Wonjo Restaurant.

A trip to Korea Town was due upon my return to the United States, but we wanted to try a place that we hadn't tried before, so we looked at the menu at Wonjo and saw that the prices were reasonable, so we went in. We were pleasantly surprised by the polite service and decent food.

As with all Korean restaurants, complementary banchan (appetizers) were brought out after we ordered our food. From top to bottom, left to right, are bean sprouts, radish kimchi, pickled spinach, kimchi, squid, mushrooms, and crispy sardines. It was alright, but I found the assortment offered at other restaurants to be better.

Both Squishy and I got the bibimbap, mixed rice and vegetables. It comes in a sizzling hot stone bowl with plenty of different vegetables and a fried egg on top.

You first add Korean hot pepper paste and then you stir until everything is well mixed.

This is what you get! The bibimbap was actually pretty good here and they gave us a huge portion. There seemed to be more toppings offered here than at other places where I have been before. Both Squishy and I were very full after this meal.

H got the Spicy Soft Tofu Stew. He said it was alright, but didn't particularly like it. From the looks of it, this dish is probably trumped by that of other Korean places we have been to.

Dre got a Spicy Lamb Stew and noted that the dish was extremely spicy and to her liking. She couldn't finish it, but like the veggies and lamb, which was very tender. Paired with rice, it was good.

Overall, the food here was alright. I would recommend the rice dishes, but better stews could probably be found at other places. It is to my understanding, also, that the restaurant has also raised their prices since we went there, so the more expensive prices may dissuade us from returning there.

Price: <3<3<3

Taste: <3<3<3<

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<

Opinion: OK to try

Woorijip.

In the Spring of 2010, H and I went to Woorijip for a very quick and light appetizer to a meal that we planned to share with friends later on in the evening. We had to wait for them, but we were starving. So Hector knew of this place, which I had always wanted to try, and we went in to the packed buffet-style restaurant.

Woorijip has a wide range of selection of Korean favorites, from kimchi pancakes, pictured above, to gimbap, similar to sushi, and fried rice, rice cakes, fish, beef, soups, and korean desserts. The kimchi pancakes were excellent. Freshly made and still warm, it was crisp and moderately spicy, the cabbage crunching with cool freshness, while also having a nice crust from pan-frying. Cheap and yummy!

H got some sort of fried gimbap. Inside, there was bean thread noodles and shrimp. H ended up not liking it, though. It was very oily tasting from being deep fried.

Lastly, we tried a Korean steamed cake. It was presented wrapped in cellophane with a cute little sticker. When I picked it up, it was still warm.

From the time that I picked it up, however, until the time we ate it, the cake had already started to cool. Though still soft and sweet, with a nice almost chewy texture, the cake was starting to cool. I feel that it would have been better if we ate it when it was still warm, but it still gets props!

Overall, this place is a great place to pick up a quick bite to eat or even take things out for a reasonable price. It will definitely satiate your cravings for Korean food. It gets packed during lunch and dinner time, but with patience, you can find yourself some chairs and a table if you wish to eat the food there.

Price: <3<3<3<3

Taste: <3<3<3<3<

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<

Opinion: Recommended

Go! Go! CURRY!.

Japanese curry rice is something I find so delicious when it is done right. It is so warming and comforting and I feel that it really is one of the earthy foods that you can find originating from Asia. So, during one of our breaks between classes, Roomie, M, Mic, and I headed across town from our school in Gramercy to West Midtown to a small curry shop named Go! Go! CURRY!. At this shop, one can pay homage to both great Japanese Yankees players and great Japanese curry.

There is not that much to choose from on the menu. The joint even seems like a fast food place, since you go to the register, place your order, and take your tray of food back to a table. The choices range from cutlets to sausages. Mic and I opted for the classic Katsu Curry, a breaded pork cutlet placed on top a generous scoop of rice drowning in their homemade curry sauce and a side salad of julienned cabbage. The pork-based curry was so fresh. It was warm, not overly spicy, and had a great smokiness that lingered with you for a few seconds with every bite. The cutlet was perfect crisp and moist, matching perfectly with the soft rice below. To top it off, you then mix in some freshly cut cabbage for a little bit of fresh cool crunch. Simply delicious!

M opted for a chicken cutlet instead of a pork cutlet. He said that it was pretty good, too, but also said that the cutlet was a little dry. That's why I usually opt out of chicken choices at restaurants!

Roomie, being the recreational competitive eater, accepted the challenging Grand Slam curry, which came with everything on top of 5 pounds of rice. It came with the works: pork cutlet, chicken cutlet, shrimp, sausage, and two hard-boiled eggs. This plate was epic. It truly was an uphill battle for Roomie, who unfortunately saved the cutlets for last. He was praising the curry at the beginning, but was in pain in the end. He said that the grease of the cutlets made it hard to finish in the end, but he somehow did it. I will just say, however, that afterwards, it was not pretty.

Here is a picture of a very pasty Roomie. My Roomie is a star from the iPod commercials! Actually, he's whited out because I know I would've been yelled at for putting a picture up of him. But look at that dish. It's epically huge!

Overall, it was a great place and the food was awesome. They give out coupons often and have lots of different specials on different days. Definitely worth it to check out if you're in the area!

Price: <3<3<3<3

Taste: <3<3<3<3<3

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<

Opinion: Highly Recommended