Archive for the ‘Korean’ Category

Revisiting Miran Korean Restaurant

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

miran korean restaurant
We first tried Miran Korean Restaurant back in 2005 and enjoyed our meal there. But for some reason, Picky convinced himself that his review was incorrect and he didn't actually like his meal, causing him to avoid it ever since. Messy corrected him a couple weeks ago while we were jonesing for some Korean food and he happily obliged a trip back. He was happily reminded of the deliciousness that is Miran. After sitting down in a mostly empty space (we got there for a late lunch), we were greeted by a bevvy of traditional Korean panchan, complimentary appetizers. Front and center are merruchi, dried anchovies in a sweet and spicy sauce. Oh how Picky loves him some merruchi and it was all for him!

miran korean restaurant
For his entree, Picky opted for his standby at Korean restaurants: dol sot bibimbap, the hot stone bowl of mixed rice topped with a fried egg. The bowl is crazy hot and you mix in the hot pepper paste – he asked for a second plate of it – and the rice gets nice and crispy and the veggies cook down a bit while in contact with the scalding hot stone bowl. This is a shot of the dish before the paste is added.

miran korean restaurant
Messy really wanted the jajang myung, buckwheat noodles in brown sauce with freshly chopped veggies, but they were all out, so she opted for the tofu chige, soft tofu soup in spicy broth. It ended up being a little too spicy for Messy's still-adapting-to-Picky's-heat-tolerance-after-seven-years palate. She added in the bowl of rice to bring down the heat to a more approachable level. Although she found it a little too tofu-heavy, the dish did well to warm her up for the rest of the afternoon of errands about Center City.

miran korean restaurant
Here's a shot of Picky's halfway mixed bibimbap after adding in the hot pepper paste. He gobbled this up quickly and had plenty of room to have about a quarter of Messy's soup.

miran korean restaurant
A shot of the empty restaurant as we were about to leave. By that time, it was when they were getting ready to change over to the early dinner crowd. Usually, there are much more people in there.

Messy ***1/2
Picky ***1/2

The final, final word: Authentic, spicy Korean food at a nice price.

2034 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 569-1200
Mon – Sun 11am – 9pm

Posted in BYOB, Center City West, Korean | 6 Comments »

GIWA

Wednesday, November 1st, 2006

giwa
We'd passed by Giwa several times during it's construction and couldn't wait for it to open, since there aren't too many Korean food spots to head to in Center City. Walking inside, Picky immediately felt a NYC vibe to it. There were large, colorful graphic prints to the right, glossy counter tops, and the general hustle and bustle of a very busy and popular lunch spot. Messy got more of a trendy fast food kind of vibe. We could have sat at the counter, but we waited a couple minutes until a table for two opened up. The whole space couldn't hold more than 25 sit-down patrons.

We grabbed two menus and were directed to the lunch section – the prices were about a dollar cheaper than the dinner menu for each dish. After looking through the lunch menu (eight choices of which two were marked specifically vegetarian), we both opted for a favorite standby: dol sot bibim bob. Mixed veggies served atop white rice with sesame oil and Korean hot paste all served in a sizzling hot stone bowl. Messy opted for the vegetarian option which, to her surprise, did not come with the usual egg on top. Upon a second look at the menu, she decided that the tofu option for $1 more would've been the better choice. The wording on the menu is slightly confusing. Although the tofu dishes are vegetarian, the "vegetarian" choice does not include tofu. Messy found this variation on bibim bob to have its pluses and minuses. She enjoyed the little beans that had been cooked into the rice, but she did not care for the large pieces shitake mushrooms which were prominent in the dish.

Picky opted for the beef version. There wasn't much beef. He second guessed his selection as well and thought he should've gone for the galbi or bulgogi both being meat-centric dishes. But the lure of the sizzling stone bowl is hard to pass up for Picky when it's an option on the menu.

Korean cuisine is known for the side dishes called panchan. When at a sit-down Korean restaurant they'll constantly refill your small side dishes. At Giwa, you only got three sides, which were yummy, but insubstantial. And the thing is, there are other yummy Korean restaurants with comparable prices where you get a whole lot more. All in all, Giwa was good, but if you're looking for more ambiance and more side dishes, you might want to head to Pastoral or Miran.

Messy ***
Picky **1/2

The Final Word: Good Korean food in a fast-foody atmosphere.

