Korea Palace
I finally had Korean food last night, but not on Korea street. I met a friend near her workplace, at 54th and Park. It was a good place to go for a first experience; everyone was so nice about all of our questions. Some Citysearch reviews had complained that it was pricey and that they didn't bring out all the vegetables unless the customer's Korean, but that wasn't our experience at all (I'm beginning to think that Citysearch is useless for reviews; it's just a site the disgruntled use for revenge).
I can see why Korean food is becoming so popular, though. It makes you feel like you're having a feast when they bring out all those little dishes of kimchi, pickled radish, octopus salad, lotus root, etc. I ordered bibimbop, which is sticky rice mixed with vegetables and beef. It's brought to the table with an egg yolk on top in the clay pot they cooked it in and then, tableside, the waiter breaks the egg yolk and mixes it into the rice with some hot sauce. They also brought out a savory egg custard for us to try. It was silky and slippery and hot. Perfect for a cold day. They have a great lunch special, too.
Comments
I've never tried bibimbop, but your description of it sounds like it's something I'd like. I'll have to look for it next time I go for Korean food. I have a good friend who often takes us out for Korean barbecue and then late night karaoke afterwards, the barbecue is awesome, the karaoke is kinda goofy, but fun.
Posted by: Deb | October 10, 2003 12:56 PM
This place we went to was set up so you could cook your own barbecue at the table (something else I'll have to try). No karaoke, though (as far as I could tell).
Posted by: Kim | October 10, 2003 03:13 PM
one of my favourite friends has a lovely korean daughter, and a columbian son. i was planning to treat them to a homemade supper combining both cultures..this sounds like a good start! any ideas for the other - south-american - half?
Posted by: lynn | October 11, 2003 03:32 PM
Ooooh, I think you could make empanadas, arepas, do lots with plantains, seafood. Coconut rice. I almost think ropa vieja might work. (I'm probably hopelessly muddling my regions, sorry!) This site seems to have some good recipes: http://gosouthamerica.about.com/library/blrecipesCol.htm
Seafood and rice seem to be a common ground for the cuisines, although they treat the two foods in entirely different ways.
Posted by: Kim | October 13, 2003 08:21 AM
Bibimbop is the thing I usually get at Korean restaurants- it's my version of comfort food from my childhood. Besides, it's inevitable that someone at the table gets one of the obligatory barbecue dishes, leaving me free to reminisce about my youth.
Posted by: Ted Y. | October 14, 2003 03:33 PM
Ted! Of course I thought of you when we went here. Before this my only experience with Korean food was the jar of kimchi and some kind of fermented black beans(?) in the fridge of the apartment you shared with Todd in that orange building.
Is there any good korean food where you are now?
Posted by: Kim | October 15, 2003 03:36 PM
Hmmm, fermented black beans.. you sure that was Korean food and not just really old black beans? Entirely possible, if I remember those days correctly.
There are several Korean places in SanAn, and we've only tried the one place everyone says is not very good. The other places remain on our list, but Theo's really helped us cut down on our going out to eat habit. My mom was here a couple months ago, though, and we got some great Korean food then.
Posted by: Ted Y. | October 18, 2003 01:47 PM