A Full Korean Meal in a Bowl

Judging by the back-to-back posts, I must be on a Korean food kick. Can't help myself. This is a quickie entry on my favorite bibimbab place in Koreatown -- Jeon Ju. It specializes in the super-hot stone-pot bowls of rice mixed with vegetables and meat, seafood, or no meat at all. You can order a non-stone-pot version that comes in a regular bowl if you don't like food that is too hot temperature-wise.

But the stone-pot functions not only as a thermos that keeps the rice and all the goodies in it warm, but it also helps to create a crunchy rice-crust at the bottom that you vigorously scrape at the end of your meal (or beginning, depending on your level of patience). If the fried egg is done sunny side up like in most establishments (not in this one -- egg comes out almost fully cooked, which takes a bit of the fun away from popping and cooking the egg), you can also use the stone-pot to cook the egg by searing it in the bottom of the pot.



What I like most about Jeon Ju is the meat topping that comes with the kalbi dolsot bibimbab. Usually, meat in bibimbab is ground meat of dubious origins. But this is marinated rib meat that's been boned, so you only get the tender slightly salty, sweet and most definitely garlicky morsels of meat. Add some bean sprouts, mushrooms, fiery kimchi, zucchini, carrots and radishes, mix it with rice and red pepper paste (pictured below), and you have yourself a healthy bowl of bibimbab that also hits your recommended daily vegetable intake.



It doesn't hurt that the banchan, or side dishes are reasonably solid. They include three kinds of kimchi -- a regular nappa cabbage, radish and water kimchi. There were stir-fried dried baby anchovies, jelly topped with a soy sauce and scallion dressing, steamed broccoli with red pepper paste and stir fried fish cakes. You also get a comfort-foody sea kelp soup that is even healthier than the bibimbab. Check out the mixed bowl below. Jeon Ju is a city in Korea's southwestern Cheolla Province from which this stone-pot dish hails. Stone-pot bibimbab is hence called Jeon Ju bibimbab.



I recently saw Mario Batali present a stone-pot bibimbab dish on Iron Chef America and recalled seeing the judges ooh-ing and ahh-ing about how creative it was. Um, hello? I hope Batali gave proper credit to where he got the idea and equipment from because I missed the first part of the show. By the way, portions are big, so one bibimbab translates into three meals.

Jeon Ju
2716 West Olympic Boulevard #101 (at Vermont)
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 386-5678

No Longer Second to Shik Do Rak--CLOSED

Update: this place has since closed down and been remodeled but I have yet to try the renovated joint. RIP Hanyang.

It was truly serendipitously that we ran into Hanyang again, after having written it off when it first opened a while back. At the time, this Shik Do Rak wannabe was merely that. It sought to emulate ttukbossam, the rice paper and chadol barbecue of thinly sliced meat wrapped with some green onions and spices. But it wasn't impressive.

We headed to Hanyang in this day only because Shik Do Rak was too booked as it is undergoing renovation and has much less room during the Friday night rush. Alas, we were pleasantly surprised. The meat was tender and fresh; the banchan (side dishes) were solid; but most importantly, the green onion mixed with a fiery red sauce that you dab onto the meat before you wrap it in a thin rice paper was extremely flavorful and addictive.



What I liked about Hanyang was that it has a chopped romaine lettuce and red lettuce mix as well as an all-green onion mix that is tossed in a garlicky and vinegary red pepper sauce that complements the meat so well I couldn't stop stuffing my wrap with this green and red mixture. The vinegar gave it a refreshing touch so the fat from the meat wasn't too heavy on the palate. Like Morangak, the ttukbossam (moniker for this kind of rice wrapper with meat) place I like in Garden Grove, it had the pickled radishes -- large round slices of radishes pickled in a slightly sweet vinegar sauce. The radishes are big enough to double as wrappers to mix things up a bit.

The only downside was the rice wrappers were too thick and stuck to each other too much so it was cumbersome to peel them off.



It helps to have solid kimchi, the signature spicy fermented dish and other side dishes such as potato salad and the rustic oogeoji namul, a dark brown leafy vegetable seasoned with garlic, salt and sesame oil that tastes just like the countryside. The mushrooms and sweet potatoes on the grill were a nice touch. The prices weren't bad either. It wasn't as cheap as Shik Do Rak but came close. All that meat and side dishes followed by a meal of rice, savory egg custard and fermented soybean stew for about $30? This could feed a family of five.



Hanyang
3429 West 8th Street
Los Angeles CA 90005
(213) 385-9292

Cold Noodles with Hot Broth on a Hot Day

I'll say it right off the bat. I don't go to Chilbomyunok for its nengmyun, the cold, soupy buckwheat Korean noodle dish that is classic summer food. I go for its deep-flavored, most comforting food of all times -- yooksu, literally translated as beef broth.

It would be a misnomer to call it mere beef broth. The yooksu here, which the restaurant uses as a base for its nengmyun, is so complex and delicious that it makes up for the average nengmyun and banchan, or side dishes.



