Bann

350 West 50th Street
New York, NY 10019

So one of the consequences of there being very few nonstop flights back to Austin is that I can usually have a stopover on the east coast without paying much extra. I take advantage of this on my way home for the holidays, so three days in NYC were quickly booked in to see some of my favorite people in the world. Y&A live in New Jersey now but still work in NYC, so we managed to schedule a Friday night dinner just a few hours after my plane landed, and my friend O was able to join as well. This is where my story takes a dark and unexpected turn. I got sick on the plane. Really sick. I'm not going to get into graphic descriptions, but let's just say I was not able to eat dinner, really. Which was a shame as Y&A had picked a Korean restaurant (Bann) because I had told them I was craving Korean. Above, you see the delicious tofu stew I ordered. I took two bites. They were delicious, and I was so sad that I wasn't feeling like scarfing the entire bowl, plus the amazing looking seafood pancake that Y&A ordered, plus the banchan on the table. Thankfully, I was in the US, where you can have anything packaged up neatly to take home, and I did manage to eat it a couple of days later when I had recovered a bit, and it was good, but I bet it would have been better if I had gotten to eat it when I ordered it.

Assa

 

53 St. Giles High Street
London
WC2H 8LH

So since my first visit to Assa in 2010 I've been back a few more times with my Korean food loving friends.  It's in such a convenient location for pre-theatre meals, and it always helps me deal with my kimchi cravings when they hit. This latest visit was with P before we went to go see Once (which was pretty good, but I like the film more). I have been accused of going nuts with the ordering whenever P and I get together, but it worked out well at Assa. A kimchi seafood pancake was absolutely terrific - crisp crust, juicy seafood and the fermenty funk of kimchi all combine well here (plus the pancake didn't fall apart like it does at so many other places). I also loved the kimchi and pork belly over tofu - it felt like a relatively light dish due to all the tofu and cabbage, but the shreds of pork belly gave it this incredibly luxurious edge as well. And finally, a spicy chicken dish - probably the most "normal" dish of the evening but it came with plenty of rice for two people and was a great way to round off the meal. All that, plus a couple of Korean beers - exactly the right amount for greedy people like me and P. 

Dotori

3 Stroud Green Rd  
London 
N4 2DQ

I'm attempting my first post from my phone to see if this is an easier way to keep up with posting. I'm massively behind because I just can't find time to write about everything great that I eat. Solutions are to eat less, or stop eating so much good food, but neither of those appeals. 

While in Finsbury Park to see a friend's brother in Yellow Face (speaking of which go see it, really) we had time for lunch. I remembered hearing about Dotori and then Kevin (friend's brother) recommended it, so it was clear we should go. Seafood pajeon (pancake) was ordered alongside a sushi set. This is probably my favorite seafood pajeon in London. Crisp, greaseless, stuffed with shrimp, squid and mussels - we wolfed it down and were almost too full for the sushi. Did I mention the pajeon was only £6.50? Sushi was fine but it's the pajeon I'd go back for. Go Go Go.

Kimchi Cult

P and I had bought tickets to go to the London Zoo Lates. This was exciting because 1) cute animals and 2) no children. Alas, the day we were scheduled to go, it was raining. Pouring. But we are hardcore, and went anyway. A different P had been a couple of weeks before and told me there were a lot of food options, so we did a quick scouting trip, sloshing through puddles, and then decided on kimchi sliders from Kimchi Cult. Of course, my vision was blurred by the water streaming everywhere and I mis-read the sign and ordered what I thought were bacon and kimchi sliders (i.e. bacon and kimchi on top of a hamburger slider) but was instead just bacon and kimchi in a tiny bun. I say "just" but bacon and kimchi is totally enough to make a great snack, no need for beef. Anyway - of course the kimchi burger at Hawksmoor is better, but if you just want a tiny bite to take the edge off a craving for kimchi, this works too.

Baekdu

77 Shudehill
Manchester
M4 4

After meeting up with A and his friends in Manchester, we decided the first order of business would be to find a place for lunch. Korean food appealed to everyone, so we hiked over to Baekdu. This unassuming joint had a pretty broad menu - some of the group went with sushi options while I focused on the Korean options. Seafood pajeon (or pancake) is usually the first thing I order, so I tried it out here. Chock full of seafoody bits and a little greasier than I would prefer, it still won raves from the rest of the table. For my actual lunch, I went with a kimchi tofu stew that was brilliantly spicy and warm - the perfect antidote to the cold grey weather outside. It comes in a burning hot bowl and therefore stays warm through the entire meal - which means you can't just shovel it down as you would burn your tongue off. So I was probably the slowest eater at the table, but thankfully everyone was happy to eat and catch up while I patiently worked my way through the stew, spoonful by spoonful. Glad to see that Mancunians have access to good Korean food.

