Posted by James Boo, October 26, 2011 at 11:30 AM
In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know. —The Mgmt.
[Photograph: James Boo]
No. 7 Sub, reviewed by this blog not once, not twice, but thrice, is still adding new sandwiches to the menu. And we're still happy to eat them.
Brisket with Chinese mustard and pickled mushrooms is one of the current lineup's more intuitive combinations. The sub's slow-cooked beef brisket—plenty moist, well-salted, and laced with just enough rendered fat to stay on the "juicy" side of the grease line—is barely contained by No. 7's custom roll.
This brisket alone is satisfying enough, but its flavor is complemented so effortlessly by the forward tang and back-end heat of Chinese mustard that one wonders why the pairing isn't already a New York staple. Tender, mildly brined mushrooms and a sprinkle of parsley add an additional layer of flavor, completing the sandwich and riding No. 7 Sub's blurred line between playfully novel and unexpectedly essential.
No. 7 Sub
1188 Broadway, New York, NY 10001 (map)
(212) 532-1680
no7sub.com
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, August 23, 2011 at 11:30 AM
[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]
For a fast, reliable lunch in the Herald Square area, Woorijip has been my go-to spot for years. The food here may not be excellent, but it's always dependable. A Korean buffet table for $6.99 a pound with grilled fish, platters of jap chae replenished at a rate of what seems like every five minutes, and always a wide variety of stewed, steamed and stir-fried vegetables—how could that be bad?
At peak lunch hours, the line for the buffet table is long, but it's efficient, and moves remarkably fast thanks to no-nonsense cashiers; you can be in and out in no time. Like any by-the-pound buffet, go during peak lunch hours of 11:30am-1:30pm when the food has the highest turnover rate. (I've had a great spicy fried chicken one day, and then a stale, chewy version the next day when I visited in the late afternoon.)
My rule of thumb at Woorijip is simple: get the grilled mackerel with garlic, and keep your eyes peeled for the newest dishes to come out of the kitchen. Can't go wrong with what's hot and fresh.
Woorijip
12 West 32nd Street, New York NY 10001 (map)
212-244-1115
About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan writes A Passion For Food, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, July 8, 2011 at 4:00 PM
[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]
At Paris Baguette on 32nd Street, the strawberry shortcake (in original and matcha!) and royal tea puddings are the highlight of the dessert case, but the bakery section here is not to be overlooked. Keep your eye out for the Pumpkin-Sesame Loaf ($4.50) baked fresh each morning. Eight thick slices to a loaf, the plush, soft-crusted bread generously dotted in toasted black sesame seeds and paper-thin shavings of kabocha. While the sesame seeds bring warm, nutty notes, the pumpkin imparts a subtle, delicate sweetness to the bread, turning it a gentle shade of yellow-orange. This is one you'll just want to toast and eat plain; no butter or jam, for it has plenty of flavor on its own.
Paris Baguette
6 West 32nd Street, New York, NY 10001 (map)
212-244-0404
parisbaguetteusa.com
About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan writes A Passion For Food, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.
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Posted by The Serious Eats Team, March 15, 2011 at 11:00 PM
[Photographs: Robyn Lee]
Food Gallery 32
11 West 32nd Street, New York NY 10001 (b/n 5th and Broadway; map)
Service: Generally friendly and efficient
Setting: A futuristic tri-level food court
Must-Haves: Spicy Pork Teppan-yaki, seafood soft tofu casserole, bibim-nangmyun
Cost: Most dishes $7-10
Grade: All over the map
Check out our guide to the stalls »
It's hard to duplicate the almost otherworldly experience of dining at a Korean food court without catching a plane to Seoul—but Food Gallery 32, the new food court in the middle of Manhattan's Koreatown, is pretty otherworldly in its own right.
There's the space: food stalls of all sorts crowded into the main hall, with self-serve Red Mango near the door and a crepe stand on the third floor, where Korean pop star videos are shown on video monitors. The whole place is shiny and modern-feeling, much like the neighboring Foodparc; place your order and you get a little buzzer that lights and vibrates when your food is ready. And there's the range of the food, from ramen to bibimbap to bulgogi to seafood stews.
The draw of a space-agey Korean food court is enough; really, if you're going to Food Gallery 32, it's at least in part for the experience. That it's a fun place almost goes without saying—but what about the food?
Ed had visited once with friend and food adventurer Jeffrey Steingarten (who the predominantly young, female crowd treated like a rock star, thanks to his Iron Chef judging stints)—but with so many separate stalls, there's only so much three people (even with two esteemed food personalities among their number) could order.
So we returned a dozen strong for an epic eating adventure, checking out just about every dish Food Gallery 32 had to offer.