It's nothing pretty to look at, but the minute you slurp its perfectly seasoned, warm goodness, you can't get enough. Before you know it, your noodles have arrived. The curious thing is that if the nengmyun uses the same broth base, then why is it that the flavors are skin-deep compared with the broth separately? The only explanation is that they dilute the broth significantly. Sometimes I order the beet-red bibim nengmyun (above) as opposed to the less spicy mool ("water" as opposed to the "dry and mixed" kind) because I think it's harder to the get the mool nengmyun right.



I have yet to find a nengmyun place as good as those in Korea (Think Kobaksa Nengmyun). Perfect broth (seasoned to taste with mustard and vinegar) with chewy buckwheat noodles, half a boiled egg, slices radishes, crunchy Asian pear slivers, cucumbers and a few slabs of meat. Now that was summer in a bowl. Sometimes I actually miss those hot, painfully humid summer days in Seoul. Even the monsoon season. But I digress. The bibim nengmyun doesn't have as much soup/broth and basically comes "dressed" in a spicy and slightly sweet red pepper sauce with the same ingredients that go into the watery version. When it's good, you won't care that you've developed a red moustache around your lips from the spice.



Ok, so it is one of the better places among the slim pickings, but not sure that's saying much. To be fair, their banchan of potato salad, zucchini, radishes, and especially the onion and greens salad were decent. The bindaettuk, or mung bean pancake, is a bit too greasy and diluted (not enough mung bean in the patty mixture) like most Korean restaurants. But it's crispy and does the trick if you're hungry.

Skip the dumplings. The meat filling tasted too strong.

All told, the broth makes a visit worthwhile. Check it out. They also serve barbecued meat at the table but I would go to other specialty places like Soot Bull Jeep or Park's Barbecue (bulgoki only) for that.

Chilbomyunok
680 West 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 387-9292

Finally a Decent Tapas Joint. Well, Almost...

After a summer in Madrid many moons ago and being spoiled in New York with top-of-the-line tapas joints, I must say I've been utterly unimpressed with a few in California that purport to serve tapas, including La Paella, The Courtyard and even Zarzuela in San Francisco. I admit I haven't tried Cobras y Matadores or Bar Celona in Pasadena, but suffice it to say that I was so desperate I cooked my own Spanish feast at home. I am officially addicted to PBS show, Made in Spain hosted by chef Jose Andres, although I am miffed that he doesn't post his recipes on the Web site (I type the recipes as I watch TV).



So when I heard that Bar Pintxo evoked tapas bars in Barcelona and was actually inspired by a popular bar there, I hopped right over. That Joe Miller of Joe's fame in Abbot Kinney was the owner helped, although I lament that Joe's has been on the decline lately, a quick fall from being one of my favorite New American places.

Bar Pintxo was decent but not great. The sangria was passable. The foie gras on bread was the best and the jamon iberico was ok albeit too thickly cut. There were more duds than successes, but I would recommend it for the ambiance and some of the good dishes. We started off with a very refreshing cava, a sparkling wine that looks like a rose. We had Avinyo Rosat Alt-Penedes, which was pricey but good. Because the portions are so small and prices relatively low ($2-12), we sampled almost everything on the menu.



The chorizo with the sunny-side up quail egg looked inviting and was a good mix of salty and runny texture. Then again, it's hard to go wrong with chorizo, or fried egg, for that matter. The croquettes were also good. Then again, anything fried is usually good. The spinach salad with hazelnuts and golden raisins had a good mix of flavors and texture -- crunchy and salty with some sweet undertones.

The bread that many of the tapas came with could be improved. The sofrito, that versatile and usually tantalizing mix of tomatoes, onions and some spices, fell flat on its face. It had absolutely no flavor and even the texture felt wrong. The radish, jicama, cilantro, avocado and lime dish sounded great but was a tad bland. Dates wrapped in bacon with cabrales cheese was ok. What was most upsetting was the tortilla espanola that was far too eggy and flavorless.



Other mediocre dishes included gambas al ajillo, or garlic shrimp whose flavors didn't pop. The flatbread with mushrooms, piquillo peppers, caramelized onions and basil was decent but didn't wow. The second most disappointing dish was the black squid ink rice with clams and shrimp. It held so much promise but the rice was dry and crumbled like sand in your mouth. Oh, and let's not forget the lack of flavor, again.

Maybe it's the tiny kitchen space but if all those amazing tapas joints do it in Barcelona and other Spanish cities, this one should too. Another pet peeve: charging for basic tapas like manzanilla olives that come out for free in the home country. Equivalent to charging for kimchiand other banchan, or side dishes, at Korean restaurants. Actually, only the least authentic ones do charge. Should this be a gauge of whether to patronize this place?



Hope they work on raising the quality of the food but for now, it's a place to go for a quick bite and drink because those bar stools were not made for sittin'. Stick to the ham and foie gras and cava and you'll be transported -- at least until they bring out the tortilla espanola.