Kimchee

 
71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6EA

P somehow knew about Kimchee even though it had barely opened, so we planned a dinner there since we both like Korean food. Obviously we ordered kimchee. We also had some sukju namul (beansprouts). You can refer to my many other posts about Korean food and my irritation with being charged for banchan, since I should probably stop sounding like a broken record. Anyway, despite the fact we had to order and pay for those side dishes, they were good. I wasn't massively hungry so I ordered a side dish called "Tofu Kimchee" as my main, described as "Sliced fried tofu served with stir-fried kimchee and pork". This was fantastic - cubes of deep fried tofu, topped with a spicy, salty mix of kimchee and bacon. It was surprisingly satisfying considering how small it was - perfect for me that evening. P went with bibimbap, which he enjoyed, I think. Good to know of a Korean restaurant around Holborn for those times that a craving hits - it's a much more polished environment than the little Korean restaurants around Tottenham Court Road, and feels like it is ready to be rolled out as a chain - but the food I had was good enough that I would go back and even eat at other locations, should they appear.

Jee Cee Neh

74 Burlington Road 

London 

KT3 4NU

A trip to Surrey for a wedding meant that we could stop in New Malden on the way home. (A also managed to cajole me into a trip to Ikea but that is less relevant to this blog.) I've read a lot about this neighborhood as it boasts the highest concentration of Korean people in the London area and therefore is home to many Korean restaurants. I have a deep love for Korean food, kimchi and pajeon and barbecue being a few of my favorite foods. I've probably mentioned before that I really hate how banchan is usually charged here, unlike New York where you get amazing arrays of small dishes that come free before your meal. Thankfully, Jee Cee Neh has followed the NY tradition, and four dishes appeared shortly after we were seated - bean sprouts, kimchi, pickled spicy cucumbers and shredded radishes. The seafood pajeon was light and crispy and full of bits of clams, octopus, squid and prawns - and the spring onions had been carefully laid down parallel to each other before the pancake was cooked, making for a very attractive presentation. Since we weren't hungry enough, the barbecue that you cook yourself was not an option - instead we had some bulgogi which came on a hot metal cow-shaped plate - it was tender and balanced the sweet and savoury flavors well. This was A's first experience with Korean food and I am happy to report that he is a fan, which means we should be seeing more Korean food on here in the future.

Kimchi Jjigae

One of my favorite dishes when it's cold outside is fiery kimchi stew with cubes of tofu strewn throughout. While my rendition suffered a bit since I didn't have any silken tofu to hand and instead made do with firm tofu that had been frozen, giving it a chewy texture, it was still exactly what I wanted on a gray Sunday afternoon.

Kimchi Jjigae

Adapted from Serious Eats and Tamarind and Thyme

200g pork belly, thinly sliced
1 medium sized onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 loose cupful of kimchi, cut into bite-sized pieces and all the kimchi juices
3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine (or mirin)
2 tbsps gochujang

2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 block of soft tofu (silken, if possible)
3 spring onions, chopped

salt to taste

Add pork belly to cold large dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once fat starts to render off pork belly, add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften, about 2 minutes. Add kimchi and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kimchi liquid, water, dried ginger, shaoxing wine, gochujang and soy sauce. Stir well, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low, and simmer. Add tofu. Cook for 20 minutes, adjusting to keep to maintain simmer. Add salt to taste (you may not need any – I found mine fine as is) and throw in the spring onions at the end. Serve piping hot with white rice on the side. 

Assa

53 St. Giles High Street
London
WC2H 8LH

J and I had a craving for Korean food and I stumbled upon Assa when looking for places around Tottenham Court Road. We arranged to meet there on the early side for lunch, and that was smart - it's a small restaurant that fills up very quickly! When we left, there were quite a few people waiting outside for their chance at a table. The lunch specials are pretty great value - around £5.50 for a meal that comes with a couple of banchan (we were given bean sprouts and a really tangy seaweed dish). The only flaw in the meal is that I think the kitchen forgot about my dish - J had her lunch for about 15 minutes before I finally asked where my food was. The waiter was apologetic and my dish appeared 5 minutes later, but it was a bit odd getting my food when J had almost finished hers! Still, once I had my spicy tofu stew in front of me, I didn't really care so much about the wait - it was savory and warming and full of flavor - I shall be back, and I will keep a closer eye on getting my food next time.

