Momofuku Ko – New York

Pure food. Understated. Immersive. A sense of Yang. That’s the story that the food and atmosphere told me. I came here with my friend Brad, and this was my “big dinner” of the week. Big, meaning the one meal that would require reservations and cost over $200/person. No regrets on this count, the meal was [...]

New China Restaurant – Goleta

Today’s lunch was with Tom, who is vegetarian. I’d been talking up the dolsot bibimbap and he was okay to give it a try. The normal dish comes with thin sliced meat, and I requested this to be omitted. The woman at the counter offered to take it one step further and suggested tofu instead [...]

Gui Rim Korean BBQ – Koreatown

I am double motivated to attend a show at the Wiltern because it’s in Koreatown and then I can eat Korean bbq. The trick is – what place to eat at? For the most part, all the standard places seemed to be about the same, so we walked by Gui Rim, it looked acceptable, and [...]

New China Restaurant – Goleta

Ever since I had the dol sot bibimbap on a recent roadtrip down south, I’ve been thinking about it. It was so damn good. Unlike standard bibimbap, dol sot bibimbap is prepared in a very hot stone pot. It comes out sizzling onto the table, with an egg on top, which is stirred into the [...]

Do Re Mi House – San Diego

There are more fantastic Korean or other asian places to eat at in the Clairemont Mesa Blvd or Convoy area that I am sure any one I choose will be satisfying. But Do Re Mi was such a good experience last night, with the owners so obviously proud of their hospitality, that I wanted to [...]

Choi’s Oriental Market

I KNOW that SB’s Korean food representation is sadly lacking, compared to the Bay area and LA hotspots. I feel like I need to insert that remark for just about any food comment in Santa Barbara. I mean, duh, of course that’s going to happen. Those are big cities and big communities to support it. [...]

Kogilicious – Isla Vista

Does anyone remember the “secret” restaurant in the Calle Real shopping center that was a French deli during the daytime, and at night became a wonderful little Korean restaurant, with a sweet grandmother patiently cooking and chopping all sorts of fragrant kimchi, soups, short ribs and plates of banchan? It was sometime in the late [...]

Do Re Mi House – San Diego

Solid 4 stars for food, price, late open hours, and the extra star for really nice people working there. My exceptional situation was seeking Korean food after 10 pm. Most other places around Convoy had closed. Props to Do Re Mi for the longer hours. Props for endless banchan, about a dozen different dishes, with [...]

Number 1 Bento Korean BBQ – Portland

Our final stop on the mad dash through Alder’s cluster of food carts. All we could manage was some spicy ramyan noodles. And we were done. Ooof! #1 Bento (Southwest, downtown) 10th & Alder Portland, OR 97205

Fisherman’s House – Oxnard

Possibly one of the most deceptive restaurants in the area. In the front: florescent glowing food court filled with blue collar types eating fish and chips and looking a little unhappy at their state in life. In the back: secret tatami room with Korean style sashimi to make you explode in delight!! That’s what all [...]