Korean Grub in China Town

     This weekend I made a four hour trek to visit my dear friend who moved away to Long Island last year, and I hadn't seen her since. In a little over a month I will be staying with her at her house in Korea -- her real home, and the trip turned out to be a great test for my Korean adventure to come, in terms of what I will and will not be able to eat, and what are some realistic goals for me to set.
     Our foodie setting was in China town just outside of Queens, NY. The streets where lined with noodle shops, bubble tea cafes and many many seafood joints. We also popped into a French-Korean Bakery, and I did my best to scrutinize the ingredients I was consuming there, but they were listed in Korean...
     It took only about 4 hours of being with my friend, the first night, for her to make it agonizingly difficult for me to stick to my vegan-guns. We went to a fantastically asian-nightlify hole in the wall, with blasting Korean rock and club beats, but packed corner to corner with elderly Koreans (which means you know the food is good if old-timers are enduring earsplitting music) and wood paneled walls. First thing I look for is meat free food on the menu -- which posses a problem because it is mainly in Korean. I find a kimchi pancake, and spicy noodles. That's bout it.

     The side dishes come out; kimchi, shredded carrot and cucumber, and spicy ricecake and a fried egg. When the server came over to take our order, my friend delivered the whole thing in Korean -- leaving me to pick out the very few words I know -- so you can believe how surprised I was when this smorgasbord of non veganism was set on the open flame infront of us:

     The lobster was still moving.... and though I was consciously trying not to cry as I watched it desperately flopping in the bubbling hot broth, it was an appropriate trial run for what is to come during my time in Korea. 

     I realized that when my friend informed me one of her favorite dishes was live baby octopus. Yum.

     All in all, everything was really delicious -- and my favorite was by far the kimchi pancake. And if you are wondering -- yes, I did eat some of the seafood. It was 80 bucks! She guilted me into it. I felt a little disappointed that peer pressure made me cave so easily, but it was a good lesson, indicating how much harder it will be when I'm on her turf, and can't really find food for myself. But I really didn' enjoy it *frowny face*

Shik Gaek Chun Ha (식객천하)

161-29 Crocheron Ave. Flushing, NY 

     The second notable meal I had was a very untraditional breakfast (for me anyway), a fantastic Noodle dish called 짜장면 (jja jang myeon, or black bean noodles). Honestly, these were the best noodles I have ever had in my life, and I'm quite the noodle fanatic. These noodles have been haunting my dreams. They are usually served with beef or seafood in the sauce but thankfully I was able to get vegetable jja jang myeon! 

     I ended up dumping all of that rich black sauce into my bowl -- which was bigger than my head -- because I just couldn't get enough. The two side dishes here are some kind of radish and my favorite ... kimchi! which are served in order to counteract some of the oiliness of the jjajangmyeon which their acidic nature. 

Sam Wong Gahk 

144-20 Northern Blvd, Flushing, NY

Apparently, they serve the best jajangmyeon around. Seriously, so good. 진짜 맜있어요. 

A Truly Delightful Bistro

     This evening I dinned at one of my absolute favorite restaurants in my neck of the woods, True Bistro. My mom and I dropped in for an early dinner, after a long, cranky, wet and frigid New England spring day at around 5.
     On a day that neither of us felt like exerting the energy to cook and deal with dirty dishes, this little gem was the perfect quiet, simple yet chic atmosphere needed to enjoy a relaxed, but undeniably decadent meal. The menu is flavorful and always eclectic, as well as being completely vegan!
     I have become quite the frequent flyer after discovering this place, and am still working my way through the menu, making sure never to have the same thing twice... which means each time I convince myself to order an exorbitant amount of food, in the name of research.
     This time I really may have outdone myself;

The appetizer: Pâté of tempeh & walnuts, fresh baguette and house pickled vegetables

the pate was wonderfully subtle and had a rich flavor, while the white, mayo like spread had an inexplicable tangyness to it. I piled the little pickled veggies on top of my pate laden bread, and the mx of sharp pickled flavor and the nutty pate along with the tang of the mayo.

The entree: Green curry with fried tofu, mizuna & bok choy, maitake mushrooms, black rice cake

The black rice cake was extremely airy and light and the sauce was subdued and just the tiniest bit sweet, perhaps even a little coconutty. 

The side dish: Cornmeal-crusted oyster mushrooms, horseradish-dill aioli, aji amarillo sauce

I could eat these little suckers by the pound, and the horseradish-dill was deliciously bitter, but not over-powering.

The dessert: Napoleon, layers of crisp sugared phyllo, white chocolate mousse, fresh berries

just look at this. the phyllo was crispy and crackly, without flaking apart, and coated crystals of sugar. the strawberries were fresh and the white chocolate mousse, though not a true substitute for the real deal, was wonderfully light.

now get there and have a real look, a little closer now.

 

     We had so much fun indulging ourselves, perhaps a little too much fun, as I am now nursing a serious food hangover.

True Bistro

1153 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144

truebistroboston.com