Latest Gothamist Post + Need Korean Food Help
- By Robyn Lee
- May 25, 2007
- Comments
- Blue Ribbon, mmm
My latest Gothamist post about Blue Ribbon Bakery is up. And...now I have pretty much run out of places to write about for Gothamist, so hopefully I'll eat something interesting within the next week.
I mean, in NYC. I eat plenty of interesting things in GOOD OL' JERSEY!...wait, not really. You'll see in my next entry, which is currently in the processing of becoming a real, live post! With words and photos and everything! Only when it is whole can it feel true love.
...Wow, this Nantucket Nectar is doing weird things to me. I am still sick in the "mucus, it keeps on a-flowing" way, but not so sick that I can't wake up and go about daily human activities. Before you know it—or possibly later—I'll be fresh as an overweight daisy.
And ATTENTION SOME KOREANS, we need your help! Or Jason from Off the Broiler does! He wants to know where the best Korean food in the New York metro area is, including North Jersey. He asked if I could help, but I unfortunately don't know much about Korean food. However, I too would love to know where to get the Korean grubs, probably not as much as Jason, but it would be particularly nice to know what's going on in my neighborhood of Bergen County. Please comment here or on Jason's post if you have any advice. Thanks!
I swear I have a real post coming soon. But until then, entertain yourself with passive-agressive notes. So great. Oh yes.
Comments
My favorite-- I think it's called Kom Tang Galbi? I forget, but I usually go to Seoul Garden (both on 32nd) which is *amazing* at 3 a.m...Nothing quite like 24 hour galbi to tickle my belly =)
I'm not Korean, but having lived in K-town for a couple of years, I'm familiar with the restaurants. In my opinion, the best bi bim bop, yook hwe, and kimchi is at Gahm Mi Oak (43 W. 32nd). Actually, everything they have is good, but their menu has less than a dozen items. Won Jo (23 W 32nd) is one of the few places that still uses wood coals for Korean BBQ. Kunjip (9 W. 32nd) seems to be very popular w/ Koreans.
The BEST, BEST, BEST Korean restaurant in NY/NJ is in Palisades Park, NJ. It's called SOO MOO NAN JIP and as my Korean father says: "This is the best Korean restaurant in the US."
Get the Kalbi and keep it coming. They bring out this custardy egg dish (it's free) and it's just awesome. If you really want to go the whole nine yards, slam the back end of the meal with a bowl of icy cold nang myun (cold buckwheat noodles). Ultra-Korean meal.
Service is excellent as everyone helps out and takes care of your table. The best way I can explain a meal there is like getting on stage with your favorite rock band and jamming until you get kicked off the stage.
Enjoy!
Michelle: Thanks for the recs! I'm not familiar with either of those places. Now I know where to go at 3 AM!
Albert: Ahh, a bunch more place I haven't gone to (but probably passed a gazillion times), thanks! I haven't even had Korean BBQ yet. :\
conduit group: Damn, I totally want that! I just googled the name of the restaurant though and didn't find anything. Eek? It cannot be ungoogle-able! WHERE IS MAH ULTRA KOREAN MEAL?
WAHHHHHH.....Bread Pudding?!
I was in NYC last year and I stopped bye the Blue Ribbon Cafe specifically for the bread pudding but it was not on the menu. What the heck? >_
Red: WHAT? No way, I went there last year...and they had it. Did you hit a pocket of non-bread pudding existence? :(
Here is how it went down. I went to the Blue Ribbon Cafe in Greenwich Village @ 97 Sullivan Street (bet. Spring and Prince streets)
New York, NY 10012.
When I got there late in the evening they were busy. Instead of going inside, I looked over the menu in the window, and low and behold, NO FREAKING BREAD PUDDING ON THE MENU!
It's not even on there ">website menu.
Instead of going inside and asking if it was available I decided to walk over the WD50 instead.
HOLY SANDALS OF A PESIAN CLERIC, THAT'S A ">FAR WALK!
So, I went to bed without my pudding but I did enjoy a helluva great desert tasting at WD50.
rEd
Sorry for the long links, I is puter illieterate.
Red: Oh no!...wrong Blue Ribbon. :( I've never actually been to that one, perhaps because of the lack of the bread pudding. Also, the bakery is cooler. I mean, I can't say for sure since I havent been to the cafe, but I don't think the cafe has a cool bakery in the basement, so IT'S NOT AS COOL!
At least you got to go to wd-50!
I agree, So Mu Nan Jip is pretty good and that's in Palisades Park. A good sundubu place is also in Pal Park (So Gong Dong?).
There's a Korean vegetarian place in NYC (K-town) that's pretty awesome called Hangawi.
Gam Mi Ok is known for their sullangtang and they have locations in both NY and NJ K-towns. Their bibimbap is also pretty good. Their gakdugi (a type of kimchi) is also amazing. Some people say it tastes so good they must put crack in it or something.
ChoDangGol in NYC (K-town) is known for their dubu (bean curd) and spicy dishes. On the same street is Han Bat - pretty good for general fare- and this Korean-Chinese restaurant known for their jajangmyeon (those brown noodles).
Don't go to Kumgangsan in Manhattan. The one in Queens is much better.
I was just reading some other comments. So Mu Nan Jip is on 238 Broad Ave., Palisades Park, NJ. They spell it So Moon Nan Jip (it means really famous house)
sorry for my bad konglish. here's the correct info and telephone #:
So Moon Nan Jib
238 Broad Ave.
Palisades Park, NJ 07650
(201) 944-3998
"wonjo" is awful. dont even think about going there. the kalbi is so-so, but for me, its all in the bahchan (sidedishes), and their's is by far the worst, which taste like they've been sitting out for longer than they should. shame cause it used to be good.
"kunjip" is still the best in ktown and most popular. heck, even my LA friends say its good, and that's pretty impressive! these days, i have a soft spot for "cho dang gol", which is on 35th st. amazing stuff there. and the karoke place above them has the best selection!
another fun place is "dosirak" (means "lunchbox"), near the new school on 13th st. & university. a terrific little place who's kalbi-tang was pretty dang good.
tho pricey, despite the naysayers, i still love dohwa and doksuni. fresh and still damn good. sure, it costs a ton more than ktown, but the fact that their burners do a great job in making sure i dont come out smelling like kalbi is a definite plus.
but its summer and that means naeng-myun (cold buckwheat noodle in that incredible chilled beef broth). and the only place in all of NYC for that is in queens @ "hanjoo". its right off the murray hill station off the LIRR into queens. they also do a terrific "heated crystal plate" with an assortment of meats that's mostly sam gyup sal (think thick cut bacon) and pork belly that'll make you scream for joy. pair 'em together, and its pure heaven.