Eating Korean

Although Koreans have been eating fried chicken for years, it hasn’t been until the last couple of years that Americans have been made aware of the special flavor of Korean fried chicken. The articles in the New York Times and Saveur magazine made it seem like it was some new discovery.

I’ve been having a good [...]

Read the rest of Korean Fried Chicken

If you’ve never had hand-cut noodles, you’re in for a real treat. There are various different versions. Some made with clams, chicken, beef, seafood; some spicy, some not, but all delicious.
An inexpensive dish to have in restaurants (usually just 5,000 to 6,000 won), it’s really easy to make at home, too. You can get [...]

Read the rest of Kal Gooksu (Korean “Knife” Noodles)

After a long soak in an oncheon (hot spring), a dip in cold water and a long scrubby polish, nothing beats a traditional Korean meal (hanjeongshik). We wandered around the streets of Suanbo, a hot springs town, and chanced upon this cozy restaurant on a side street. Specializing in hanjeongshik and pheasant shabu shabu, we [...]

Read the rest of Hyang Namu Shikdang

A couple of days ago, I had lunch at the hip and happening, modern Korean joint, Gyenari, in Culver City. It’s changed its menu a couple of times, trying to find its identity and it seems to have settled on Korean fusion offerings created by Debbie Lee (of “The Next Food Network Star” fame).
So, [...]

Read the rest of Gyenari – a review

When I first got an email from Benjamin Lee, I thought for a second that my nine-year-old nephew had finally learned how to use email. “Lee” being a common name in Korea (second only to “Kim”), it only took a couple of seconds to realized that this Benjamin Lee was not a relation, but the [...]

Read the rest of Lunch at the BCD Tofu House

Those of you who don’t live in Los Angeles may not have heard of Kogi, the Korean taco truck. It’s the latest food craze in our silly town. It’s just like it sounds–a Korean taco truck, serving up fun delights like galbi tacos and tofu burritos. You check their website or twitter to see where [...]

Read the rest of Korean Taco Truck – Kogi

I’d been meaning to go to the L.A. location of this popular Seoul joint for awhile. So, this hot summer night when we didn’t feel like cooking, we decided to meet some friends for some noodles and dumplings. Just like the original in Myeongdong, the L.A. restaurant has only 6 items on the menu, which [...]

Read the rest of Myung Dong Kyoja

I spent a good part of last year traveling throughout Korea, doing research for my travel guide, Frommer’s South Korea (which is coming out in June!). While my aunt and I were following the signs that pointed to the Chicken Museum, we got lost in a hilly street that was winding its way up [...]

Read the rest of Secret Little Tea House in Seoul