The Archives
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Palisades Park, Restaurants
Better Korean Noods – NJ
So during a recent lunch with my mom, as per usual, the conversation moved onto food, and she told me Hand Made Noodle House, my brother’s family’s favorite kalguksu (Korean knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant in New Jersey closed. According to the owner, the restaurant couldn’t make money selling $10 bowls of noodles so they revamped into a Korean restaurant specializing in chungukjang (청국장, extra fermented soybean stew) and Korean barbecue. I’m sure this was sad news to my brother’s family, but me, I was fine. Better noodles were always a few blocks away. MORE »
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K-Town, Restaurants
Abalone Soondubu at BCD – NYC
12.14.13 | Permalink | 2 Comments
Since BCD Tofu House on 32nd Street moved a few doors down earlier this year, there’s been a few changes. First, lots of space! There are now two floors for your soondubu-eating pleasure, and if you care of such things, more than one bathroom. Also, more banchan (Korean side dishes)! Along with the usual fried croaker, pickles, kimchi, and ojinguh jut (salted spicy squid), there’s a few more side dishes. Aside from the braised burdock root (우엉조림), nothing remarkable, but as always, much appreciated when it’s free. As for the menu, there are a few more items, most notably, the abalone soondubu jigae ($19.99). MORE »
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Palisades Park, Restaurants
Dumplings & Noodles at Hand Made Noodle House – NJ
Hand Made Noodle House, better known in Korean as 손 칼국수 (Son Kalguksu), recently expanded from a tiny five table joint to a full-blown restaurant with enough room to host your extended family back in Korea. Hand Made Noodle is currently my family’s go-to kalguksu (Korean knife-cut noodle soup) spot. While not my mom’s or my favorite, my brother’s family — who are recent pescatarians — like it because they have noodles with anchovy broth on the menu (most restaurants in the neighborhood are beef broth-only), and my dad used to like it because it was always cheaper and the portions humongous. I say “used to” because since the expansion, the prices have gone up a dollar or two for each dish. After this happened, my dad made a big to-do about it as if the restaurant had personally betrayed him and vowed never to go back, but since then, he’s been back a few times so I assume he’s made peace with the restaurant in his heart or at least his wallet. MORE »
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Fort Lee, Restaurants
Forget Sullongtang, Eat Dwejigukbab at To Soc Chon – NJ
Like sullongtang (설렁탕, Korean ox bone soup)? I find it a bit boring. Yes, it’s restorative after one too many drinks, but boring nonetheless. DwejiGukbab (돼지국밥, pork bone soup with rice), on the other hand, is everything good about sullongtang, but magnified for maximum deliciousness. MORE »
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Events, K-Town
Bibimbap Backpackers Event & Sweet Pancakes – NYC
A few days ago, I went to a Bibimbap Backpackers event in K-Town. The Bibimbap Backpackers are a promotional team from Seoul, sponsored by CJ Foods, traveling around the world teaching people about the deliciousness of bibimbap (비빔밥; mixed rice with assorted meats and vegetables) and Korean food in general. Think of them as bibimbap evangelists but less preachy and more fun to hang out with, especially at lunchtime. MORE »