Giwa Korean Food
1608 Sansom Street
M-F 11 am -8 pm
Sat 12-9:30 pm
Closed Sundays
215-557-9830

Posted in Center City West, Korean | 7 Comments »

TAMPOPO ASIAN GRILL

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006

tampopo asian grill

We were so excited to learn that Tampopo opened up a second restaurant East of Broad Street, and even more excited to learn that this time it is more than just a take-out joint; it's a classy spot with table service and a menu that is somewhat more expansive than the original Tampopo's. Nestled in an unlikely spot on Jeweler's Row, Tampopo is a great space with a cool minimalist/modern interior. It is a very spacious setting, complete with a sushi bar with polished chrome stools with comfy-looking padded seats jutting out from under the counter. On the night we went, there was hardly anyone else in there, and we were seated at a cozy booth. We did notice, however, that some of the chairs at the smaller tables looked uncomfortable — they were a kind of backless, wooden, one-person bench.

Our server brought us a bowl of complimentary edamame, which was quite tasty, better than either of us expected. This was a surprising treat since edamame is listed as an appetizer on the menu. We also ordered vegetable Korean pancakes (bin dae duk), one of the items that is not on the menu at the original Tampopo. It was a good sized portion for the two of us, but was a couple minutes undercooked which significantly took away from the texture and flavor. (It should be firm on the inside and very crispy on the outside for a nice initial crunch.)

Messy ordered avocado rolls, which she has had at the original Tampopo many times. They were good, and seemed to be a little bigger than those at original Tampopo (although we did not perform an actual side-by-side comparison). Picky had the hot spicy beef don, which is also on the menu at original Tampopo. Picky found it to be basically the same as regular Tampopo's except not as spicy. And as an added bonus, this location is BYOB. We didn't bring anything to drink though, and we didn't ask if there was a corking fee either.

For dessert, we each had two delicious scoops of green tea ice cream. It was quite yummy, but Picky's had a little bit of ice in one of his scoops.

If you work near Jeweler's Row, this is a great idea for a lunch hot spot considering the good portions of healthy dishes at reasonable prices.

Messy ***1/2
Picky ***1/2

The final word: Everything the original has — plus chic ambiance.

Tampopo Asian Grill
719 Sansom St (Jeweler's Row)
(215) 238-9373
Lunch: Mon – Sat: 11:30am – 3:30pm
Dinner: Mon – Sat: 5:30pm – 10pm
Sun: Closed

Posted in BYOB, Center City East, Japanese, Korean | 1 Comment »

PASTORAL KOREAN RESTAURANT

Tuesday, November 15th, 2005

pastoral korean restaurant

When Messy found herself craving JaJangMyung noodles (noodles in black bean sauce) that Picky used to make for her back when we had a car and access to a Korean grocery store, we decided to try out a restaurant that we've walked past a million times: Pastoral. Why have we walked past it a million times yet never ventured inside? We don't know. When we first stepped into Pastoral, we found that the clientle was ENTIRELY Asian! A promising sign. The interior was very nice, all wood with plenty of tables. There were also tables to accomodate larger parties. But sadly, the service was slooooooowww. We ordered barley tea (boree-cha) and got it for dessert. The noodle dishes Messy craved were only offered at lunch, so we had to pick something else. They don't have any vegetarian options on the menu, but you can ask for no meat or no anything-else-you-please and they'll make it to order.

As for their panchan (complimentary side dishes), Picky enjoyed the kim-chi much more than that at Miran. Messy had the opposite reaction, finding Pastoral's kim-chi pretty much unpalatable. (Note: Messy is not Korean). We had the reverse situation with the oi-kim-chi. Messy found it crisp and delectable, while Picky thought it was not yet ripe and way too sweet.

For our entree, we decided to order the same kind of mixed rice as at Miran, BiBimBap, in a hot stone bowl; at Pastoral, they call the dish kop-dol BiBimBap. We found it on par with Miran. Picky thinks they served their rice slightly underdone as to cook the last bit inside the sizzling bowl. Picky thinks that the kochujang (hot chili sauce) was nicer, a finer tasting blend. When we were almost done with our BiBimBap, our server brought over our boree-cha and apologized, she had completely forgotten we ordered it. Messy thought it was too cold and tasting just like the tea they serve at Chinese restaurants. Picky thinks it was watered down –perhaps a second pot of tea was made using the same barley– but plenty hot for his tastes.

