Korean Food USA is a new series that showcases Korean and Korean-inspired eateries all around the nation.

It may seem like wishful thinking to want delicious Korean food, while singing karaoke, and drinking your selection of your favorite kind of beer all at the same time, but BAK Korean Kitchen & Craft Beer Hall caters to all your desires.

BAK is a recently established restaurant/karaoke/beer hall settled in Union Square, NYC.  They have a menu full of different Korean dishes and snacks, but are more well-known for their rich selection of craft beer. Their walls are aligned with rows of different kinds of beers you can choose from, and the restaurant provides a very casual and laid back atmosphere. There is also a karaoke lounge downstairs for entertainment after dining and drinking.

BAK’s craft beer selection

BAK’s menu consists of a lot of popular and traditional Korean comfort foods like japchae, stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables and meat, bulgogi, and bibimbap. For people that just want to share or snack, they also have an array of small dishes. Mandu, which are pan-fried dumplings, is often ordered along pajeon, scallion pancake.

Apart from their great food, BAK has a multitude of different kinds of craft beer, cocktail soju, and makgeolli, a delicious drink we featured on our Crave Alert series! They also offer wallet-friendly prices on drinks during happy hour (4-7 p.m.).

BAK Korean Kitchen & Craft Beer Hall
11 East 13th Street
New York, NY 10003
Follow BAK on Facebook and Twitter

[Photos: BAK and Yelp (second photo); Thanks for the tip, Jane!]

When you’re hungry, you just gotta eat… no matter what time of the day it is! Luckily, Los Angeles offers plenty of restaurants that embrace all eaters when late night cravings hit.

Every restaurant on our list of the Top 5 Late-Night Eats is open 24/7. So if you’re still thinking about that amazing meal after you wake up, you can go back and satisfy your taste buds right away. Chances are the same workers will still be there, and they’ll probably remember you from just a few hours before. Not to mention, all of the dishes highlighted can please post-drinking munchies and help nurse those nasty morning-afters.

1) Hodori Restaurant – Yukgaejang

Ask any Korean in L.A. for the most popular place to eat late at night, and few will forget to mention Hodori. Hodori is a staple in Koreatown and is known for its large assortment of Korean dishes, meaning that everyone will find their perfect pick-me-up.

Hodori is a favorite for both Koreans and non-Koreans who are looking for some quick service and delicious food after a night out. Not many establishments can say that their busiest times are from midnight-5am. Yukgaejang, a spicy dish consisting of shredded beef and scallion and enokitake mushroom toppings, is one of Hodori’s most popular dishes and is definitely big enough to feed two hungry stomachs. With written text lining its walls, Hodori proudly proclaims, “Bring me your tired, your poor, your hungry drunken masses yearning to be fed.”

Hodori Restaurant
1001 S. Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90006
http://www.hodorirestaurants.com (10% off coupon on website)
Follow Hodori on Facebook and Twitter

2) BCD Tofu House – Soondubu Jjigae

If you’re looking for something to warm you up during the wee hours of the night and early morning, BCD Tofu House has what you’re looking for!

Although BCD, a.k.a Buk Chang Dong, is a huge restaurant chain with locations in California, New York, Washington, and South Korea, many who have dined at various BCD locations are adamant that the BCD on Wilshire & Kingsley is the best of them all. BCD specializes in Soon dubu jjigae—a spicy stew with large amounts of soft tofu that arrives at your table boiling in a hot stone pot. There are many different types of soondubu jjigae: original (with beef or pork), seafood, kimchi, dumpling, doenjang (soybean paste), ham & sausage, and for vegans, there’s also a mushroom soon dubu option! Most hungry customers opt for their special combos, which provide both steaming soondubu and sizzling Korean BBQ. BCD Wilshire is temporarily closed until February 2012, but the nearby Western branch is open for late-night soon dubu crawls.

BCD Tofu House – Western Branch
869 S. Western Ave #2,
Los Angeles, CA 90005
http://www.bcdtofu.com

3) Keungama Korean Restaurant – Haejangguk & Gamjatang

“Our Gamjatang is our pride.”

