July 2020 Rundown

What Korean places would you recommend in Flushing/Bayside? I go there often.

Its been a while but the two places we frequented the most are KumGangSan and Hahm Ji Bach. Kum Gang San is one of my uncles friends place and we always did family gatherings there. Good naenygmyun and galbi. An old school Korean type place with good banchan. Hahm Ji Bach is more new style like a Kanghodang with different more premium newer cuts of meat they didn’t have back in the day like pork neck. Both are good. I was looking for some off the other places I used to frequent in the 2000s and early 2010s but they look like they are out of business.

3 Likes

needle x iki x connie & ted’s

The almond jello and connie & ted’s strawberry cream pie were fantastic. I would buy a whole pie if I could. @TheCookie, @attran99, @hanhgry, @chinchi, @J_L, @JeetKuneBao, @NYCtoLA, @Chowseeker1999, @butteredwaffles

duck burger - house-ground duck patty, 8-spice, cabbage slaw, pickled cucumber, shrimp chips, hoisin sauce

blue lake string beans, allium condiment, dried shrimp, fresno chili

almond “jello”, orange, nectarine, mango, pluot, goji berry, lychee jelly

(special) uni gohan - santa barbara sea urchin, sushi rice, seared japanese scallop, dashi marinated salmon egg, nori, white truffle oil

special kaisen don - sushi rice, sesame seed, scallions, kizami wasabi, nori,
seared marinated toro, blue crab, salmon, yellowtail, japanese scallop, dashi ikura

strawberry cream pie - traditional pie crust, tamai farm’s strawberries, pastry cream

22 Likes

10th heart.

Had the uni gohan a week ago. I destroyed it. So damned good, but a small portion.

1 Like

Nozomi x King’s Hawaiian

The nama saba, iwashi and negitoro were standouts. The nama saba had such great texture and the flavor so complex. The iwashi was buttery smooth with a nice strong flavor and smooth finish. And the negitoro is always ordered here.

Umibudo w/ ponzu was light and refreshing in the heat.

Ordered a small bottle of Kyohina Ittoryodan Karakuchi Junmai Daiginjo. Pretty darn good, nice honeydew nose and upfront taste with a smooth dry finish, perfect with the hikarimono and summer heat for me.

Finished with a pineapple cheesecake from King’s, silky smooth texture and a nice subtle pineapple flavor. The haupia pudding on top balanced the tangy flavor from the cream cheese.

12 Likes

Golden Mongolian Restaurant (Koreatown): The nice people here, serving authentic Mongolian fare, are a welcome addition to the Westlake area bordering K-town.

Tsuivan, which is a common Mongolian meat stew (beef option), with stir-fried with handmade noodles: Great chew on those house-made noodles! Despite my understanding that tsuivan is a stew, the whole dish I received is a bit on the dry side. And definitely less greasy than say, a typical Chinese variety fried noodle plate. Nevertheless, this Mongolian rendition IS definitely tasty and a fine lunch choice!

Süütei Tsai (Mongolian salted milk tea) with Buuz (meat dumplings) = Banshtai Tsai: I think the closest flavor I’d liken to Mongolian salty tea is Persian doogh (salted yogurt); except this Mongolian tea is served hot as a soup base here, whereas doogh is thought of more of a beverage (and often served cold). The beef dumplings in this dish have that nice thick skin we see in the jiaozi and bao of Northern China. The seasoning is muted (akin to the traditional Mongolian dishes I’ve tried in the past) in order to bring out the beef flavor of the filling.

Homemade panna cotta with Harry’s Berries gaviota strawberry-basil compote: My cousin’s recipe. It’s rockin’.

Alejandra’s Quesadilla Cart (Echo Park): Blue corn quesadilla with chicharron and huitlacoche - Treated the office to this for take-out last week. #BeExcellentToEachOther

Sushi I-naba X Kanenobu collaboration (Manhattan Beach): Signature Nama Chirashi was simply outstanding! Sixteen different bites on a bed of dreamy, deftly-vinegared sushi rice. Highlight bites: Grilled nodoguro (blackthroat perch), masu (sea trout), uni (sea urchin roe), ebi-tamagoyaki (Kasutera-style omelette cake). And this box of gorgeousness is a complete deal at $70 per box. #YoshiSanIsStillKillingIt

Atticus Creamery (West L.A.): THIS is the watermelon ice cream I was looking for. A pint of the Watermelon Milkshake at Atticus will set you back $11. But it is well worth it for a bite of summer. This ice cream is just so balanced. And for you seeded watermelon fans out there, I actually accidentally found a watermelon seed in my pint. Usually, finding unexpected bits in your ice cream is a bad thing. But in this case, it portended well…

20 Likes

Sushi sho - Honolulu
Bara chirashi
Sushi sho bento
Out of this world flavors


19 Likes

iki ramen

Who’s bright idea was it to get ramen during this oppression?

(special) tai yuzu shio ramen - tai bone broth, shio, yuzu, sea bream, seaweed, sprout, BYON

13 Likes

Looks so fine.

Info on bowl with built in chopstick holder please! Where can I get that?

2 Likes

Daiso, and many Japanese and Chinese supermarkets too.

1 Like

Thanks for the inspo, @PorkyBelly! Iki Ramen also has an “IKI Special Bento,” which includes both the Uni Gohan and a few components from their Special Kaiden Don while also including their shrimp katsu bao and salmon burrata.

“Special Kaisen don: Marinated Toro, Japanese Scallop, Blue Crab | Sea urchin rice with dashi ikura | Shrimp katsu bao | Salmon burrata cheese | Pickled.“

11 Likes

Tonkatsu ginza bairin and lady m crepe cake -Honolulu waikiki

Katsu was perfectly cooked. Minced and kurobata pork were our favorites. Plus creamed crab croquettes.

Crepe cake had over 24 layers I ate half of it before taking the photo.

15 Likes

Sorry, it was a gift so I’m not sure where it came from exactly.

2 Likes

@J_L and FTC with the shout out from Yoshi-san.

17 Likes

Amboy Quality Meats is serving some really good burgers

Classic Double, Ordinaire with fries

DH Burger

14 Likes

They serve excellent fries as well.

How does their DH burger compare to the classic? I was told that it would take up to 30 mins if I order the DH last time because of all the backlogged online orders so I went for the classic instead.

3 Likes

2 different types of burgers, the classic is more like a smash burger but the DH is more like a gastropub burger, thick, fat and juicy. he uses aged beef on the DH i believe.i was surprised he was able to get a nice crust on the DH too. I prefer the DH,

How did you like your Classic @moonboy403?

1 Like

The classic was very good and I especially like the very fluffy sesame bun. I do think the patty can be more crusty though.

2 Likes

yeah, that sesame bun is really good. i liked the Ordinaire more than the classic. since it was just bun, meat cheese. The sesame bun shines on that burger

2 Likes