Grace Street - Midtown West, NY

I remember Grace Street to be a very unique spot. My fiancé and I visited Grace Street when they were still in the works a couple of years back. They were still renovating and fixing the dining area when we got our first hodduk.

It was the best dessert I've had before. Hodduk is basically fried dough with a sweet brown sugar filling in the center - almost like a donut. It was fresh and delicious.

Fast forward a couple of years, I re-visited Grace Street with my girlfriends. It's a lot more crowded since it's a good late night hangout spot, especially after dinner and you wanted a place to have some dessert and chit chat.

The wait didn't take too long and we sat at a bench. Wait staff was very friendly, even after a long day of work they look happy to serve you. We ordered Hodduk, Chocolate Brownie Waffle, Bubble Tea and Green Milk Tea. To be honest, everything tasted very mediocre. The hodduk tasted like it was just reheated in the microwave and cut up into really small pieces. The taste was there but the texture was lacking. The drink were good but not great. And the waffle...it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Grace Street wasn't how I envisioned and it's quite disappointing.

Green Milk Tea, Hodduk, Jasmine Bubble Tea

Chocolate Brownie Waffle

Verdict:
Food ~ 2 out of 5
Price ~ 3 out of 5
Service ~ 4.5 out of 5

Grace Street
17 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10001

Pocha 32

I've heard good things about Pocha, things like it's a great place to hit up when you're drunk and have the munchies. Pocha is a Korean joint that gives off a really casual atmosphere, casually enough to sit back, relax and get wasted. Lines can get really long especially when it gets later into the night. But I have to say, I really enjoyed it.

Been here twice already and both times my group ordered the Watermelon Soju. Basically a hollowed out half watermelon that contains watermelon juice, soju and some club soda. It's pretty fun when you drink out of bowls also, which is all they give you so don't ask for cups/glasses. They usually water down the watermelon soju which plays no affect on us so we would order bottles of Chamisul or Chum Churum aka soju and pour it into the watermelon. Their yogurt soju is really good as well.

With all that drinking, there has to be food. Pocha is really well known for their casseroles. Nice and piping hot, great for the colder weathers but it's good in the dead of summer also because they occasionally have air vents and circulation running through the joint.

A lot of places serve budae jigae, a smaller version of the Budae Jungol which they serve here. Consisting of a lot of random things, it's very comforting after 5+ shots of soju. I love the spicy broth and the bits and pieces that gets crushed and breaks down at the bottom of the pot. Do not waste the soup!

One of our friends wanted pork and he decided on the BBQ Pork. It wasn't anything special, felt a bit jipped since there wasn't much pork. Flavor was a bit off and it felt like they forgot to season it. But when you're tipsy and happy, you pretty much have no idea what you're eating, but you'll eat it.

I forgot what exactly happened but I think someone wanted pork belly but they didn't exactly just have pork belly but they had it with kimchi, and we ordered it anyways! The Kimchi and Pork Belly Stir Fry was definitely not what we expected but it was good. Spicy good. I really dig the tofu that came with it, flip it fast enough and you'll crisp each side.

Pocha is one of those boozey and loud places. They have fish nets all around the restaurant and you can write little notes on the chopstick covers or napkins and stick it through the fish nets. Service is average and you need to hail down the waiters/waitresses when it gets later into the night. Don't expect them to come to you and ask how you're doing. One thing though, just be careful of the stairs when you leave.

Pocha 32
15 W 32nd St - 2nd Fl
New York, NY 10001
(212) 279-1876

BCD Tofu House - I like it when I get my own

BCD was re-opened after a long close and it's better than ever. They have long lines and also a long wait, anywhere from 20-60 minutes long. J and I had to wait a good 20 minutes for a table of two. We were seated in the back, they even had a second floor. The good thing about this BCD is that they give you a restaurant pager, when it buzzes, you know it's time for you to chow down.

When coming to BCD, you must get their soondubu. A pot full of tofu, spices, and your choice of meat. They have a big variety here, there's your regular pork or beef, kimchi, seafood and then there's curry and abalone for the more adventurous. Spice levels ranging from none to the extreme.

After ordering, the banchan or little side dishes were placed on our tables, they're unlimited so don't be afraid to flag down the waiters/waitresses to get more. We each had a fried fish, deliciously fried. Crunchy on the outside but the meat was moist and flaky on the inside. Usually you only get one grilled fish and it's usually the mackerel but here, you get your own and I can tell you, it's not mackerel here.

The fish is small but it's a good appetizer. Any bigger and you won't be able to eat your entree. Kimchi was good also, the other banchans were a bit underwhelming.

