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

Hong Kong: Street Bowl

The idea of getting a bowl of food in the streets might be a turn off but it's nothing odd in HK since a lot of food can be eating on the go. Everywhere J and I walked, there were stalls of food being sold. There are always a lot of people around these places since they usually just buy it and stand there to eat, also a great way to digest food and not get fat!

There were so many people that making it through the crowd to get in front of the stall was pretty difficult. I just had J go since he knew what to order anyways. Finding a place to stand was hard too!

Our bowl of pork innards, organs, whatever nasty thing that people don't usually eat. It was braised so a lot of it were very tender and flavorful. This bowl was around 1-2USD which is crazy cheap. I liked the sweet sauce on top but the mustard is just too weird for me. HK-er loves their mustard don't they?

Biang! - The pleasure of burning

I don't remember how J and I came to agree at dining at Biang!, might've been the delicious description of the skewers on their website.

Biang! is like a chic-er version of Xi'An Famous Food, given a place to sit down and being waiter-ed. The waitress was really nice and didn't mind that we wanted to change tables.

They actually checked IDs for this, I'll just take it as they think I'm young looking.
One of the reason why I was interested in Biang! was because of the YangJing Beer ($5) that they carried. I had this when I was in Hong Kong and I really enjoyed it. Never would've thought I would have the chance to see it in NY. J had the KingFisher Beer ($5) from India, pretty good, it had that light  fruity-ness in the beginning.

Our noodles came out first, I ordered the Mt. Qi Pork Biang-Biang Noodles ($6.50) in medium spice and it still kicked my ass. I mean, it was definitely really good. I love the spicy and sour combo and it was really appetizing, but I'll just go with no spice next time...

J's Spicy Cumin Lamb Biang-Biang Noodles ($7.50) doesn't look spicy but it was, it got quite difficult to eat but it was too good to stop.

Starting off our skewer binge. Yes, we went crazy and ordered quite a lot, especially when one order consist of 3 skewers. The Spicy & Tingly Squid Skewers ($4.50) was the best. Cooked absolutely perfect and seasoned so well. Definitely wasn't spicy at all, kind of had a nice sweet glazed to it.

This was J's favorite. Spicy Cumin Pork Intestine Skewers ($3.75) was grilled to a crisp which is why he loved it. I was on the so-so side with this. But I do find it cute that they go from the big pieces to the smaller pieces in the front.

Why did we order this? Big disappointment for me, better off not ordering this because the Spicy & Tingly Boiled Beef Stomach Skewers ($3.75) wasn't anything special. Maybe if they didn't boil it, then it would be a bit more exciting.

Another one of our favorites, Spicy Cumin Chicken Heart Skewers ($3.75) was nicely cooked. Sad they only gave so little on a stick, I wanted more since these can get addicting.

Saving the best for last, Spicy Cumin Chicken Gizzard Skewers ($3.75) was great. Crunchy and gamey. I told J that if I have a whole bowl of this instead of popcorn when we watch a movie, I would totally be a happy camper.

Biang! has surpassed my expectation and I would love to return. They cook their skewers very well and none of them were under or overcooked. I really enjoyed the noodles, but next time I'm sure I'll be able to enjoy it even more without the crazy spiciness in the way. If you like Xi'An Famous Food then this is a must visit.

Biang!
41-10 Main St
Flushing, NY 11355

Hong Kong: Hui Lau Shan

Hui Lau Shan 許留山 is quite well known for their healthy drinks and desserts in HK. They're almost like Starbucks here in the states. Everywhere you go, there's a Hui Lau Shan.

Plus, it was a place that Anthony Bourdain had visited, must be good right?

After walking around in the streets in the sun, J and I needed something to drink. Not to mention we just ate some stinky tofu...haha

And oh...hello there handsome guy staring at my camera ;]

So majority of the items on their menu were mango mango mango. I'm not crazy about mango because I feel like places always overdo them, like they're way too sweet or they're not naturally sweet. J and I settled on this mango coconut drink with mango meat. Whoa...it was good! Chunks of mango in there with the right amount of mango and coconut together. Best served cold so drink up once it's handed to you. Good thing we visited this place.

