Lunch Box
by Celia Cheng
February 19th, 2008
SURA
105 E 9th St
(3rd & 4th Ave)
212-982-6390
$
The Korean lunch boxes at Sura are a great deal. I’m a beef fan, so I usually go for the bulgogi (thinly sliced sirloin beef marinated in sweet soy sauce) or the kalbi (marinated rib eye beef grilled on charcoal). In addition to the main, the lunch box is served with a salad, (over)dressed in carrot miso dressing, two small pieces of mung bean pancake, two pieces of California roll, white or multigrain rice (go for multigrain as you can get white anywhere), spinach miso soup, and a roll of kimchi. It’s a copious, well-balanced meal, all for just around $10. Who wouldn’t crave that?
Posted in Beef , East Village , Korean , Lunch
Kimchi Bok Kum Bop (kimchi fried rice) w/ Shrimp
by Celia Cheng
August 16th, 2007
MOIM
206 Garfield Pl
@ 7th Ave
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-499-8092
$$
The kimchi fried rice at Moim is almost perfect in that it’s spicy, tasty, and juicy without being overly greasy. Kimchi fried rice can often turn out dry which is a big turn off. Moim’s fried rice has zucchini and mushrooms that add both freshness in flavor and contrast in texture to the main ingredient of pickled cabbage (kimchi). The shrimp is a nice addition but not necessary as the kimchi flavor is so distinctive and strong on its own, that the shrimp doesn’t add to the dish. Kimchi fried rice always whets my appetite for heavier foods, and the spiciness pairs ideally with meat, so an order of kalbi is a must!
Posted in Korean , Park Slope , Rice
Bulgogibap
by Celia Cheng
December 26th, 2006
DO SIRAK
30 E 13th St
(5th Ave & University Pl)
212-366-9299
$
Do Sirak’s Korean food is not entirely authentic but it’s clean, pleasant and uses fresh ingredients. The bulgogibap, which is a mix of marinated beef, onions, carrots and green peppers with sesame seeds and sesame oil over rice is very tasty and satisfying. Plus it’s very inexpensive and the restaurant has a nice, warm atmosphere.
Posted in Greenwich Village , Korean , Meat
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Beef Tongue
by Celia Cheng
April 20th, 2006
DON’S BO GAM BBQ & WINE BAR
17 E 32nd St
(5th & Madison Ave)
212-683-2200
$$
Don’s beef tongue is sliced perfectly thin so that you only have to put it on the grill for a couple of seconds for it to cook. Thinly sliced beef tongue is key in order to retain the slightly crunchy texture but also keep the meat very delicate. To enhance its natural flavor, dip it in sesame oil and a bit of salt. And remember that, when eating Korean BBQ, you should always start with tongue before moving on to heavier-tasting, marinated meats.
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Sulung Tang
by Celia Cheng
March 30th, 2006
GAMMIOK
43 W 32nd St
(5th Ave & B’way)
212-695-4113
$
I love the description on the menu: “Snowy white ox-bone soup with white rice and white noodles. Carefully chosen bone and meat are cooked together more than 12 hours in a giant cast-iron pot to remove the fat and oil. Add scallion, salt.” That’s pretty much it. Gammiok specializes in sulung tang, which is a meal in itself for one person, at only $6.95 ($7.95 for take-out). Best of all, the restaurant is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ah, reminds me of my college days, when Gammiok was the place to go after a night of drinking, as the sulung tang really hit the spot at 4am. But really, any time of day, this comfort food is a good bet to satiate a soupy noodle craving.
Posted in Beef , Korean , Noodles , Soup
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