Ordered a small Goon Mandoo but come to think of it, they might've gave us the steamed ones. I couldn't tell since they seemed lightly fried but then placed into a bamboo steamer. Darnit! Apparently they be messing up our orders that night a lot. (We ordered a Chum Churum - soju, but they gave us ginger ale..., that we managed to fix.)

At last the soondubu. The Kimchi Soondubu was filled with tofu. The first spoonful I got was tofu, tofu, tofu...even when I mix I get more tofu. The broth was spicy and blended really well with the kimchi. Some kimchi and pork was squished in the middle of the tofu which I'm definitely not complaining.

With the order of soondubu, you get a raw egg which you then would just crack it into the stew. It's quite fun and it looks so much more appealing. I had the regular spice level which was just right, I can't imagine those that ordered the "danger" level. Although I did once at the location in Flushing which was hell!

J had the Curry Soondubu, something different but tasted a bit watered down. It just had that hint of curry flavor, he liked it. I liked mines a lot more. We had a bowl of rice each, I couldn't finish mine as I was too focused on the stew instead.

Towards the end, they gave us each the rice porridge. It's the type where they use tea to scrape off the rice from the clay pot, you just enjoy it like that to cleanse your palate. I'm not crazy about it because it had that smokey burnt taste.

I'm waiting to return. I can't stop thinking about the tofu ever since I had it but there's so many other places to try and eat also. I wish I was cloned so I can be at multiple restaurants at once...haha

BCD Tofu House
5 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10001
(212) 967-1900

Lunchin' Solo: Yogi Korean BBQ - Spicy Pork w/ White Rice

The Yogi cart is here occasionally and not all the time, it's a hit or miss when I see it. The first couple of times I saw it, I was either not in the mood for it or I had already brought in lunch from home.

But this time, was an excellent time to get it since my coworker was getting froyo from the truck right next to it.

Thankfully, there was no line because nothing can be worse than standing in line for food when its 85 degrees out and you're near a blistering hot little food cart.

They had an array of options, anything from tacos to burritos to rice. I settled for the rice since by that time, I was really hungry and you can't really screw this up. The Spicy Pork ($7) was my choice since I didn't want Teriyaki Chicken or Bulgogi. They were also out of fried rice, what I initially wanted, so they gave me white rice. Told them to add on the kimchi and also some salad, ended up choosing the ginger white sauce - the guy told me it was made of ginger and some vinegar, sure why not since my pork is spicy anyways.

Kimchi was pretty great, might be sliced up too small but overall not bad. Also, be great if it was colder but no complaints because it was pretty bomb.

The pork was amazing. Tender and flavorful, the sauce went so well - kind of addicting. I was so glad I got the white rice also, the juices from the pork literally just covered the rice making it extremely heavenly. I've had fried rice from a Korean cart before and it wasn't exactly great so I'll steer away from it for now when I still can.

Definitely return for their tacos and burritos, plus the 2 guys working in the cart are extremely nice.

Yogi Korean BBQ
47th St & 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10017

Lunchin' Solo: iKimchi - Spicy Fried Pork

I've heard about the Korean Food Cart on Lexington Avenue near Baruch College but never really found the time to get it. Finally, as I was running some errands in the neighborhood I decided to stand on the long line and wait for my food.

Good weather and street food don't go well together. I despise the long lines but for good food, it's worth it.

There's like 4 people running this little cart. The chef, the person assembling my tray, the person taking my order, and finally the guy that just replenishes the items in the cart. Their meals range from $5-7 and miso soup for $2 unless you get it with the lunchbox which is just $1 more.

Heard from J that the Spicy Fried Pork is good since he works in the area and got it multiple times, so that's what I got.

Not a bad deal, the Spicy Fried Pork w/ salad and rice was $6. They also prefer you telling them if you want kimchi or not along with the time when you place your order. Salad was on the weak side, can't you give me more? But, I did get hooked onto their salad dressing. So good! I'm guessing ranch and vinaigrette? I did see them squirting 2 different sauces on it!

Kimchi was ok, took me an hour to finally be able to eat my lunch which by that time, my kimchi was warm. I like my kimchi cold because it holds that crunch. Even though it was warm, the crunch was still there. A good little banchan to start with.

The combo came with fried rice, I wasn't too crazy about it because it was a bit on the hard side. But I do appreciate the meat. Very flavorful and they give a generous amount.

