Away from the streets of K-town, a new Korean joint has emerged in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen. B-Bap, short for bibimbap, is a play on the traditional dish, which consists of rice mixed with veggies and beef in a hot stone bowl tossed in a red chili pepper paste.
It seems that the folks at B-Bap are riding the healthy & chic “fast food” wave, having created a decor that is reminiscent of Pinkberry. The joint offers a variety of different choices – spicy chicken for the adventurous, tofu for the health-conscious, and beef for those looking for the more traditional dish.
At B-Bap, you can choose which veggies you want in your bowl, which saves the hassle of picking out the sprouts that you hate after everything’s been mixed together. The idea of deconstructing the bibimbap is also interesting, as you can pick and choose and see which ingredients make up your very own rice bowl.
Some of the trendier options include green tea rice, which is a favorite at B-Bap. The green tea taste is very subdued, but it takes away some of the grease and adds a lightness to the dish. There are also formidable alternatives to the traditional red chili pepper — tangy soy, teriyaki, and creamy onion (a bit of a heavier choice).
I recently had a discussion with a friend about dumplings, and we concluded that each country has its own form of dumplings. The Chinese have their dumplings that everyone seems to love these days. The Italians have ravioli, the Argentineans have empanadas, and the Polish have Kluski. And then there’s mandoo, Korean dumplings.
They may look similar, but Korean dumplings are actually not quite the same as Chinese dumplings. The main difference lies in the stuffing – in mandoo, you will obviously find kimchee but also tofu and sometimes seafood! In New York, there’s something to say about restaurants that have stayed open for over 10 years. Mandoo Bar, which lies in the heart of K-town on 32nd St, has wooed patrons for years with its hearty and flavorful Korean dumplings.
Mandoo Bar offers several types of dumplings, some healthy (steamed ones) and some not so much but the deliciousness makes up entirely for it. Flavors include traditional pork, kimchee tofu, and shrimp. My personal favorite is the kimchee tofu, just because it’s the most unique and the mashed tofu adds a creaminess to the dumplings. You can make your own sauces with various chili pastes and herbs they offer.
What some people might not know is that Mandoo Bar actually has a pretty extensive menu that goes beyond just dumplings There are a ton of salad options, as well as various bi bim baps and traditional Korean stews like Soondooboo (tofu stew) and Yook-gae-jang (spicy beef broth with veggies and clear noodles).
Check out our visit to the dumpling tour de force!
Former fashion model Kelly Choi is hosting the newest cooking show in the Top Chef franchise: Top Chef Masters. This time it’s world-reknown chefs pitted against each other for cash – of course for charities. So who is Kelly Choi, the new hostess for Top Chef Masters? She’s a Korean-American from Virginia who found success in New York City. If you’re a New Yorker, you’ve probably seen Kelly Choi on local TV on her show Eat Out NY, where she reveals great restaurants. She’s also the host of the nationally syndicated show Secrets of New York.
Kelly happens to be a former Ford model and won Elite Modeling’s “Look of the Year” competition. A couple years ago, she was voted as “One of the Sexiest New Yorkers.” But she’s not just a face and body. Kelly is a graduate of William and Mary College and has a masters from Columbia University. And tonight, she earns more foodie stripes as she begins hosting Top Chef Masters on BravoTV.
May was a coming out party for many because there were numerous people who made a big splash during this past month.
Park Ji-Sung became the first Asian player ever to participate in the biggest soccer game in the world: the UEFA Championship.
Ji Young Oh won the Sybase Classic on the LPGA tour. Danny Lee, the heralded PGA tour rookie finally made his first cut.
Three Korean-American actors played significant roles in three summer blockbuster movies: Daniel Henney in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, John Cho in Star Trek, and Moon Bloodgood in Terminator Salvation.
The Far East Movement and Epik High went coast to coast for their first U.S. tour. Maggie Kim released her third album. The Wonder Girls extended their stay in New York and showed the world that their English has improved.
A handful of Korean-Americans announced their intentions to run for political office.
Sung J. Woo published his first novel “Everything Asian.”
Liz Chae received a Special Jury award at the Tribeca Film Festival
So Yong Kim keeps winning every award at every festival she enters Treeless Mountain
It wasn’t all good and dandy because there are still two journalist (Euna Lee and Laura Ling) still detained in North Korea. Kim Jong-Il keeps trying to pick a fight with the world and former president Roh of South Korea committed suicide.
Dan Choi was dismissed from the army because they found out he was gay.
We may be leaving out a few other events and people but as you can see, May was a coming out party for many. Looks like the summer is going to be a whole lot of fun.
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