Enid's - You took me back even though I said no

I can't remember the last time I had brunch with J. Actually I can't remember the last time J took me somewhere for brunch and not let me know where it is. I really love the feeling of surprises, wished he did this more often.

I really had no idea where we were going until I saw the name of the restaurant on its front door. It sounded familiar because J wanted to take me here before. I said no to the idea because it was so far and a little out of the way to commute to. No more excuses now since J drove. =]

The place was quite large once we were able to get in. The door knob was a lot lower than expected. Especially when you have a tall guy like my boyfriend trying to open the door.
Starting off with some drinks, I had the Grimosa ($7) and he had the Hot Ginger Whiskey ($7). Extremely well done drinks, especially the whiskey. You can't taste much of the whiskey at all but the aroma of it can definitely get me high. I would love to have this every time I'm sick.

J ordered the Fried Jalapeno Cheese Grits ($10) which was pretty good and also healthy. He actually got some greens with his dish. The biscuit were probably the best part because it was crunchy and flaky at the same time. Add some butter on and dam...I can eat a whole basket of this!

I decided on the Garlic Shrimp and Grits ($12), not too sure why I ordered it because I'm not that crazy about shrimps. But let me tell you this, I'm so glad I ordered it. The garlic sauce was amazing and flavored the grits oh so well. The shrimps were cooked to perfection. We both had eggs sunny-side up because we love the runny yolk. If I don't have toast or bread on hand, I usually just pop the entire yolk in my mouth...mmm runny goodness.

I wouldn't mind coming back because the waitresses were friendly and the atmosphere is very welcoming. The feeling was very laid back and relaxing. Plus, they got a full bar.

Enid's
560 Manhattan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 349-3859

Hong Kong: Stinky Tofu

Even though Stinky Tofu 臭豆腐 didn't originate in HK, they do sell them in the streets. I'm glad that I don't actually think they're stinky, they're just aromatic to me. As J and I were walking in the streets, we smelled it from blocks away. But as we got closer, the scent dissipated.

This little spot has other yummy bits also but we just wanted the fried stinky tofu.

They have condiments for you to dress your tofu. You can come back for endless sauces.

Verdict? It was good, could've been great if it was fresher when we got to it. But the sauce was like "girlll oh ma gawdddd" good. Love the spicy kick to it and the fermented aroma. I can totally just inhale this stuff. Stinky tofu is one of those special delicacy that you just have to try at least one, liking it or not can be a totally different story.

Whitman's - A suprise that will leave me speechless

I know J has been wanting a Juicy Lucy for the longest time. The idea of having melted cheese in a burger is just something we can't pass up on. Plus, I was totally in the mood for a burger and something fried...

J ordered a Negra Modelo ($7) beer. I'm not a big fan of beer so I just stuck with my water.

The Fried Pickles ($4) were alright. I didn't like them as much just because I thought they were too thin and weren't crunchy enough. The dipping sauce was delicious though, I'm sure it's not cheese but J keeps telling me otherwise. I prefer a thick and crunchier crust, but I still can down endless bowls of this.

I was the normal one that ordered the regular Juicy Lucy ($10). The patty might look small but it was a delicious ball of goodness. I was trying to flatten the burger but forgot about the cheese in the middle until J was like "omg it's squirting from the other side."

The cheese were actually all situated in the center, I wished it was more all over the patty. You can actually have your choice of cheese but I just went with the pimento cheese since that was the regular one on the menu. The pickle was ginormous though and spicy. So good and fulfilling.

J's crazy Juicy Lucy ($10) with bacon ($1) and fried egg ($2). I know he just had to do it. I have to say that it looks absolutely beautiful when it came out. The egg was so perfect and I wanted his greens! Anywho, his was less messy than mine. Odd, cause my plate was filled with meat juices...hahaha

Whitman's
406 E 9th St
New York, NY 10009
(212) 228-8011