1=2 rather 1+1=46. It didn't wow me. 

Ito with chicken was my favorite. Japanese curry (like chili on hot dog) worked well. I felt familiarity, and it was tasty. Oh, apple kimchi on the top of that? Fresh ideas, new interpretation, bold application of ordinary things... I finally welcomed the Starbucks-ized hot dog.  

However, the very best discovery of the day was yet to come. Kimchi Pancake Corndog ($6) was absolutely delightful. Kimchi pancake flavored batter (thinly applied) on the dog was solid. Korean chili dipping sauce was a killer. I kept thinking of buying more of those (if possible) for my bibimbap. Just so good. 

AsiaDog is lovable. Somewhat it is intellectually stimulating, too. Did I enjoy their dogs 100%? Not so. Am I going back there again? If I happen to be around NoLita. Am I still against to the concept of that Starbucks-ized thing? Probably. But it's more complicated than that. 

Try your hot dog with chopsticks, as they display in their menu. It's certainly a new, fun way to do it, but is it the most comfortable thing in the world? You know what I mean.

Share |

Pure Thai Shophouse: Authentic Thailand Restaurant in New York

We had a nearly impossible mission; We wanted the Japanese soba master's noodle that we saw on No Reservation 2 nights ago. There we were in Hell's Kitchen in New York, looking  at constant waves of Thailand restaurants, we wanted Master's hand made noodle.  Plus, we had only 35 minutes before the show, Arcadia by Tom Stoppard. 

A cup noodle was appropriate for this moment, but we insisted. We checked out Toto Ramen, of course a long line didn't seem promising. Little Japanese places on the streets didn't look like they had the master we were looking for. 

As our grand mission was diminishing to "let's just eat something" , we found a pleasant, open window Thai restaurant, Pure Thai Shophouse. And it turned out such a serendipity of the day. 

Pure, which opened in October in 2010, is narrow and long. However, the open front round table erases claustrophobia. Most of the petite seatings is at the back . Without a grand seating area, naturally it makes sense that this could be a pretty good option for quick lunch or afternoon snack joint. 

We asked, first. "How fast are you?" "Quick" a server answered without a hesitation. So, we sat at the bar. 

This wholesome looking chicken broth pot caught our eyes. We had to start with a chicken noodle soup. Japanese soba master ain't there, but sweating Thai mama was there in front of this huge pot. 

Nakorn-Sawan Chicken Noodle ($8) arrived. Thin rice noodle was cooked perfectly; chewy but not gummy. Five spice soy broth was simple but satisfying with a sweet touch. Two big thighs were just breaking apart from a long, long braising. Very delicious. Bean sprout is always welcome to my world. 

"Ah..."

Japanese soba master, finally, left our heads. Our jealousy of Anthony Bourdain waned. We were fixed from our noodle yearning. 

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings ($6) were sweet. Maybe too sweet for our taste. An appetizer should be able to open, prepare palates for coming dishes, but this one just closed ours with sweetness. One can blame the unbalanced peanut taste, but it's Thai food in the end. It claimed that it had tofu, spinach, garlic chips, but I did not taste any of that; Only peanut stood out along with the electric green color dumpling skin. 

My sweet-numbed palate came alive again from inhaling this spicy chicken dish. Wok Basil with Chicken ($10) was pleasantly hot. Minced chicken meat was danced in basil + hot oil. Crunch bites of string beans was fun for a warm spring evening. Oh, how good it was when mixed with white steamed rice! 

Pure is a shophouse. Here you can buy things like Tamarind with Chili ($.3.25), Durian Chips ($3.5), Mango Slice with Chili ($3), or Siamese Salt ($2) . On my next visit, I will get  Thai Coffee Powder ($5) . 

Pure offers not only culinary adventure, but cultural one as well. Whatever this movie is, I might be interested to peek at it. 

Such a pleasant, unexpected find, it was. And we did all this in exactly 22 minutes; we even managed to get a cup of espresso before the show!  

Many of us make reservations of hip restaurants  after reviews, but one's dining experience is not necessarily same as the other one's. 

Pure Thai Shophouse was a fine gem we stumbled on one balmy spring night. We didn't hear about it, we didn't research, we didn't make a reservation, either. It did appear before us spontaneously in Hell's Kitchen, and we will be ever grateful for this running into. 

PS. I post-research about Pure Thai Shophouse and found out it's  a sister restaurant with Land Thai Kitchen and Recipe in our neighborhood, UWS! We will definitely check these out. 

Share |

Jung Sik Dang : New Korean Cuisine in Seoul and Soon in New York

In July 2011, you may be a little embarrassed  to say "I've eaten Korean foods" after only adventuring bibimbap or Korean  BBQ. That month, a totally different Korean restaurant will invade Tribeca, New York. Behold, New Yorkers, Jung Sik Dang (@JUNGSIKDANG on Twitter) arrives. 

Jung Sik Dang (which opened in 2009 in Seoul) is new Korean cuisine. By that I don't mean, un-distinguishable fusion stuff. I do mean new, innovative Korean cuisine. 

Chef and owner Yim Jung Sik is young. The 3o-something guy who first got interested in cooking while serving army as a cook (cooking un-edible military foods!) in Korea is curious. So he and his team are naturally playful and flavorful. He then later trained himself at an institution like CIA, then restaurants like Bouley, Aquavit, but his spirit never got trained, which is good. He also worked at Zuberoa, Akelare in Spain. 

