Crunchik'n

For those in the know, Korean Fried Chicken wings are all the rage these days. Typically twice fried, these wings don't seep out grease at first touch, the meat stays incredibly juicy, and there are often a variety of glazes. Relative newcomer to the Jefferson East area is Crunchik'n and I'm here to tell you that they've got the bomb "KFCs."

What's the story behind co-owners Jon & Jen? Jon was a retiring theology professor and Jen had recently finished grad school. Jon convinced Jen to open up Crunchik'n and now they're providing that homemade touch, while executing to high-quality perfection on all fronts. I recently had the chance to meet up with Jen and try some of their menu offerings.

Clockwise from Top Right: Korean Fried Chicken Wings | Crunch Ball! | Oven Baked Galbi or Spicy Wings | Crunchik'n Spread

Do start with their wings and the whole or half chicken. The batter is light & crunchy and the meat is marinated for 24 hours. The glazes range from mild to spicy and are all tasty. They've even got an oven-baked version for those that are attempting to be health-conscious and thankfully, they're just as tasty. The galbi version of the oven-baked ring was sticky, sweet, and delicious - all thanks to Jen's dad's homemade marinade. Looking for a fried ball of goodness? Check out the Crunch Balls which have bits of veggie or beef. Top that jawn with some spicy mayo and you're set.

Co-Owner Jen of Crunchikn | Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl | Homemade Dumplings | Kimchi Cheese Fries

The ricebowls are beautifully presented with everything you could ever want. We loved the spicy tuna version, which came with a bed of rice, Korean japchae noodles (sweet potato glass noodles), a fried veggie dumpling, salsa, crisp veggie, and guac. Definitely filling and you'll probably have leftovers. Be sure to try some of the homemade veggie, meat, or kale & spinach dumplings, made by a family friend! Looking for that next level comfort food? The kimchi cheese fries provide that fusion-level goodness with the spicy funk of the kimchi and the cheese sauce all over the batter-fried fries.

Be sure to stop by and say hi! The staff is so warm, welcoming, and you can clearly get a sense of the pride and homemade touch to what they do. Most important, the food is delicious and clearly Crunchik'n has plans to be a mainstay in Philly.

Crunchik'n

212 S. 11th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

(267) 886-9373

www.crunchikn.com

San Soo Kap San Restaurant Review

As a New York transplant, I love that Philly offers most of what's available in NYC, but on a smaller, more relaxed, and affordable scale. The one thing that I wish Center City proper did offer? A decent Korean restaurant, replete with BBQ grills and high-powered vents. Admittedly, I hear there are great offerings in Northeast Philly and I've heard good things about Miga in the Fairmount/Logan Square area. But for the most part, it's a barren wasteland when it comes to decent Korean cuisine. 

The type of Korean food I'm looking for? Just look towards Queens, NY. Clearly the place to go if you're looking for real deal Korean BBQ and the like. 

San Soo Kap San is a stalwart when it comes to Korean BBQ, with great food and plenty of high-powered industrial vents to deal with the smoke that comes with grilling your meat tableside. Regardless, I would leave your favorite coat in the car. Otherwise, you'll come out smelling like smoky sweet BBQ marinade for a few days.

For those not in the know, Korean food typically comes with a slew of banchan, or side dishes. They're not to be eaten by themselves necessarily, but in combination with your main dishes.

There are plenty of options from spicy crab, spicy rice cakes, spicy fish, spicy kimchi, spicy cucumber ... you get the picture. We like spice! But there's also sesame-infused glass noodles and plenty of palate cleansing items like sweet and slightly pickled radish. 

But if you've never been - the reason you should check out your local Korean restaurant is to try the Korean BBQ. And if you're in Queens, San Soo Kap San will set you right. Traditional charcoal bricks are brought to your table. No electric grills here! 

Angus Kalbi x3 [$34.95 per serving]
Marinated beef short-rib 

I'd recommend the standard kalbi. I like that San Soo Kap San's isn't overly marinated and they offer good quality ingredients. It's also not cut too thin so you can actually taste the beefiness. I love roasting the mushrooms on the grill as well. And asking for a small tin to cook up garlic slices in a bit of oil? Perfection. 

I like my meat mid-rare, with a quick caramelized sear on the exterior, but you might prefer your meat well-done. It's all completely up to you. Your server will cook it for you, but feel free to take charge. 

You can try the BBQ alone, but it's best eaten as ssahm or within the confines of a build-your-own lettuce wrap, filled with some beef and perhaps a bit of scallion, fermented bean paste, and some kimchi. 

At San Soo Kap San, they'll even serve you some complimentary stews along with your Korean BBQ. Some favorites of mine are the Korean take on chawanmushi (egg custard) as well as the spicy dehn jang ji gae (fermented bean stew). The latter is a meal on its own with some rice. Perfect for those winter nights. 

Asian cuisine isn't typically known for dessert and Korean restaurants don't diverge from this status quo. To end your meal, expect some fruit to cleanse that palate! 

So if you've never been - I'd highly recommend branching out and trying some Korean BBQ. I love that Korean ingredients are becoming more mainstream and non-Asian chefs are looking to ssahm jang and kimchi within their respective culinary toolboxes. Hopefully with places like Southgate Philly, Korean cuisine will have its own place in Center City Philly as well. 

Bistro Southeast Review

After viewing Midtown Lunch's vision of a pork belly sandwich, I knew I had to stop by Bistro Southeast's newly opened shop in the Graduate Hospital area, south of Rittenhouse. Their mission is to showcase the melange of Southeast Asian and Cajun "Casian" flavors, while highlighting quality seafood as well.