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Posted by Jessica Allen and Garrett Ziegler, March 7, 2011 at 1:30 PM
[Photos: Garrett Ziegler]
Going on a date always involves a gamble. Going on a date to a bi-level Korean BBQ restaurant involves a spin of the roulette wheel plus a roll of the dice plus a horse race. It could go well, the odds paying off as you impress one another with your chopstick skills and grilling techniques. It could not go well, and you might discover that your date can't pronounce "hunk yumso chungol" or, worse, finds goat meat chowder way too mainstream. Or you could accidentally set your date on fire.
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Posted by Krista Garcia, December 7, 2010 at 3:00 PM
Editor's note: In "Fast Food International," Krista Garcia will take us around New York to the many international fast food chains that have landed in the five boroughs.
[Photo: Chichi Wang]
Country of origin: South Korea
Locations worldwide: Over 1,000 in China, South Korea, and the US
NYC locations: One in Manhattan and two in Queens
"Chicken like you've never had before" is a bold claim considering that Kyochon makes up one-third of the Korean fried chicken trinity that's concentrated in a tight, one-block radius in K-Town. Diners can choose among Mad For Chicken, the former Bon Chon, the new Bon Chon and Kyochon, the chain that's often credited with creating the popular double-fried, sauce-lacquered style in 1991. Frankly, I haven't been able to detect wild differences in any of these three restaurants' core offering; what sets them apart from each other is the atmosphere.
Kyochon had a bit of a split personality. The glass-encased corner spot sells less expensive take-out on the ground floor. Past the hostess podium and up the curving spiral staircase you'll find a red-and-white lounge bathed in lights that cycle through the spectrum of the rainbow and a massive wall-sized TV screen playing pop videos. Oddly, each table bears a bottle of wine as a tantalizing physical advertisement. (I'd still stick with a pitcher of Korean Hite.)
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Posted by Zachary Feldman, November 26, 2010 at 3:00 PM
Just before dawn on a Monday.
[Photos: Zachary Feldman]
Koreatown's stretch of 32nd Street between 5th and Broadway might just have the largest concentration of 24-hour restaurants in the city. (There are 12 in total.) A true late-night oasis, the street dubbed "Korea Way" boasts all manner of restaurants specializing in gogi gui, the DIY-method of grilling proteins and vegetables at your table. At its best, Korean barbecue delivers textures, flavors, and aromas beyond compare.
But a restaurant that focuses on tofu? BCD Tofu House has barbecue too—with positively modern circular copper grill hoods, no less—but as its name suggests, this place is all about the bean curd. It comes as part of a salad, in a dish of spicy pork loin and kimchi, and piled into soups mixed with everything from tender oysters to kimchi and pork dumplings.
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Posted by Tia Kim, November 5, 2009 at 12:00 PM
[Photos: Tia Kim]
Much has been written about Bon Chon, the first Korean fried chicken chain in the states that made Americans put down their KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) for a different KFC (Korean Fried Chicken).
However, two of the Bon Chon franchises in New York, one off of 32nd Street and one in Flushing, have pulled a Palin and gone rogue. The two restaurant-bars are now calling themselves "Mad for Chicken." Considering the former K-Town Bon Chon was my go-to wings and beer spot, the news was a bit unsettling. So a few days ago, I decided I needed some wings to settle my nerves.
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, August 20, 2009 at 4:00 PM
They call it "Sikhye," and I call it sublime. For those unfamiliar with this chilled dessert drink, sikhye is a Korean specialty made from rice, malt water, sugar, and often, ginger and pine nuts. This version found at Kang Suh ($3.50/bowl) in Koreatown made generous with the pine nuts but omitted the ginger. Regardless, the mildly sweet liquid was chilling and utterly refreshing on a hot day, with bits of cooked rice at the bottom of the bowl.
I've been told that you can only get "really awesome" sikhye homemade, but surely there must be at least a few delicious restaurant or store versions out there. Any suggestions?
Kang Suh
1250 Broadway, New York NY 10001 (map)
212-564-6845
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, August 19, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Living in Manhattan, you get accustomed to paying too much, for too little, very quickly. $4 iced coffees, $6 cups of gelato, $3.50 cupcakes... you get the idea. It was a shock when I first moved here from Hawai'i, but now I'm more or less used to it. With that said, every now and then I come across a price so absurd, it makes my blood boil. Case in point: The perfectly average and unmemorable $6.99 (plus tax) cups of milk tea boba drinks at Koryodang. $6.99!
Milk tea boba goes for $3.25 at Saints Alp, $2.50 at Hon Cafe, and goodness, even $3 at Ollie's. Those establishments charge the same whether you have your drink to-go or stay. At Koryodang, the price drops to $4.25 if you get it to-go. So you pay about $2 more to eat in, which is still a lot for milk tea—but on top of that, they impose a dessert and drink minimum on each table. Our table of five was told, "At least four drinks and three desserts."
