Don's Bogam: Enjoying Korean Food in NYC

While visiting NYC, Audrey and I went to Don's Bogam, a Korean BBQ restaurant in K-town. Since it was only lunch, we didn't go full out with Korean bbq but had a relatively "light" lunch. I had the Seafood tofu soup and galbi combo, while Audrey ordered Nanmyun, a cold buckwheat noodle. Korean food is such a feast!

The first thing that came out were an array of "banchans," or small dishes to be eaten with your main meal. Noshing on banchans is a great way to satisfy your immediate pang of hunger as you wait for your meal. I love the variety in banchans so you get to pick and choose whatever you desire!

The appetizer we ordered was pajeon, Korean scallion pancake. I had to dab it with napkin to wipe off the grease, but the pajeon was thick enough that you could taste the flavors. Crunchy surface and soft inside!

This was a HUGE meal for a person: a full pot of soft tofu soup (without the spicy red chili sauce, thus the clear color of the broth) and a full serving of marinated beef ribs. The galbi was a bit fatty but I made sure to eat the meat around it. The tofu soup needed more tofu flavor. A bit of galbi and a spoonful of tofu soup = happy Jane!

A Delicious Affair: Jin Jin Bara

On Saturday for dinner, my dad took us and grandma to a full course Korean meal restaurant called Jin Jin Bara. Mom and I had been shopping at Lotte Department store and we unexpectedly met in the subway on our way to the restaurant. Oh family...

We made reservation so the table was already set by the time we got there.

The course began with soup and salad. The soup needed more seasoning, so I added a little bit of soy sauce that was on the table. I'm not sure what type of soup it was, but it was thick and white. The lettuce in the salad was fresh and crispy, but there was too much dressing on the bottom.


The second round of food included chicken rolled in patties (tasted more like sausage), three different kinds of Korean pancakes (my favorite was the one in the middle because it tasted chewy with sweet bean paste inside), crackled rice soup, sashimi, and jellyfish salad.





Next were japchae (clear noodle with soy sauce and vegetables), "Goo Jul Pan" (Nine
platters...similar to a wrap with nine different kinds of vegetables), and mook salad that my brother really enjoyed.



Giant shrimp with sweet pumpkin and potato puree! I really enjoyed this item and had both of it since DJ doesn't eat shrimp.

Memil noodle, which needed more ice and was too salty, steamed pork meat, galbi (beef), and octopus dish that we were too full to even taste.




Koreans don't call it a full meal unless there is rice, banchans, and fermented soy bean stew.

Finally, dessert. Rice cakes, pineapple, and fruit drink. We literally feasted that night for just about $40 per person! I would highly, highly recommend that anyone who visit Korea to try a full course meal. My stomach was so full afterward that I decided to walk home, which took 2 hours (including crossing the Han River, one of my favorite things to do!)