Not a bad choice for lunch since I can sort of justify the price. A lot of times Korean lunches can come out to being $7-10, especially around K-town but this is quite reasonable.

iKimchi
Lexington Ave (between 24th and 25th Street)
New York, NY 10010

Kun Jip - A form of line in which so organized that it's strategic

On a cold winter evening, after some shopping done, I wanted something soup-y. J couldn't agree more. But finding a place in K-Town for some good chijae is quite hard. Since Kun Jip always had a line, we decided to find out what the fuss was about.

We got on line quite quick. The "host" asked us how many people and just told J and I to stay on line. The line moved quickly and once we're inside the restaurant, the line stretches all the way to the back. Halfway through waiting, there's seats for you to sit (and wait) then you're told to head to back and wait some more. The line swings around and forms a J-shape and finally we get called to be seated. But before getting called to be seated, our orders were already taken since the menu was given to you while you were waiting on line.

Once we sat down, in less than 5 minutes, all our food came out. Woohoo!

I find that I truly dislike Chamisul Soju ($?), it has such a strong rubbing alcohol taste. I need something that's easier to go down and not burn.

Our delicious spread. See what I mean when I said everything comes out at once. They were quick though, the staff that is, and they were able to move everything into place. Banchan was great. Forgot to capture the steamed egg, best egg ever!

J had the special of Bibimbob and Soondubu ($16.95), excellent deal for the price. You get rice, delicious rice, and a tofu stew. The bibimbob itself is already around $11 so might as well get this and stuff yourself.

I had the Budae Chijae ($12.95), a bit pricey but so filling! I've always wanted to try this just because it's literally a pot filled with a lot of stuff. There's ramen, glass noodles, spam, hotdog, kimchi, tofu, rice cakes, and pork belly...definitely a load to eat. The chijae sat on top of a burner which kept it steaming hot throughout the entire time I was eating it. This was insanely filling, did I mention I ate it all myself? =]

To end the meal, a complimentary Sujeonggwa was given to us. Oh my god, the best cinnamon drink everrrrrrr. I would come back just for this, or I can have my Korean friends make it for me.
It is made from dried persimmons, cinnamon, ginger and peppercorn; the process is a bit difficult and time consuming but the outcome is so yummy.

A lot of people says that Kun Jip's staffs rushing their patrons but I didn't see that happen at all, nor did I experience it. Throughout the entire meal, we sat and ate normally and we didn't get rushed at all. Heck we even had a little laugh with 2 of the waiters towards the end. 

Excellent meal. I guess to each their own, not everyone will get a pleasant experience and vice versa.

Kun Jip
9 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10001
(212) 216-9487

Daheen Wang Mandoo - Long live the strands of flavor

On a day after J and I were shopped out, we decided to get Korean food in KTown. We were just gonna go to Food Gallery which consist of endless stalls of Korean food, literally a Korean food court until Daheen Wang Mandoo caught our eyes. It was grand-opening for them and we must try it. Not to mention they were right next to Mandoo Bar which we greatly dislike since our last visit.

The layout was very similar to Mandoo Bar but a lot brighter. Since it was pretty new, a lot of things were still in the making and it wasn't perfect yet. Our menus and water were brought to us right away though. The waitress came to us 3 times to ask if we were ready and each time we weren't (even though they don't have a big menu, it was a lot to digest since everything on the menu look so good!), finally we were ready but she was busy and pretty much ignored J...haha

They actually have another shop that exist in Flushing, the other real KoreanTown.

As always, starting off with some banchan. I find that mandoo restaurants don't give much banchan...
Here we just have pickled radish and carrots along with some kimchi.

Of course we had to order a mandoo. We got the Kalbi Jumbo Mandoo ($2), definitely something different than your average mandoo. Whenever we eat in the states and are exposed to mandoo, we think dumplings (the small ones) but in actuality, it's the bun like mandoo we're dealing with here. I really like how they served it inside a little bag and on a plate. It was nice and steamy hot, the bun was soft and pillow-y. I really enjoyed the mandoo, wish I didn't have to share it with J though...

Tofu GangJung ($7.50) was J's call. It wasn't too bad but it wasn't that great. When it first came out, I thought it was fish. The battered fried tofu was covered in a sweet honey sesame sauce, not bad but it was a bit too much on the sweet side for me.

Looking at this bowl gets me excited. The Daheen Ramen ($12.50), was the best ramen I've ever had. Quite pricey for a bowl but so worth it when you dig in.

It contains the wavy noodles that I love. The noodles was cooked al-dente and the best part is the egg-y-ness of it. Reminds me of the Hong Kong egg noodles but bouncier and better. The broth was also really good, not too spicy and felt like egg yolks were the base of the soup. Delicious!

