Cancun is not just about Zona Hotelera. Twenty to thirty minutes away, depending on which hotel you’re staying at and your mode of transportation, lies Centro or Downtown Cancun where most of the locals live. It’s a fun place with a lot more food options than the Hotel Zone, but it’s guaranteed you’ll get lost there. Roads are windy and circular intersections are the norm, so even if you have precise, detailed directions, at the end, you might as well have thrown them out the window on the way. But as long as you persevere, tasty food can be had. MORE »
Years ago, when I used to go to Mitsuwa before they renovated, the ramen wasn’t very good. It was decent enough to stave off hunger before diving into the Japaense snack aisle, and later perusing the extensive sake section, but nothing comparable to Ippudo in Manhattan. In recent years, however, things have changed across the river. The ramen at Santouka, the ramen stall in the food court at Mitsuwa, is actually good, excellent even, and I’d say rivaling some of the better ramen shops in New York City. MORE »
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
I wrote about the Santa Monica Farmers Market last month, but The Original Farmers Market is something else entirely. I was planning on perhaps buying some cherimoya before heading over to The Grove to buy our hostess’ son a present (Thanks Audrey for letting us crash!), but when I stepped into the market, what met my eyes was not tables of fruits and vegetables but an outdoor food court! Considering it was lunchtime, nothing could have made me happier. MORE »
I realized I’ve been eating Chinese food every day this week for lunch so I decided I needed a break and went to K-Town for some Korean food. Somehow things didn’t work exactly as planned since I ended up eating Korean-Chinese at Jin Jja Roo. Oh well, sometimes you have to listen to your body when it’s craving something. MORE »
I’ve been eagerly waiting to go to Food Gallery 32, the new Korean food court in K-Town. Finally, last week, I took a trip down. Twice to be specific. If you’re familiar with the food court in H-Mart on Broad Avenue in New Jersey, it’s similar, but much, much bigger. Like in H-Mart, you order and pay at one station, and then go to the restaurant from which you ordered to pick-up your food. At Food Gallery 32 though, you also get the added bonus of a buzzer (à la Outback Steakhouse). When the buzzer flashes and vibrates, it means your food is ready for pick-up. I’m kind of used to this type of ordering system, so I thought it was pretty straightforward, but when I ran into Gordon and the lovely ladies of Lunch Studio on a visit, they told me it was confusing. I guess it’s even more so if you’re not too familiar with Korean food and need to refer to pictures or visuals at the individual restaurants.
So far I’ve only tried Big Bowl at Food Gallery 32. Kal Guksu (칼국수, knife cut wheat noodle soup; $6.95), was way too salty, but I was really happy with their Mul Nang myun (also spelled mul naengmyun, 물냉면, noodles in icy cold beef broth; $7.95). MORE »