Picky still has yet to try the traditional Korean BBQ dish, kalbi, at a sit down restaurant in Philadelphia.

Messy: ***
Picky: ***1/2

The final word: Good above average Korean food.

Pastoral Korean Restaurant
205 S. 13th Street
215-545-8511
Mon – Sat: 11.30am – 10pm
Sun: Closed

Posted in Center City East, Korean | 6 Comments »

MIRAN KOREAN RESTAURANT

Saturday, October 22nd, 2005

miran korean restaurant

The first thing we noticed upon entering Miran was that it full of Korean people (always a good sign to see Asian people an Asian restaurant). Even though it was busy, we were seated fairly quickly. Miran has a simple décor: a single room of about a dozen tables with mostly bare walls. A black drop tile ceiling with foil exhaust piping twirling down to the tables, which each have their own grill, complete the room.

The first thing you get at a Korean restaurant when you sit down is the panchan which is a set of side dishes including kimchee (pickled cabbage), oi kimchee (pickled cucumbers), some root dish and something else we couldn't identify (but it was good). The kimchee was slightly underipened and just a little bit too spicy for Messy; it wasn't too spicy for Picky who's used to spicier. The oi kimchee was fresh and crisp to both of our liking. The roots we could take or leave. The unidentified dish which sort of resembled thin, sweet strips of tofu, was delicious.

We started off with one of Picky's favorite Korean appetizers: Dukkbokgi, which is dish of stir fried cylindrical rice cakes in a hot chili paste. At first, Messy had a hard time adapting to the spicy level and gelatanous texture, but she grew to really love it. They also gave us bowls of miso soup — miso broth, really, because there was nothing in it. Picky is not a fan of miso and passed his over to Messy; she didn't like it either. We didn't order drinks as the menu only indicated Sprite, Coke or bubble tea; however, we did see other people drinking beer and wine – Miran may be a BYOB, although this is not explicitly stated. So we had water which, sadly, came in little glasses and only half full.

Our main course was dol-sut BiBimBap. BiBimBap translates literally into "mixed rice", it is normally is a bowl of white rice with thinly sliced vegetables, a form of meat and a fried egg on top. The dol-sut part is a piping hot stone bowl which slightly fries the food as you mix it. You also get a small dish of hot chili paste. The bowls were gigantic, and the food was sizzling and delicious. They don't offer any desserts there, but when they brought out our check (under $30 for all that food), they also brought us cubed halves of oranges to sooth our tingling tongues.

Messy ***1/2
Picky ***

The final word: Authentic, spicy Korean food at a nice price.

2034 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 569-1200
Mon – Sat: Lunch: 11am – 3pm; Dinner: 5pm – 10pm
Sun: Closed

Posted in BYOB, Center City West, Korean | 6 Comments »

TAMPOPO

Thursday, August 4th, 2005

tampopo

Tampopo has lots of good take-out Japanese and Korean food on the cheaps – in fact, the cheapest Korean food Picky has ever had, in his whole Korean life. The vegetarian rolls are also very good, but not as filling as the traditional Korean specialties like Bi-Bim-Bab and spicy Kal-Bi [spicy beef teriyaki on the menu]. Basically any of the "bowl" dishes [hot-and-spicy or teriaki tofu/beef/etc.] are great choices, as they are served in bowls with plenty of white rice, and they don't skimp on the meat/tofu. We also noticed a few creative variations on standard roll options for the adventurous, but we did not try them. The most expensive thing we saw on the menu was $8 and that was for a 12-piece order of eel roll with cucumber. [One of the few things we have in common: we're not big fans of eel rolls.]

There's not too much available in terms of seating, as Tampopo is primarily a take-out place. There are a few tables, but no table service. However, the service is extremely fast and they do deliver [$15 minimum], but unfortunately, not to our neighborhood.

Messy ***
Picky ***1/2

The final word: Quick and yummy, for cheaper than one might expect.

Tampopo
104 S. 21st St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 557-9593
M-F: 11.30 – 2.30 [lunch] 5.30 – 9.30 [dinner]
Sat: Noon – 9

Posted in Center City East, Japanese, Korean | 3 Comments »