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Small Shops

Food Courts, K-Town, Small Shops
Big Bowl Mul Naengmyun at Food Gallery 32 – NYC
01.23.11 | Permalink | 3 Comments

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 »
Flatiron, Food Halls, Restaurants, Small Shops, Specialty Markets
Dinner & Dessert at Eataly – NYC
10.05.10 | Permalink | 9 Comments

Eataly — the 50,000 square foot Italian food hall by Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Lidia Bastianich — is becoming one of my favorite places in New York. If you haven’t been yet, I always tell people it’s like an Italian version of Mitsuwa (Yaohan for you old-schoolers that can’t accept change), but more cramped. If you’re not familiar with the Japanese marketplace in New Jersey, it’s like Whole Foods combined with a fancy food court. Or better yet, a food court for old people. Eataly isn’t perfect. Layout is problematic; dining areas are haphazardly scattered about, so it’s not unusual to have your table bumped by a cart as the driver rounds the corner to the fresh pasta case. People bumping is also common. On my last visit, I was treated to a show when two couples got into a shouting match over one party getting pushed by the other. But if you can get beyond the crazed environment, a great meal plus dessert can be easily had. MORE »
Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Small Shops
The Hawaiian Dessert Edition – Maui, Oahu
09.03.10 | Permalink | 4 Comments

With the help of shave ice, staying cool in Hawaii was pretty easy. And when we grew tired of shave ice (not me, David), there was always tart pineapple soft serve, guri-guri, and a variant of shave ice called snow. Cool yet? MORE »
Fast Food, Hawaii, Oahu, Small Shops
More Plate Lunches – Honolulu
08.18.10 | Permalink | 2 Comments

Lots of plate lunches were had in Honolulu (some good, some bad, all humongous), but my favorite plate lunch was at Monarch Seafoods with Yummy Korean B-B-Q coming in at a close second. Monarch was great for incredibly fresh seafood, and Yummy Korean B-B-Q for surprisingly good galbi (갈비, Korean beef ribs, also spelled kalbi) from a fast food court. MORE »
East Village, Small Shops
Yakisoba Sandwich at Panya – NYC
07.09.10 | Permalink | 10 Comments

After ten days of eating giant Hawaiian lunch plates consisting of lau lau, kālua pig, Portuguese sausage, ham, and bacon, I’ve been eating light since I got back. (Why everyone in Hawaii isn’t obese is beyond me.) Yesterday, lunch was a Yakisoba Sandwich ($3.25) from Panya. MORE »

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