Under the Green Tent: Korean Street Food - Review of Pocha 32

Green Tent.

This article originally appeared on The Gotham Palate.

Imagine yourself bundled up in layers in the dead of winter, sitting on a stool outdoors under a plastic green tent with gurgling pots of kimchi-infused casseroles, soups and spices mingling around you. Soju bottle in hand, pouring your sunbaenim (elder, in Korean) a shot and knocking the vodka-like substance back with a hearty "Kanbei!"...followed by a loud, vehement clearing of the throat. Slurping down ramyun like it was a race to the finish, burning your tongue in the process because you want to eat the noodles while they're not soggy.

That's a typical food stall scenario in Korea, where street food is elevated to the highest form of trendy, home-spun comfort. Pocha 32's decor reminded me of that, bringing the outdoors inside with perforated green tents, pictures of patrons strewn on the walls with nothing but brightly colored paper clips holding them up. My friend and I sat all the way in the back since it was crowded. But at 7:45ish, that was expected. Busy is good.

Blaring through the sound system: V.I.'s "Strong Baby," Epik High's "One" and a female cover of Taeyang's "Look Only At Me." Is it sad that I knew the set list? The lights progressively dimmed more and more as the night wore on. Around 9:30 p.m., the music changed from Kpop hits to dancehall electronica beats, and the lights (made of bottle caps) from green-tinted to white and blue Christmas lights. As if on cue. Turns out it was someone's birthday. Cool way to toast a friend.

Appetizers.

I enjoyed the appetizers, huge strips of carrots and cucumbers (although "stalks" would be a more accurate description) and ssamjang, or an orange-red sauce made of fermented bean curd and red pepper paste. The fresh ssamjang complemented the vegetables nicely and especially paired well with the cucumbers, the carrots being sweeter. [It's the same hot sauce as the one at Gahm Mi Oak, only they serve it with hot chili peppers and lettuce.]

And then we waited. And waited. I didn't really keep track of how long it took before our first dish showed up, but it was more than 30 minutes. The waiter said the chef was backlogged since they were so busy (and, it seems, understaffed). He hadn't even started on our order yet! I understand that good food takes it sweet time to prepare, but it's still an inefficient system. And when we cancelled an order for Chicken and Korean noodles, there must have been miscommunication between the waiters that served us since we still got a bill charging us for it. (Keep in mind the chef hadn't even started on our order yet at this time). Luckily, we were able to fix that mistake, but this error kind of dampened my celebratory mood.

Budae Chigae.

Fortunately, the Budae Chigae was worth the inordinate wait. This Korean "army stew" included classic ingredients, such as kimchi, onions, tofu and ttokk (small flat rice cakes), along with bites of sausage, Spam and bulgolgi. I think my favorite version so far is still Kunjip's. But in any case, it was chock full of fireball flavor. I don't think we understood how big the serving size was going to be. This casserole stew is meant to be shared with a big party. At $19.99, it's way too much food to consume for two people! We needed at least 6 people to conquer that Budae Chigae.

Ddukbokki.

The Ddukbokki dish with kimchi and tofu ($9.99) was definitely the winner of the night - soft yet firm and chewy rice cakes. The star ingredient here is Korean hot pepper paste. Without that, you're a fish out of water. We cracked open a bottle of Pomegranate Soju Wine ($18.99) but couldn't even finish the whole thing. I'm sure our waiter meant to be obliging when he recommended the pom soju. He probably picked us out as inexperienced soju drinkers (which we are). However, I don't need sickly sweet things to appease my non-Korean palate. It doesn't take a wine sommelier to realize that pomegranate did not complement the intense red hot pepper spiciness of our dishes. I would go with the Jinro Chamisul Original Soju ($13.99) or the communal Watermelon Soju bowl ($24.99).

To make it worth the splurge, I'm definitely bringing more people (and a Korean friend!) for Round 2. Maybe then the staff would take us seriously.

Blue Blur.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Despite the subpar service, I'm such a sucker for ddukbokki and budae chigae that I'm willing to give Pocha another chance.

Location:
Pocha 32
15 W 32nd St
2nd Fl
New York, NY 10001
212.279.1874

DBGB Kitchen & Bar: Beyond the Burger

Aperitif Selection.

This article originally appeared on The Gotham Palate.

Mission: Restaurant Week lunch. Where to go? Only one place on my mind: DBGB.

