Korean Army Base Stew at Pocha 32 in Koreatown!

I looooove Korean food, and I thought I knew quite a bit about the cuisine until my girlfriend introduced me to a magical stew that almost sounded just way too good to be true!  Looking at the Wiki, the Korean Army Base stew supposedly came about during the Korean war, where food was scarce and Koreans used up US armed forces surplus such as Spam, hot dogs, and yup even cheese, as components in a traditional Korean spicy stew.

I was told that Pocha 32 has an excellent version of the dish so I was excited to try it!  Their version does include hot dogs, Spam, and cheese plus both ramen and bowtie pasta, rice cakes, kimchee, tofu, beef, some greens, mushrooms, plus other goodies!  This sounds like a crazy mix of ingredients but not only does it oddly work well together, it actually tasted REALLY good and perfect to have with drinks. All of this is served together in a sizzling pot over a Sterno that keeps the food cooking as you eat it.  

Ok, here it a pic of the awesome stew ...who knew drunk food could come in soup/stew form!  You can actually see the Spam and bowtie pasta in there.

If you're ever in Korea town in NYC and want something different from the usual Korean BBQ places stop by Pocha 32 and get this dish!

15 W 32nd St
2nd Fl
(between 5th Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 279-1876

Angry Chicken for Some Baked Chicken Goodness at Food Gallery 32

I got a Groupon recently for Angry Chicken, one of the newer food stands in Food Gallery 32 in Koreatown, NYC.  The deal was for a whole rotisserie chicken meal and four beers for $15.  Not bad and a huge meal for two!  My girlfriend and I stopped by after work one day and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

The chicken meal comes with baked potatoes, steamed veggies, pickled radish, and coleslaw, which were all delicious.  One of the best parts about the meal was the awesome sauces that came with it.  One is a super spicy "angry" sauce, and the second is a sweet soy-based sauce (think of that stuff they slather on Bourbon Chicken dishes at a food court haha).

Here it is in all its glory!   The chicken itself was tasty and was very juicy on our first visit.  During a second visit the chicken was a bit more dry but still tasty.

Angry Chicken
11 W 32nd St
3rd Fl
(between Broadway & 5th Ave) 
New York, NY 10001

Quick NYC Lunch: More Good Eats from Food Gallery 32 in Koreatown!

I was in Koreatown on 32nd st for lunch one day and stopped by one of my new favorite spots for grabbing a quick, cheap meal in the city...Food Gallery 32!  I had been to Biang Dang for their chicken leg over rice but today switched it up and felt like getting some Katsu (maybe one day I will actually get some Korean food hahaha).

Pastel mainly serves Katsu (fried pork or chicken cutlets) served with rice.  Theirs comes with gravy, Japanese style coleslaw, pickled ginger, corn, and Jalapenos for a little kick.  It's also served with white rice and miso soup.

Here's what they serve, with prices listed.  My tonkatsu (pork cutlet) was 8.99.  

The omelet rice looked delicious as well!

Food Gallery 32
11 W 32nd St
(between Broadway & 5th Ave) New York, NY 10001

Bian Dang for Delicious Fried Chicken Leg Over Rice!

Who knew that a simple dish of fried chicken leg or pork chop over rice could be so magical?  Bian Dang does justice to the Taiwanese fast food staple.  Bian Dang also has a food truck in NYC, but the best thing to do is to just head to Food Gallery 32, an awesome Asian food court in Koreatown, to sample their good eats.

So I ordered the fried chicken leg over rice.  And alas, the dish was awesome, even better than Excellent Pork Chop House, which I blogged about, in Chinatown.  The chicken leg quarter was huge and was cooked perfectly.  While the skin isn't super crispy, the chicken leg was still very tasty.  Just as awesome was the savory meat sauce that they slather onto the white rice.  It's served with a small side of pickled mustard greens and braised bok choy.  You can do a whole lot worse in NYC (or K Town for that matter) for $8.

The side dumplings didn't fare quite as well.  For $3 you do get four large dumplings, but the skin was a bit thick.  More of a preference I suppose.

Here's a shot of the picture menu board in front of their stall  (If you click on the pic you'll see the descriptions and prices better).

So there it is, a worthy stop in Korea Town for quick eats.  Even if you don't go to Bian Dang, head over to the food court and check out all the awesome food stalls they have.  

Bian Dang (inside Food Gallery 32)

11 W 32nd St

(between 5th Ave & Broadway) New York, NY 10001

Quick NYC Lunch: Woorijip in Korea town!

I LOVE Woorijip!  I had a chance to try some to-go prepared foods before at this korean eatery, but after having a chance recently to try out their by-the-pound buffet style lunch, I'm officially a fan and will stop by here for a quick bite.  I believe the buffet style food bar is open for both lunch and dinner.  They also have a slew of prepared items as well, including noodle dishes, soups, veggies, and various ban chan (Korean appetizers).  They also sell beer and soju!  Check out pictures of some of their items on Yelp.

Unlike many delis in the city, their buffet style lunch offers only pretty good quality korean eats....and they have quite a variety as well!  Choices range from cold dishes like kimchee and pickled items, to hot foods like veggies, noodle and rice dishes, and some meat dishes like bulgogi.  Prices are also reasonable at $6.99 a pound for good asian food.

Here's what I got on my first visit there:  (clockwise from the top) Some kimchee cold noodle salad, bulgogi, kimchee pancake, spinach pancake, tofu, pork cutlet, fried, chicken, and kimchee fried rice.  The cost for this plate is just over $7.  Every item was delicious and it was very filling as well! 

I strongly recommend stopping by if you're in Korea town in NYC and want a quick affordable bite!

Woorijip
12 W 32nd St
(between 5th Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10001

Bonchon Chicken....Delicious Korean Fried Chicken (multiple locations)

If you're a fried chicken aficionado, you owe it to yourself to check out what's been going on with Korean's version of the favorite american staple...fried chicken.  There's a full on Korean fried chicken war going on right now in NYC, with many restaurants popping up in just the last few years.  Although Bonchon is probably the most well known chain with the most locations, there are many other Korean fried chicken joints in the Flushing or NYC area including Mad for Chicken, Kyo Chon, UFC - Unidentified Flying Chickens, and Debasaki.

Korean Fried Chicken is different from regular fried chicken since it comes in several flavors, but still retains it's very crispy exterior due to a double frying technique.  The two flavors that the chicken often comes in is spicy and soy garlic.

We had a Groupon for the location by Koreatown in NYC on 5th ave between 32 and 33rd st.

We ordered two combos (which come with drumsticks and wings)    This one is the Spicy combo:

This one is the soy garlic combo...although they essentially look the same they taste quite different!

Here is an inside look at one of the drumsticks...and yes that skin is as crispy as it looks!

So if you enjoy fried chicken and want to try something new aside from KFC and Popeyes, give Bonchon or any one of the other Korean fried chicken chains and see what the fuss is about!