Miss Korea
It's cold out. We know. So what do you do? Go eat Korean food.
Korean food is hearty, flavorful, and belly warming, which is the most important point to address at the moment. When you go somewhere like Miss Korean where you can get barbecued meats, you don't really need much else to thaw you from you cold. Except maybe a soondooboo jigae. That stuff is absolutely necessary. It's a bubbling hot stone pot filled to the brim with silken tofu, spicy hot pepper seafood broth, and usually served with a cracked egg. But back to the barbecue. Always get the samgyupsal (pork belly) and marinated kalbi (short rib). Personally, I'm bulgogi (marinated beef) optional. I only really order bulgogi when it's a la carte and it's not a full barbecue occassion. But regardless, in order to eat all of this, you will obviously need a lot of the sticky short grain rice, lettuce wraps, and unlimited servings of kimchi. Because let's be real, no Korean meal is complete without ample amounts of kimchi.
The way I eat my samgyupsal:
1. Place a lettuce wrap in your left hand.
2. Scoop a spoonful of rice into the lettuce.
3. Place some sizzling hot pork belly dipped in the sesame oil+salt+pepper sauce on top of the rice.
4. Wrap it up and stuff it in your mouth. Kimchi and/or raw/grilled garlic optional.
5. Repeat.
Miss Korea is one of many many Korean restaurants in K-town. I enjoy coming here because it's newer, clean, quick service, and very dependable quality. Some places have a marinade that is too sweet or their pajeon (pancake) is too deep fried. But I have to admit that my favorite places also give you a complimentary steamed egg with your meal; that always makes my day. Here are some other barbecue restaurants to try on the block:
- Kang Suh Restaurant
- Kunjip
- New WonJo
- NY Kom Tang
- Shilla
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| That pork belly. |
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| Soondooboo jigae |
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| Cooked kalbi |
10 W 32nd Street
New York, NY