I will not be returning.
Koryodang
31 West 32nd Street, New York NY 10001 (map)
212-967-9661
koryodang.com
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Posted by Robyn Lee, June 16, 2009 at 10:00 AM
If I didn't have friends to guide me while eating a late dinner at Gahm Mi Oak, I wouldn't have known what to do when faced with the giant bowl of seolleongtang. Gahm Mi Oak is known for this traditional Korean dish of ox bone-based broth filled with thin slices of beef brisket, noodles, and rice; you can see the giant soup vats where bones simmer for hours in the back of the restaurant. It's served unsalted, hence the pot of salt on every table. Not used to salting my own food aside from the rare judicious sprinkle from a salt shaker, I felt a bit uneasy wielding a heaping spoonful of sodium that could potentially ruin my dish. "You'll need more," one friend said. "Maybe you should taste it first," said the other. After putting in a few spoonfuls, I tasted the broth; it needed more salt.
When I finally found the right salt ratio, I was rewarded with a slightly rich broth unlike any other beef broth I've had. The milky soup, while bland without salt, had a minerally and meaty flavor that came out with the salt. The additional chopped scallions added some crunch and mild onion flavor. It may have been better on a cold winter's night, but it was perfectly satisfying during that mild summer's night.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, May 26, 2009 at 3:30 PM
Since I didn't get the chance to eat budae jjigae when I was in Seoul, I sought it out when I returned to New York City. Or rather, the opportunity conveniently landed in my lap when a friend said, "Hey, we should go to Pocha and get their budae jjigae."
The story behind budae jjigae, or "army base stew," is that it came about after the Korean War. Due to the scarcity of meat, Koreans took surplus U.S. Army foods such as hot dogs and Spam and incorporated them into a spicy gochujang-flavored stew. Even though there's plenty of meat to go around today, this hearty fusion of Korean and American ingredients continues to be a popular dish. It's certainly easy enough to make at home, but it's even more fun to go to a dive bar/restaurant in Koreatown with a bunch of friends and eat it there.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, May 22, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Although I love Korean food, I had only ever eaten patbingsu, a popular shaved ice dessert in South Korea, twice in my life. And one of those times was in South Korea. The other time was in New York City at Koryodang in Koreatown, but if there was any justice in this world, fast food chains around 32nd Street would be serving this simple dessert like they do in South Korea.
But at least we have Koryodang, who so far make the best shaved ice I've had in the city (I'll have to get ice queen Kathy YL Chan's opinion on that). My group of five shared two kinds of patbingsu: fruit and red bean. Both bowls contained red bean and different kinds of chopped fruit, but the fruit bowl also had fruit syrup where he red bean bowl had condensed milk, and the fruit bowl used strawberry ice cream instead of the red bean bowl's vanilla. Both bowls were also topped with mochi (glutinous rice) balls and roasted soybean powder.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, May 20, 2009 at 12:00 PM
From left: Kalguksu in chicken soup; sujebi in kimchi soup.
It's not often that right after I eat at a place I think about how much I want to return, but I was already thinking about my next visit to Arirang in the middle of my meal. And by "thinking about my next visit," I mean my brain was going, "OH MAN, I LOVE THESE NOODLES AND I LOVE THIS PANCAKE and I CAN'T STOP EATING EITHER OF THEM."
The chicken kar-jeabe, a combination noodle soup of kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and sujebi (torn noodles) topped with shaved green onion, was one of the most chickeny things I have ever eaten—and it didn't even have much chicken in it. I know that description is about as helpful as defining a word with the word itself, but I don't know how else to do it. Most chicken doesn't even taste as chickeny as that thick, semi-opaque broth unmarred by MSG or excess salt. The noodles made me just as happy, the sujebi in particular: thick, slightly chewy chunks of dough, akin to dumpling skins.
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Posted by Kathy YL Chan, July 21, 2008 at 6:00 PM
For a spin on the typical doughnut twist, head to Koryodang Bakery in K-Town. The flavor and texture of a classic yeasted takes a turn with this aptly named "Sweet Rice Twist" in which mochi flour gets used in both the dough and in the mix sprinkled over the fried pastry. Couple that with high-gluten All Trumps flour and the end result is a subtly sweet, chewy doughnut that never comes close to embodying the word "fluffy" but bears a slightly nutty charm all its own. It's the one doughnut you can have for breakfast without suffering a sugar high.
Koryodang Bakery
31 W 32nd Street, New York, NY 10001 (nr. Broadway; map)
212-967-9661
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