Recently, when I went back home in Seoul, I hurried myself to dine at Jung Sik Dang. I couldn't wait till they open in Tribeca, New York in July. I had to try. Below is very similar what you're going to taste at his Tribeca post. Chef Yim confirmed me in an email.  "We will set similar menus as in Seoul", he wrote. 

The space wasn't huge, just enough for 6 tables with a room for privacy. Dark wood floor, tables were calm. Chairs were comfortable. Light green painted wall was lively. Top to bottom window corner was open facing a park, creating atmosphere of a well maintained resort of South Asia.   

Bread serving is unusual at Korean restaurants. They give you rice, you know. Jung Sik Dang offers interesting bread selections ; A petite baguette on the left is Korean hot pepper (Korean version of jalapeno). Every bite is full of surprising spicy kicks and smell. If you don't welcome this spiciness, you can apply sweet and rich butter on it, then you will be saved. The one on the right is cranberry which presents nutty and biscotti texture. 

Amuse bouche arrives. This little cute glass bowl holds a quite amazing combo in it. On the bottom, there are cherry tomatoes topped with apple foam. Ah, how refreshing! Plus, pale pinky powder of salmon adds a little ground-ness to the dish. It's light enough to be amuse bouche, but fancier to be a regular amuse bouche. Then, sprinkles of dill and herb oil. Unusually perfecto. 

Jung Sik Dang only offers tasting menus. For lunch, I chose to savor 5 courses (about $65, which features three kinds of desserts!). Here we go, my first dish, "Picking your Salads" . 

This is an edible pot of salads. A waiter warns me. "You have to wash your hands after this one, would you mind?" he asks. Of course not. First of all, variety of greens is absolutely fresh. Edible soil that holds greens is white foam of coconut & citrus yuzu. That rich creamy texture is almost like whipped cream. For greens' well being, they spray lime essence oil. That works as salad dressing. I had to restrain myself from not digging the coconut foam all the way down. Absolute pleasure start.  

 

"Korean hot pepper Cream Kalkuksu" is a must to try. Kalkuksu (hand made noodle I adore), traditionally, is not associated with cream and it usually is served with lots of soup. So, I dare to taste the experiment. Clams are sauteed first, then added to the soup. That produces a well balanced Chinese character to the dish. Also, creamy broth isn't heavy at all. Soft and sweet zucchini, garlic, and hot pepper are all working graciously. Noodles are cooked perfectly as well. Oh, they give you fork, not chopsticks to try this one. So it is sort of in between Chinese noodles and Italian spaghetti based on Korean spirit. 

This dish is a killer. "Spanish Mackerel" is cooked and presented perfectly. It is my favorite among dishes I tried that day. Fish is grilled well, but it is stuff accompanied with it that amazes me. First, the black, green sauce on the bottom is made of sesame leaves and soy sauce. That distinctive aroma captures the smoky flavor of fish. Then, see that black rocky shape sponge? It's made of dried laver. How do they do that. I can't even describe that taste. Just shockingly good and interesting. You can almost taste the curiousness of chefs. Then grilled baby potatoes to give some familiarity. It's not shown in the picture, but there are pickled radish and cucumber to cut thru fishy-ness. Also, arugula works as same purpose ; Bitter taste cutting thru oily, fishy taste. Oh, that white foam is made of soy sauce and vinegar, popped right in front of me exuding playfulness. 

The grand finale of main dish is "Rainbow Garden" featuring lobster. It's so very colorful, but before the waiter poured this green sesame butter sauce onto it, I should've taken a picture of it. It was even more beautiful; Innocent, pure colors of seafoods. Lobster was pan fried to give chewy texture, but it wasn't cooked well. Some parts were dry, and other parts were not cooked enough. I forgive that missing skill since I just loved all kinds of pickles and veggies were  presented together on this dish. Little tapioca jellies were gems. Interesting pairing of textures; jellies and lobsters. However, you're serious about lobster, skip this one. 

Now, odyssey of three dreamy desserts starts. They were all presented at one plate. This is "Rychee and Raspberry". It's so complex that I don't know where to start. White ice cream was rychee. Ah, that subtle sweetness with tropical touch! Cinnamon crumbles, raspberry cream block, spinach sponge were all delish. Each one of them should be presented separately. It's almost too generous to give those at one dish. 

This is innovative ; "Burdock Chocolate". Burdock is a root veggie that usually cooked with soy sauce for side dish. So burdock chocolate? It was just great. Brownie with burdock felt like a dark chocolate. The earthy, slightly bitter flavor of burdock works perfectly with chocolate. Then caramelized milk ice cream, yam, you can't complain. 

"Squash Panna Cota" was refreshing. Clean taste of silky and cold cream was complimentary to hugging comforting taste of squash mousse. 

Now, my very attentive waiter offers me variety of teas. You can choose from it or cup of coffee (not espresso). I choose a cup of mint tea. 

Then as if I didn't eat enough, they give me more desserts. I don't mind. Front one is shepherd's purse macaroon. Behind is mugwort muffin. In spring, Koreans are dying to eat those herb-like spring veggies which contain lots of vitamin C. We make soups, steamed side dish... But apply those into desserts? Genius. Absolutely delicious. 

We trained ourselves with Korean foods through David Chang of Momofuku, then recently with Hooni Kim of Danji. And of course, unbeatable Korea Town restaurants and Kimchi Taco trucks. They are all great. Yim Jung Sik of Jung Sik Dang, however, will take you further. Trust me. 

Share |