Blossom

City Point, Unit 1b

1 Ropemaker Street

London 

EC2Y 9AW

I used to get takeout sushi from Blossom for dinner at least two or three times a week. Alas, the dinner expenses were eventually revoked and then with the discovery of Whitecross Street Market, even lunches were a rare occurrence. But on rainy, dismal, cold days, it's a good choice when meeting people who work in the offices above - no need to even carry an umbrella. Seafood bibimbap was chosen for its warming qualities - along with a bowl of miso soup that was included, it thawed out my icy fingers quickly. My favorite part is the screaming hot stone bowl that it comes in, frying bits of the rice that get stuck and quickly cooking all of the raw shrimp, salmon and mussels in the bowl once they're mixed in. I throw in the accompanying kimchi as well to make it a bit spicier and then remember to eat carefully so that I don't burn my tongue. Fantastic.

Sorry I have no picture - that is totally due to my own stupidity, I somehow deleted it. Oops.

Express Manna Kitchen

28 E 18th St (between Broadway & S Park Ave)
New York, NY
10003

The wonders of delivery in New York - if it's freezing outside and you still want Korean food, just use Seamless Web.  K, D and I ordered a feast - seafood pancake (pictured), kimchi fried rice, spicy tofu and vegetable stew, kal-bi-tang (a short rib soup with glass noodles), and kalbi jjim (short ribs braised with daikon and carrot). Pretty decent for delivery Korean, even though the pancake was thicker than I'm used to and was a little limp after steaming in its container, and the tofu/veggie stew had a lot of unexpected jalapenos in it. Certainly beats going out in sub-zero temperatures.

Koba

11 Rathbone St
London

W1T 1NA

Another day, another J. Our weekly lunches resumed this week since J is finally in London again after being flung around the globe recently. Koba caught our eye as we were walking past and since they were doing very reasonable lunch specials, we went in. For 6.20, I got a bowl of kimchi jjigae (a spicy tofu soup) with pork, a bowl of rice, and three little banchan (bean sprouts, kimchi and courgettes). J ordered the dolsot bibimbap, which came with the same banchan. I was happy to see banchan included - one of my pet peeves about Korean restaurants in England is that they expect you to pay for each banchan - and the mains were delicious. My jjigae had lovely pieces of silken soft tofu swimming in a fiery red hot soup, with very thin slices of pork belly mixed in - perfect for this gray weather we're having, though it made me sneeze uncontrollably a few times due to the spicy kick. J approved of her bibimbap - we'll have to come back to try the Korean barbecue.

Ran

58-59 Great Marlborough Street
London

W1F 7JY

Another C (this seems to be a popular first initial among my friends!) suggested Ran for Korean food when we were planning dinner, so off I went to Soho. We had a great evening catching up on how we were doing as we both quit working at our old jobs this year - so good to hear that other people have enjoyed the change as much as me! While chatting up a storm, we managed to eat some pretty good food as well - we ordered beef with glass noodles (listed as a starter), the spicy stir fried squid and the spicy soft tofu chige. The chige had quite a bit of seafood in it - I spotted mussels, squid and prawns (none of which is mentioned in the menu but it is entirely possible that all chiges have seafood and thus I am the dumb one). I thought the level of spice in both the squid dish and the chige was nice - I am so glad I eat spicy things now! C also introduced me to rice punch, a slightly sweet, refreshing drink that I guess is made out of rice (there were small grains of rice in the drink as well).

One gripe - it seems that Korean restaurants in London generally don't give you the banchan (little side dishes like kimchi and bean sprouts) for free - I am used to seeing the table covered with banchan at Korean restaurants in New York as soon as you sit down so the fact that you need to order and pay for them here is not making me happy. Also, we were there quite early for dinner but then it got really busy - they were polite enough not to ask us point blank to leave, but instead kept removing things from our table as soon as we were done, so pretty soon even my water glass had been whisked away and they had come over, opened the bill, saw there was no payment yet, and walked off again a couple of times. So maybe not great if you want to stay for a long time. On the flip side, I noticed that each table at Ran had a big ventilation thing above it - if you order Korean barbecue they pull it down over the barbecue so that you don't end up smelling like smoky meat (a surprisingly unpleasant smell when it is in your hair, your clothes and your winter coat!) Maybe next time I should try the barbecue...