My dish took the longest. I thought it being the Spicy Cold Noodles ($11.75) it would be quick but I was wrong. I was a bit disappointed when it came out because it looked like a salad plate and I didn't want that since I was starving. I was hoping something on the lines of naengmyeon, noodles in a cold broth...but once I bit into this, I was glad I ordered it. The noodles were seasoned so well, it gets spicy as you continue to eat but the balance of the greens and apples complimented it. Each ball of noodles were packed, so you would have to loosen them up, I was already full when I got to my second so J had to help me out on this one.

I would solely come back for their noodles. Mandoo, not too much.

Daheen Wang Mandoo
2 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10001
(212) 510-7332

Mandoo Bar

I have been running errands with J these past few weeks and it's just hectic. We're around Koreantown often so we decided to revisit a spot where we once loved. It's been a good 2-3 years since we been here and before that, we use to come every week. No joke, the waiter knew us back then because of how often we ate there.

After a couple of years, the place completely changed...for the worse. Upon arrival, I noticed that the staff that wraps the dumpling has gone from 4 to 2 ladies. The inside smelled of nail polish, the floors were sticky. And the patrons were all non-Asians, not a single Korean customer in sight. That's quite sad considering this is a Korean dumpling house. The waiter was also very clumsy and seems to not be able to handle a couple of tables by himself while his colleage goes out for a smoke break.

They also have a larger menu now, and I mean literally larger menu. There's ramyun and an extended bibimbop selection on the menu.

Their usual banchan. Yes, it only consist of radishes. Although the kimchi-ed radishes looks poorly presented, like they only gave us scraps.

The Goon Mandoo ($9.24), what a weird price...was the only thing that tasted good, sadly to say. Crunchy exterior with a good meat filling, nothing to complain about here.

J and I love their Fried Tofu ($5.50) because of the delicious sauce. But the tofu definitely looks a lot messier this time around. The pieces weren't even and it wasn't pan-fried long enough to give it that crisp edge.

We always get the Combo Mandoo ($12) just because it's consist of a better deal with 3 different kinds of dumplings. I liked the vegetable, J liked the meat, and we both have mutual disagreements for the seafood. This time, the seafood was poor, it was just half filled. The vegetable lacked the potato noodles they used to put in and the vegetables tasted like it had been freezed for months. The only constant thing was the meat dumplings.

Last but not least, it was definitely one of those colder nights so we took a shot and ordered their Ra-Myun ($10) that had tofu and egg. It was just a mediocre dish with no meat. I rather have a bowl of Japanese ramen than this.

So we were extremely displeased with the meal. Most likely we won't return and I really don't suggest coming here because I'm sure you can find better mandoos elsewhere. At this rate, Mandoo Bar is barely surviving then again, as long as non-Korean customers continue to come, they'll last.

Mandoo Bar
2 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10001
(212) 279-3075

Don Bogam BBQ & Wine Bar

One of the reason why J chose this specific Korean place as one of our first full meal back in NYC is not because of the BBQ but because of the wine part. We went away for 3 weeks to Asia and it was definitely unfortgettable. But, now that we're back, it's time to continue on this journey of NYC feasting.

Don Bogam is one of the places where you can choose to BBQ or not, and from that decision the maitre'd will either seat you at a regular table or the awesome table where the table is above a pit and your legs dangle when you sit. Sort of like a cheating way of sitting Korean style.

We ordered quickly because we were starving. For this place, you need to order at least 2 entrees from their BBQ list in order to BBQ it at the table (odd).

Delicious Plum Wine ($19) was a bit on the sweet side. Quite smooth and no aftertaste at all.

Your typical Korean set-up. I really missed kimchi in general and this place didn't disapppoint. Something that was different was the steamed egg custard, it was a lot firmer, softer, and smoother; tasted like tofu and it had a shrimp on the bottom...interesting.

The Pork Belly ($25.95) was already pre-cut and was placed on the grill for some sizzling action. The cut here were particularly thinner than any other places I've previously ate at. The cooking time was quicker and the outcome of pork was a lot more tender.

Love my wraps with lettuce, scallions, kimchi, radish and top that off with the pork belly...heaven. This combo never gets old.

I decided on a Kimchi Jjigae ($10.95) because it was extremely cold that night. We asked for 2 bowls of rice to go with the stew. I was surprised at how much I liked and enjoyed this stew. I never liked kimchi back then but the past year, I've been eating kimchi like it's an obsession. This kimchi stew was excellent, spicy and tangy which makes it really appetizing.

While we were finishing up the pork belly and stuffing ourselves with the stew, our waitress came by and refilled our lettuce basket and gave us more scallion salad (this salad is addicting).