Haejangguk (“soup to chase a hangover”), is a word that can describe any variety of delicious Korean soups and stews that are usually consumed after a long night of drinking. Keungama specializes in haejangguk, a hearty dish usually comprised of ox bone broth, veggie toppings, and coagulated ox blood. Keungama’s Gamjatang is a customer favorite, and its spicy broth mixed with pork neck and potatoes hits the right spot after one of those nights. Best of all, Keungama doesn’t use any MSG!

Keungama Korean Restaurant
3498 W. 8th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90005
http://www.mybigpot.com/

4) Mountain Café (Ssan) – Samgyetang & Jeonbokjuk

You’ll most likely see a plate of Jeonbokjuk on every table after 3 a.m.

This small restaurant is a hidden gem for those Korean “Angelenos” who want to avoid the late night crowds. Located in a tiny strip mall, Mountain Café (a.k.a. Ssan) is a bit hard to find because its name is absent from the outside of the restaurant. Mountain Café is a mom-and-pop shop that can probably seat about twelve people (which is still pushing it) so avoid going here with large groups. But, if it’s just a few of you, Mountain Café is definitely a spot that you should check out.

Its specialties include Jeonbokjuk, stomach-soothing abalone porridge that Mountain Café likes to serve with an egg yolk on top, and Samgyetang, a soup that comes with ginseng and a whole chicken stuffed with rice in a hot stone pot.

Mountain Café
3064 W. 8th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 487-7615

5) Pho 2000 – Oxtail Pho

Yes, Koreans can rock the pho out too! Remember, this is a Korean rendition of pho so Pho 2000 won’t have that authentic Vietnamese pho that you might be used to.

One favorite among customers is Pho 2000′s Oxtail Pho, a seolleongtang-inspired dish that comes with a steaming side bowl of tender oxtail meat. Pho 2000 is another popular go-to place for Koreans after a night of partying, so be ready for some crowds during the weekends. But don’t worry! Its huge bowls of pho come out fast, a feat that is especially appreciated by its hungry customers. After all, time spent waiting when inebriated always feels like an eternity.

Pho 2000
215 N. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
http://www.pho2000.com/

Look out for our Top 5 Late-Night Eats: NYC Edition next month!

In a bi-monthly series of posts, we will spotlight different Korean-American cities, selected not only for their numbers, but also for their visibility in mainstream America. Our research was guided by the following criteria: population, famous and/or influential locals, programs, and hotspots.

Washington, D.C.

First of all, thank you readers for the huge success of our Top 5 Most Korean-American Cities series! After reading your comments and listening to your feedback, we decided to bring it back by featuring a city that some claimed should have made the original cut. First up, D.C!

As our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. is looked upon as a center hub for Americans of all ethnicities, but the D.C. Metro area is quickly becoming a staple among the Korean population specifically. With more and more Koreans settling in neighborhoods like Annandale, Fairfax and Centerville, Washington D.C. is the perfect city to kick off the return of our KA Cities series!

Numbers

• 85,291 – D.C. metro area (population data compiled using the 2010 Census)

Visibility
 

• Born to the first Asian American professors of Yale University, the Koh brothers both depict the same work ethic instilled in them by their parents. Harold Koh, former dean of Yale Law School, is now the Legal Adviser of the Department of State. Howard Koh is also working with the federal government as Assistant Secretary for Health. Additionally, the two are renowned scholars and writers garnering an abundance of titles and awards over the course of their accomplished careers thus far.
• In 2007, Michelle Rhee was offered the role of chancellor of D.C. public schools. Upon accepting the job, she vehemently began reforming evident flaws drawing both praise and criticism before resigning in 2010. Shortly after her departure, Michelle founded StudentsFirst, a D.C.-based organization aiming to reform the education system by promoting and rewarding good teachers and “to defend the interests of children in public education.”

