Soondubu in Manhattan

The banchan at Mandangsui

I have a confession to make. I only like Korean BBQ when I’m having it at a buffet. Otherwise, it’s just not filling enough and way too expensive in Manhattan. Mandangsui is famous for their Korean BBQ. In 2009, the NYTimes awarded them with one star, which is rare for an authentic Korean restaurant. I was lucky enough to try Mandangsui’s famous BBQ about a year ago. It was quite tasty, but I left the restaurant a bit hungry and $65 poorer. We did order alcohol, but even that didn’t satisfy my hunger.

Just a couple months ago, I returned to Mandangsui and since it was in the middle of the winter, I was in the mood for a soup to warm my body up. I have been a fan of non-seafood soondubu. Yes, I know that traditional soondubu is tofu soup with seafood such as clams, mussels, oysters, shrimp, etc. To my surprise, Mandangsui had beef tofu jjigae, which is perfect for me. After my friend JL and I placed our orders, our banchan were brought out to our table. Every restaurant has different banchan and they’ll change on a daily basis. My favorite dish is the steamed egg, which only Kunjip offers with their banchan. I also heard that this dish is available at Mandangsui only when you order enough BBQ for two people. Anyhow, the banchan was pretty decent. They did not have radish kimchi, which is probably my favorite type of kimchi. For those who didn’t watch Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” episode that took place in South Korea, kimchi is Korea’s national dish. In its most common form, it’s made out of napa cabbage along with many spices such as hot pepper. It’s served cold and is a delicious!

Beef tofu jjigae at Mandangsui. Perfect bowl of soup for a cold winter night.

When my beef tofu jjigae came out, I was happy to see that our waitress brought me an egg. After a previous failure at BCD Tofu House in Flushing, where our waitress did not explain what to do with the egg, I was quick to crack my egg into my still boiling stew. I mixed everything up to ensure that the egg was fully cooked. I took a taste of my creation and it was perfect! The tofu was nice and soft. The beef gave it more of a meaty taste and filled my belly up. I did wish it was a tad more spicier, but I’m afraid to ask for it really spicy and then end up with something inedible. It could be because our waitress knew I wasn’t truly Korean (even if my looks say otherwise) and even though I asked it for medium spicy, it tasted pretty mild to me. Nevertheless, both me and my dining companion enjoyed our dishes thoroughly. I believe JL ordered some kind of seafood stew and there was plenty of it in her bowl. They definitely didn’t skimp on the seafood. I left the restaurant comfortably full and my meal only cost about $15 (with tip and tax), which is just a fraction of what I paid for my BBQ meal. Another great thing about Mandangsui? It’s located on 35th Street, which is a few blocks north of Koreatown (on 32nd Street), so there are a lot less tourists and it’s just less busy in general. However, due to the NYTimes review, expect a wait for a table.

Mandangsui
35 West 35th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
New York, NY 10018
212.564.9333
Takes Credit Cards and Reservations

Another Danny Meyer Hit: Blue Smoke

Tender baby back ribs at Blue Smoke

I’ve been to Blue Smoke several times have enjoyed all my meals there. Not only do they have great BBQ, I am a big fan of their fried chicken and desserts. Also, their sides are outstanding. Their deviled eggs, mac n cheese, hush puppies and sesame coleslaw are all very delicious. I’m sure I’ve had other sides, but these are all I can remember on the top of my head. In April 2010, I made my first trip to St. Louis/Southern Illinois with my boyfriend, JRA. Being the foodie that I am, I did research on famous BBQ in that area. I found that one of the most famous pitmasters had a handful of restaurants nearby. I asked JRA to take me to Mike Mills‘ 17th Street Bar & Grill. We both ordered the baby back ribs and they came with two sides. It was reasonably-priced compared to the Blue Smoke or any other BBQ place in NYC. The ribs were really tasty and the meat came off the bone very easily. Yum! As we left the restaurant, I was reading all the newspaper clippings about the restaurant and Mike Mills. I was happy to find out that Mike Mills was a consultant of Danny Meyer’s Blue Smoke! No wonder it was so good. I later did more research and found out that he is actually a partner and all of Blue Smoke’s sauces are the same as the ones offered at 17th Street Bar & Grill. He also has participated at the Big Apple BBQ!

Just the perfect amount for two people!

Anyhow, I will go back to the delicious food at Blue Smoke. I do not know of many BBQ restaurants in NYC that serve hush puppies (I only know of Virgil’s and Brother Jimmy’s). I always think about the one time I had hush puppies at a random Northern VA restaurant (it didn’t even serve BBQ). Their hush puppies had fresh corn mixed in and there was some kind of jalapeno butter. It was delicious! Blue Smoke’s version is quite good. They are round and fluffy without any fresh corn. However, they make up for this with their jalapeno marmalade. It is sweet and spicy and goes perfectly with the crispy hush puppies. When JRA went last weekend, we tried the St. Louis Toasted Ravioli as an appetizer and it was perfect. Apparently it’s popular to fry raviolis in St. Louis. If you guys haven’t noticed, I love fried foods! Blue Smoke’s ravioli was great. They were filled with meat and the sauce was perfect. Did I mention that the restauranteur, Danny Meyer, is from St. Louis? This is probably the main reason I wanted to try it with JRA, since he says St. Louis is his hometown. He agreed that the raviolis were good and authentic. Yay!

I love how the plating is so simple!

For my main entree, I ordered the pulled pork sandwich sandwich since I heard so many good things about it on Yelp and Foursquare. When it came out, the bun was glistening with butter (grease?) and it looked tasty. I took a bite and the pork was so tender and flavorful. If you’re a lazy person like myself and don’t want to waste time with ribs, then the pulled pork is the ideal dish for you. All the hard work is already done for you! It doesn’t hurt that it’s also delicious. I have never had a coleslaw like Blue Smoke. Usually, I’m not a fan of coleslaw because of my dislike for mayonaise. I gave Blue Smoke’s coleslaw a chance since it didn’t look like it had that much mayonaise. Also, I was surprised to find a lot of sesame on top. It was a bit tangy and I ended up really enjoying the side. I almost finished the entire side (I left some on the plate so our waiter wouldn’t think I was a complete pig).

Besides their entress, Blue Smoke also excels in desserts. I have gotten their Chocolate Layer Cake a number of times. This cake is not for the weak. It’s extremely rich and dense. I love it. They also serve it with a glass of milk, which I think makes it that much better. Nothing better than washing down a mouthful of chocolate cake with a glass of milk. After our very filling lunch, JRA and I decided against a dessert. It’s also because JRA is not much of a dessert eater, so I’d probably be finishing an entire dessert by myself. As we walked out of the restaurant, I noticed that they had a Bake Shop. I stopped by to get a cookie. I ate it hours later after warming it up in the oven, and it was perfect. There was plenty of chocolate chips. I think all cookies should be served warm. If you’re ever in the mood for some BBQ in Gramercy/Kips Bay area, you should definitely give Blue Smoke a try. Since it is a Danny Meyer restaurant, I highly recommend making a reservation on OpenTable in advance. They also accomodate large parties.
 
Blue Smoke
116 East 27th Street (between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue)
New York, NY 10016
212.447.7733
Takes Credit Cards
Reservations are highly recommended