Last but not least, the Beef Short Rib in Spicy Sauce ($27.95) which wasn't spicy at all. Marinated really well, so we didn't need any sauce for this. I actually just ate it on it's own because it was tender to a point I just want it to linger in my mouth solo.

The meal was your average Korean BBQ food, the service was more than I expected at a Korean restaurant, and the seats were what amazed me the most. Will I be back? Definitely, but with a large group of people.

Don Bogam BBQ & Wine Bar
17 E 32nd St
New York, NY 10016
(212) 683-2200

San Soo Kap San

I was craving for some Korean BBQ and after my coworker told me how good this place was, I knew I had to go. J and I arrived at SSKS on a Tuesday night around 8:30pm. The restaurant was pretty empty but I definitely didn't mind it.

We got down to business and ordered asap.

There was a wide selection of banchan and every single one of them tasted excellent. I loved the kimchi the best, they even refill your banchan. Beside the banchan, there's also complimentary miso soup, grilled mackerel and steamed egg. My favorite part is definitely the sauces, love me some miso paste dip.

First up, is the Sam Geup Sal ($20.95). They give you 3 strips here instead of 2, so the awesomeness of this place just went up because we get an extra piece. It also tasted a lot better here for some reason, must be the freshness or the cut of the meat.

I mainly wanted to come here for their Angus Kalbi ($29.95).
We also ordered the Haemool Pajun ($15.95), you can probably see that in the photo below...

The beauty of BBQ-ing. The kalbi was extremely tender and flavorful, no need for sauces here.

The way I eat the pork belly. Lettuce, kimchi, pork belly, miso paste - put into mouth. Heaven!

Our meat piled on the side of the grill. So friggin delicious!

I'm definitely returning. Everything about this place was pretty dam amazing.
The waitress helps you cook tableside so you literally don't have to do anything. There's a free salad bar with unlimited amount of yummy oranges for after the meal. They even have a TV screen that was displaying soccer, win!

Probably the best thing would be how laid back it was. No one rushed us and I truly appreciate that. I rather go on a weekday when it's not busy at all rather than the weekends when you're literally fighting at the salad bar. This place closes at 2am so plenty of time for some great late night grilling.

San Soo Kap San
17110 Northern Blvd
Flushing, NY 11358
(718) 445-4850

Seoul Garden

After an evening of shopping, it was actually just a couple of hours but it was getting closer to 8pm so J and I need food. We were suppose to either go to Food Gallery or Woorijip but ended up at Seoul Garden. It took us a while to find it because we were on the wrong side of the street, no wonder we couldn't find it! Then we have to walk up 2 flights of stairs which felt like 4, and when we got up there we saw the elevator working...

We got seated right away. The restaurant is extremely spacious. Their menu was like any typical Korean restaurant, but J wanted the Samchi Gui, Korean grilled fish. And I wanted something barbeque, mostly I wanted the banchan.

After our order was taken, our banchan came out in no time.

Six plates of yummy banchan. I'm starting to like kimchi a lot more than I use to. Love the spicy crunchy cabbage. One interesting banchan of the night which neither of us had before was the gelatinous plate of, well, jello. Literally smacked right int he middle of the photo was that dish, kind of gives you that skeptical feeling but it was delicious. The sauce brought it together because the jelly looking thing was just bland.

In this photo you see the lettuce also. Comes with the barbeque dish so you can do your wrap-thang. It's exactly what I wanted plus I get my favorite miso paste sauce along with it. That stuff can get really addicting.

The Samchi Gui came with the Seafood Soon Tofu ($19.95). Grilled king fish was bland which was why they give you a lemon that burned the crap out of my fingers. It is true, all you needed was the lemon because the fish already had a taste to it and you don't really need anything else to mask that.

Our favorite part of getting the tofu stew now is breaking the egg into it. I'm sure J feels the same as I, though I do wish they gave us 2 eggs. J accidentally ordered it "medium" when we were actually thinking of "spicy". So the dish came out as not spicy at all to us, bummer indeed but it was still good. Lots of tofu pieces in there which is a plus.

And finally, my Duk Galbi ($25.95) which is said to be prime beef. Come to think of it, it's quite a hefty price for that portion but then I factor in the banchan that supposedly free and my oh so awesome miso paste!

Seoul Garden was good, but not great. It's a solid place for Korean food and I wouldn't mind coming again. But next time, I'm taking the elevator.

Seoul Garden
34 W 32nd St, 2nd Fl
New York, NY 10001
(212) 736-9002