Annabel Park (left), Becky Lee (right)

Hotspots

The Brunch Plate at Mandu

• Not only does Mandu live up to its namesake with delicious dumplings, its happy hour is unrivaled ($3 beers and $4 sojutinis in flavors like aloe, yogurt, and mango all before 7pm). Mandu even offers brunch—a Korean spin on steak & eggs—which includes kimbap, a Korean omelet, chive pancakes, Korean-style hash browns, and a choice of bulgogi, chicken, pork, or vegetables and tofu.
• If you’re on the go, Yellow Vendor (a.k.a. Bulgogi Cart) is a great option to satisfy your Korean food cravings. We just featured YV in our Korean Food USA series last week, but we just can’t resist its huge combo plates of regular bulgogi and spicy bulgogi.
• One of the few 24 hour Korean joints in the area, Yechon gives generous portions of anything that you might be craving at 3am whether it be sushi, KBBQ, or any other traditional Korean dish. Yechon was even featured on WETA’s Neighborhood Eats as a must try!

Mickey, a.k.a. “Ms. Honey Pig,” owner of Honey Pig in Annandale, VA, a local favorite

• With its doors open 24/7, Honey Pig (Gooldaegee) is the go-to place for locals to get their KBBQ fix. Honey Pig offers pork belly, bulgogi, and other KBBQ specialties at the more-than-reasonable price of $12.99. It’s so popular that it made the list of this year’s 10 most successful LivingSocial deals, bringing in $137,940 in one day!
• After eating Honey Pig, check out Dain Café & Karaoke right next door. Taking up a space of 5000+ sq. ft, Dain Café is a 21+ NRB, meaning—yes!—a full bar right as you walk in.

Locals

Rooftop Pursuit (Jason Yi, Philip Lee, Paul Frankie Lee)

• Rooftop Pursuit, a diverse pop/r&b/rock band, has been performing with Kollaboration and other events in recent years. Appearing at this year‘s Kollaboration New York 6, the group didn’t place first as they had in another Kollaboration competition, but came out with a solid show nonetheless. Their EP album is available on their website from various sources.
• Mark Keam, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2009, is also a former aide on Capitol Hill as well an executive with Verizon Communications. Having been an immigrant himself, Mr. Keam sponsored a bill to raise the ESL teacher to student ratio among VA schools.
• Virginia native, Lyricks (Rick Lee), is a rapper and producer looking to bring the hip-hop scene to his area. Having toured internationally and recorded on over 300 tracks, he is no beginner to the rap industry. Lyricks also runs his own recording studio, Suprnova, and plans to release his next album early in 2012.

Eugenia Kim (left), Dana Tai Soon Burgess (right)

• D.C. local Eugenia Kim‘s riveting debut novel, The Calligrapher’s Daughter—which was inspired by her mother’s heroic life—was shortlisted for the 2010 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She currently teaches fiction at Fairfield University’s MFA Creative Writing Program. You can follow Eugenia on Twitter.
• Practicing dance and choreography beginning in his teen years, Dana Tai Soon Burgess is now a master of his craft with his own program, Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company. His critically-acclaimed expertise has earned him commission from prolific organizations (Smithsonian, the Kennedy Center, the U.N., and more), countless awards, and a position as American Cultural Specialist in the U.S. Department of State. Dana’s new work, “Becoming American,” an adoption story told through dance, has received rave reviews, with The Washington Post calling Dana “the best dancemaker around.”

Justin Ahn and Melissah Yang contributed to this post. Special thanks to Elliot Lee, co-founder and co-director of Kollaboration DC!

Have a city you’d like to see featured? Get in touch and give us some inside tips.

Korean food seems to be the latest hot topic. Even my friends ask me about Korean food or ask me to take them out someday so they know what to order. Korean food is unique and has quite an interesting history. Let’s not kid ourselves, its evolution isn’t as glamorous as French cuisine but it’s our own and it is very delicious. Mmmm Mmmm! So for my friends out there who are interested in Korean food, here’s a quick 101 about Korean food. It’s the basic basics. Next week, we’ll introduce you to kimchi jigae!

1. Bap (steamed rice) and Juk (porridge)
Boiled rice is the staple food for Koreans, it is eaten with almost every meal. In Korea people eat short-grained rice, as apposed to the long- grained Indian rice. Korean rice is often sticky in texture, and sometimes it is combined with beans, chestnuts, sorghum, red beans, barley or other cereals for added flavor and nutrition. Juk (porridge) is a light meal, which is highly nutritious. Juk is often made with rice, to which abalone, ginseng, pine nuts, vegetables, chicken, or bean sprouts can be added. As well as rice porridge, red bean porridge and pumpkin porridge are also delicious.

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