Bar Pintxo
109 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 458-2012

Beyond Hawaiian Pizza

What did I know about Hawaiian food before I went to Aloha Cafe? Not much. I've had mediocre kalua pork before and the super-soft and fluffy Hawaiian bread. So it was with some trepidation that I walked into this Hawaiian joint smack in the middle of Little Tokyo at Honda Plaza next to Sushi Gen (the long lines here are always a mystery to me but that's another post) and Kagaya (ditto unless you are on an expense account).

I'm no Hawaiian food expert but I liked what I ate. I had the char siu pork, which is barbecued pork slow-baked and basked in a salty and slightly sweet marinade. The pork slices were tender and went well with the two scoops of white rice. It's the strangest mix but I actually liked the macaroni salad and coleslaw that accompanied the dish. Another plus: those everyday low prices! Specialties that come with rice and salad range from $6.25 to $9. Breakfasts are under $6. Most bowls are under $5.



The lau lau pork was fairly tender and had absorbed smoky aromas from the taro leaf it had been steamed in. Not having had the real deal, I can only comment on this one, which was good for a quick lunch but not revolutionary.

My eating companion, however, was significantly more exuberant, declaring this place a new find.



Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Aloha Cafe offers dishes with: 1) fried eggs, 2) corned beef hash (or choice of vienna sausage or of course, spam), 3) meat patties (loco moco) and 4) plenty of gravy. The corned beef hash was very popular with some but not so much with me. The meat patties were tasty if not a bit greasy. And I'm not a huge gravy fan so you won't see me ordering the loco moco anytime soon. But gravy lovers may indulge in some serious gravy-fest (see below).



I wouldn't recommend trying the tofu dish or the soup, which were uneventful. I would stick to the classic Hawaiian dishes and you'll be sold. The ahi poke was ok but I'm a sushi/sashimi snob so the quality of the fish didn't do it for me.

Service was laid-back, a-la-Hawaiian, although only the cook is apparently from there. This place recently relocated from its original Alhambra location. Validated parking available in the mini-mall.

Aloha Cafe
410 East 2nd Street (Honda Plaza across from Office Depot)
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 346-9930

Move Over Pinkberry, Yogurtland is in Town

I was never a huge Pinkberry fan so I was glad Yogurtland came to the rescue. Yogurtland is self-service, has more flavor and topping options -- and as if that weren't enough, it's cheaper too.

To be sure, not all of its many flavors were winners. I think the only ones worth having are taro and maybe peanut butter. I haven't tried the kahlua but all the others, including mango, lychee and green tea didn't do it for me.



Because it has self-serving machines, you have the cool option of having half and half for every other flavor offered. Remember those old soft ice cream dispensers? You get to play with those! After you add as little or as much as you'd like, you choose from an array of dry (mochi, corn flakes and jelly beans, among others) and wet toppings.



The wet toppings were the usual suspects such as mangos, berries, kiwis, etc. But by far the best topping was the sweetened red bean, although it could have been a little more syrupy. To recap, my favorite combination was the taro topped with red beans, mango, blackberries and bananas. It was almost like my favorite Korean summer dessert, patbingsoo except it didn't have the slushy shaved ice. Still pretty satisfying.

You could taste as many flavors beforehand. It was only 30 cents per ounce, so it ended up being a drop in the bucket compared to the Pinkberrys and Red Mangos of the world. This chain is also Korean-owned but don't think it originated in Korea.



Yogurtland
Multiple locations
130 South Central Avenue (Little Tokyo)
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Not Bad for an Under $10-Burger

Here's my report from the latest burger club venture: Weiland Brewery. We gave it a thumbs up, especially for its price compared with gourmet burgers that break the bank.

The meat was cooked medium rare as requested but the patty was not as flavorful as it could have been, although much less pasty than Hungry Cat. Overall, I'd give it decent marks. I know I sound like a broken record, but it still doesn't come close to Houston's. Even the bbq sauce I got on the side that has become a staple burger condiment for me was too sweet and not deep-flavored at all.



As for the fries, they were greasy and lukewarm. I mean, they didn't even look good. Weiland definitely needs help in the fries department.

The dark and slightly drab interior didn't help, mostly because I like to see my food when I eat it. But it's nice having a wide beer selection, although if I had a choice, I would go for a glass of full-bodied cabernet over beer to wash down my bloody red meat. Some might say it is pretty darn pretentious to sip wine with the down-home, all-American burger, but red meat is red meat. Got to have it.

In any case, it's good to know we have a fall-back for a relatively affordable burger. And it has a downtown location in the Paul Hastings building's food court -- one of the most poorly designed and most depressing food courts ever. Stuck in a basement with no light, sparsely populated with disgusting fast food chains and dubious food that purports to be Indian, I would probably never go there if it weren't for the post office and this brewery.

Next stop: Twoheys in Alhambra (Web site under construction as of May 11).

Weiland Brewery (Multiple Locations)
400 East 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213)680-2881