Classic pub fare has heart and soul - and DBGB Kitchen & Bar is no exception. Providing a high-quality dining menu with stylish drinks and an upscale environment, it's where food and drink go hand-in-hand. THe gourmet dishes are complex and refined; it's definitely a cut above your average 'ole pub. Because of the "gastronomic" prices, DBGB attracts me of an affluent clientele.

DBGB is the brainchild of Chef Daniel Boulud and was created to be a chill, downtown dining destination melding the British tavern with the French brasserie experience. Gastropub touches are evident throughout the restaurant: brass shelves displaying kitchen goods and utensils stand side-by-sidde with plush black seats and old-fashioned coat rack hooks...all in muted shades of black, bronze and grey. DBGB also takes a cue from the Bowery's industrial background. The ambience screams understated chic.

Walls are covered with culinary quotes (including Hemingway) set against full-length mirrors, meant to draw the focus inward, where guests swirl glasses of red wine and break bread. Couples lean in for private conversation.

My two dining companions and I arrived early and were seated right away at a cushy booth. Our smiling, grovelly-voiced waiter tried to interest us in some drinks and to encourage us to try the daily special.

To start things off, C had a Cosmo (how very Samantha), I had a Pimms No 1 and J went with the Aztec Uplifter - tequila on the rocks with cucumber and what tasted like a splash of red hot chili pepper. Since it was a little early in the day, I had my Pimms with a little ginger ale but found the taste much too watered-down. And what happened to the lemon, apple, cucumber and mint that usually goes with it (AKA the 'fun stuff')?? Not to be found. Pimms fail.

Our waiter must have nailed his delivery because both C and J were so entranced by the description of the veal that they had to order it. It came, in all its tender glory, infused with a thick tomato-red pepper paste and some leafy greens to off-set the meat.

Winter Squash Soup.

However, I came here exclusively to try the restaurant week prix fixe menu. First up: Winter Squash Soup - amber lager emulsion, crispy sage. I admit I was initially intrigued by the addition of the amber lager emulsion. I wasn't quite sure how this was going to turn out, but beer does pair well with unexpected ingredients. The creamy, buttery rich texture of the soup really strengthened the squash, giving off a warming autumnal flair. Sage leaves brought out the earthy "popcorn" tones in the soup.

The Yankee Burger.

Entree: The Yankee Burger - 6 oz. beef patty with iceberg lettuce, tomato and Vidalia onion on a sesame bun, fries (pommes frites) and an Essex St. Pickle smartly tacked on top with a red toothpick. I think I'm slowly building a fondness for deep-greased foods (oh my). These fries were hot, fresh and crunchy. In a word: phenomenal. Ketchup not necessary - eat them straight up salted! Plus, the heart bucket they came in earns points on the cuteness scale.

As for the burger, I'm so glad I had mine with cheese (for an extra $2). It made the meat's juiciness that much more nom-worthy. Word on the street says the burgers here are among the city's finest, and while I''d probably think twice about ordering such an expensive burger in the future, I must say DBGB does a good job with satisfying a craving. The patty was the perfect size, too.

DBGB offers more than 14 varieties of house-made sausages, along with seasonal Lyonnais-inspired cooking. Pair your giant burger with one of the 22 craft beers on tap or a complementary table wine. Dessert yields feel-good classics: ice cream sundaes, sweet crepes and souffles with rich garnishes.

Gateau Russe A La Banane.

For my happy ending, I had the Gateau Russe A La Banane - hazelnut biscuit and passion fruit coulis. To be honest, I'm not sure what a coulis is, or even how to pronounce it, but all words were unnecessary after taking one bite. Moist banana bread paired with a nutty, almond-like hazelnut biscuit and passion fruit sauce generously dotted around the plate.

Omelette Norwegian.

C and J shared the Omelette Norwegian ($18) - baked Alaska for two containing layerse of vanilla and pistachio ice cream, raspberry sorbet, and fresh meringue flambeed with chartreuse. A member of the waitstaff brandished the chartreuse (distilled French liqueur) liberally on the dessert and set it off with a lighter.

Final Verdict: With drinks and the additional cheese charge, the $24.07 prixe fixe easily turned into $34...but all in all, not too much damage for an opulent meal. I'm tempted to come back to try the bar bites (banger, sausage, cheese, beer). Yes. Must...have...fix.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Burgers are hefty and cocktails will do, but it's the dessert that you'll be yearning for.

Location:
DBGB Kitchen & Bar
299 Bowery St
New York, NY 10003
212.933.5300
www.danielnyc.com/dbgb.html