Every day between the hours of 11am and 3pm, a block away from North End Grill, and outside the courtyard of The World Financial Center, are five parked food trucks. Every Monday, one of these trucks is the Kimchi Taco Truck, and unless you decide to come early, expect to wait in line of upwards of twenty minutes. For this truck has the best food offered all week.
Phillip Lee, the founder of the truck, is a madman. Seriously, think about it. A man in love with Korean flavors who wants to make the distinct impact on the American public by bringing it to them in a recognizable form. Tacos. Who doesn't love tacos? Who doesn't love Korean food? Who the hell wouldn't love a Korean taco??
Now you understand.
If I'm lucky enough to have the time to wait on line at the truck before heading into work, I'm a very happy man. For $8 you can get three tacos, and then you can eat them right in the park overlooking the waterfront.
Kimchi Taco Truck offers four different types of tacos. Korean-marinated short ribs, spicy pork, braised chicken, and a falafel kimchi taco for vegetarians. The rest of the menu is very diverse. Kimchee bowls and even a kimchi cheesesteak are offered. All ingredients are made on the truck, and set you off on an intense culinary journey, if only just for a few bites.
Showing posts with label korean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label korean. Show all posts
Sep 6, 2012
Jul 14, 2011
BonChon
The freshness, the bold flavors, the passion put into every piece of food that comes out of the kitchens, the unrelenting pursuit of perfection. That is why Korean food makes my mouth water.
BonChon chicken is one of many Korean fried chicken chains that have popped up in the United States over the past few years. Like pizza joints across New York, fried chicken restaurants live all over South Korea. Never eaten as a meal but more as a snack, South Koreans enjoy their wings and drumsticks with hot peppery sauces, garlic-soy sauces, pickled radishes, and beer or soju (think Korean vodka, but VERY strong).
So now their fried chicken lifestyle has made its way over the United States. But what makes it so different from the fried chicken we all grew up on? For years what we have referred to as the ultimate soul food?
Southern fried chicken is all about the crust, and cooks that are truly passionate about their chicken spend years trying to perfect their recipes. Brining, marinating, dredging, and frying. Size, oil temperature, cooking times, and condiments all come into play. Most of the time served with skin, and sometimes not. Arguments can be made for hours going back and forth as to who does it best, and which method is correct.
BonChon chicken is one of many Korean fried chicken chains that have popped up in the United States over the past few years. Like pizza joints across New York, fried chicken restaurants live all over South Korea. Never eaten as a meal but more as a snack, South Koreans enjoy their wings and drumsticks with hot peppery sauces, garlic-soy sauces, pickled radishes, and beer or soju (think Korean vodka, but VERY strong).
So now their fried chicken lifestyle has made its way over the United States. But what makes it so different from the fried chicken we all grew up on? For years what we have referred to as the ultimate soul food?
Southern fried chicken is all about the crust, and cooks that are truly passionate about their chicken spend years trying to perfect their recipes. Brining, marinating, dredging, and frying. Size, oil temperature, cooking times, and condiments all come into play. Most of the time served with skin, and sometimes not. Arguments can be made for hours going back and forth as to who does it best, and which method is correct.
Jun 13, 2011
Takashi
"Yakiniku" - a Japanese term referring to grilled meat dishes.
Takashi is a small, intimate, 34-seat restaurant located in the West Village. It is named after the Chef and owner, Takashi Inoue, who opened this restaurant with Saheem Ali (the general manager) just over a year ago.
Being a third-generation Korean immigrant being born in Japan, Takashi masterfully combines the boldness of Korean flavors with the finesse of Japanese cuisine. His passion comes through with every small bite offered on the menu. The thought here is to serve beef, beef, and nothing but beef. He stays sustainable, and uses every cut of the cow possible, from shortrib and ribeye, to more extreme cuts such as tongue, heart, stomach, and even achilles tendon. Everything is extremely fresh, tastes amazing (he and Saheem spent months sourcing out the best local beef from small, local farms and purveyors), oh, and you get to grill it yourself.
The address is 456 Hudson Street. Keep that number in mind as it is what you will be looking for when you dine at Takashi for the first time. The restaurant does not display its name on its awning, yet the NY Times review hangs proudly off the front window. Walk through the front door slowly, as you might walk straight into a diner seated at the Chef's counter if you're not paying attention. Warm wood and slightly dark tones run through the restaurant, and the room of just seven tables and three large benches at the Chef's counter is really no larger than most NYC apartments. Every table comes equipped with a high-tech electric grill, and the two chefs working behind the counter stay quiet, and work with such precision, speed, and finesse it's hard not to be amazed. A mural on the wall behind the Chef's counter comically portrays every cut of beef and their definitions, as well as nutritional values.
Takashi is a small, intimate, 34-seat restaurant located in the West Village. It is named after the Chef and owner, Takashi Inoue, who opened this restaurant with Saheem Ali (the general manager) just over a year ago.
Being a third-generation Korean immigrant being born in Japan, Takashi masterfully combines the boldness of Korean flavors with the finesse of Japanese cuisine. His passion comes through with every small bite offered on the menu. The thought here is to serve beef, beef, and nothing but beef. He stays sustainable, and uses every cut of the cow possible, from shortrib and ribeye, to more extreme cuts such as tongue, heart, stomach, and even achilles tendon. Everything is extremely fresh, tastes amazing (he and Saheem spent months sourcing out the best local beef from small, local farms and purveyors), oh, and you get to grill it yourself.
The address is 456 Hudson Street. Keep that number in mind as it is what you will be looking for when you dine at Takashi for the first time. The restaurant does not display its name on its awning, yet the NY Times review hangs proudly off the front window. Walk through the front door slowly, as you might walk straight into a diner seated at the Chef's counter if you're not paying attention. Warm wood and slightly dark tones run through the restaurant, and the room of just seven tables and three large benches at the Chef's counter is really no larger than most NYC apartments. Every table comes equipped with a high-tech electric grill, and the two chefs working behind the counter stay quiet, and work with such precision, speed, and finesse it's hard not to be amazed. A mural on the wall behind the Chef's counter comically portrays every cut of beef and their definitions, as well as nutritional values.
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