Full transparency for their seafood MP is appreciated, with offerings ranging from Alaskan snow crab and king crab to crawfish. There's plenty of seating for the lunchtime crowd, with a clean and casual design.

Apologies in advance for the cell phone pics! 

Korean BBQ Ribeye Buns [$8.95]
Steamed mantou bun

A hefty portion of tender ribeye was marinated with the prototypical Korean flavors of fruit and soy. Balanced by pickled carrots, the freshness of the lettuce and the the texture of sesame seeds against the sweet pillowy Chinese buns made for a nice bite.

Soft Shell Crab Bun [$9.95]
Steamed mantou bun
 

The soft shell crab buns were stellar, with a whole crab halved between the two buns. The fry rendered the crab perfectly crispy and not at all greasy, with the meatiness of the sweet crustacean coming through. Great textural bite with this one, with the crisp and lightly pickled cucumbers really providing a countervailing element to the crab!

Po' Boy Fish Sandwich [$8.95]
Toasted french baguette, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro 

The fried fish po' boy featured crisply fried and moist fish. This was housed within a wonderfully toasted and fresh french baguette. The crunch of the pickled carrots and cucumbers added a nice bahn mi element to each bite, along with the herbaceouness of the cilantro.

Lemongrass Pork Belly Sandwich [$7.95] [$6.95]
Toasted french baguette, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro
  

But I was here for the lemongrass pork belly sandwich. While not as pretty as Midtown Lunch Philly's iteration in terms of grill marks, the flavors of the lemongrass and the unctuousness of the pork belly were definitely there. Better yet - it was on special so who can complain about saving a buck?Again, the balance between the cucumbers, carrots, and cilantro made each bite, along with the wonderful bread.

So if you're in the Graduate Hospital area, I would definitely pop on in for a proper workday lunch. With most of the lunchtime offerings below $10, you'd be robbing yourself of a delicious and affordable Southeast "Casian" experience if you didn't. A separate dinner menu is available as well so I'll definitely have to stop by again to check that out. Pro-tip: It's BYO!

Rice and Mix Review

The dearth of good Korean food options in the city is understated. Unless you're venturing into Northeast territory, Center City Philly is a barren wasteland. New Jersey/New York or bust, really.

So the GF was itching to get me to try Rice and Mix, where she's had lunch a few times with coworkers. So on a recent weekend stroll through Center City, we stopped in for lunch.

Rice and Mix has a contemporary design and there's plenty of seating for the weekday lunch crowd. Quite a few booths available for some comfortable seating as well. You place your order, receive a number, and grab a seat.

Kimchi Pork Pancake [$12]
 

The GF loves pajun, which is a Korean pancake. Most restaurant pajuns don't turn out as crispy as I normally like, so I didn't have high hopes. Sadly, and as expected, this wasn't as crispy as I normally like. Though a bit gluttonous, I'll admit it still had some good flavor. A decent mix of pork and kimchi helped it. But at $12, seemed like a bit of a premium for a dish that lacked texture. 

Signature Dolsot Bowl & Korean Fried Chicken Combo [$16.75] & Shrimp [$3]

Carrot, radish, broccoli, red cabbage, egg, mixed greens 

  

The GF's absolute favorite is dolsot bibimbap, which is essentially stir-fried rice in a stone bowl. The stone bowl helps to add a nice textural element to the dish, because there's a crispy layer of rice at the bottom, known as nurungji.

This was spot on in terms of texture, albeit overpriced. There was a nice mix of fresh veggies, though the shrimp were chewy/overcooked, and likely frozen. The egg was pre-scrambled a la Korean sushi style, so the lack of a gooey fried egg was disappointing. 

Korean Fried Chicken
Spicy
 

Korean Fried Chicken or KFC has been all the craze over the past 5 or so years. Popularized in NYC thanks to the likes of Bon Chon Chicken, the news that Philly would finally get an outpost came as welcome news. In the meantime, I was hopeful for Rice and Mix's version. This was a decent iteration, with huge, juicy pieces of chicken that were crisply double-fried. The spicy sauce had only a bit of heat, so don't be deterred. The accompanying sesame-vinegar slaw was nice, but I prefer Bon Chon's radishes. 

Overall, I'm glad there is a Korean option in Philly that isn't completely horrid. I'd rate it average overall, though it is certainly one of the better ones that are available in Center City and I'll admit I tend to have a higher benchmark for my homeland cuisine. The fact that the prices are so high and kimchi isn't gratis is off-putting. But most of the flavors are there and it's a nice change of pace.

2015 Philly Vendy Awards Review

This past weekend, I attended the 5th annual Philadelphia Vendy Awards. This city has been a good haven for food trucks, following in the footsteps of LA and NYC. And what better way to showcase this than with a battle of the trucks? For a tax-deductible $65 a person, the proceeds benefit the Food Trust - an organization entrenched in providing healthy and affordable food access. It's also the brains behind the city's Night Markets.

What does a ticket to the Vendy Awards get you? An all-access pass to some of the best food trucks in the area - food and drinks included. This year, the JFK Bridge leading to 30th Street Station was closed off, providing the perfect venue.

Sly Fox was on hand with several beers on hand. Santa Cristina wines and GUS (Grown Up Sodas) were also providing generous pours of their wines and adult sodas, respectively.

And the food trucks? While Mom-Mo's, Mixin Bowl, and Jerry's Kitchen appeared to be no shows, there was more than enough to fill your Philly foodie belly. In the running for the 2015 Vendy Cup were Foolish Waffles, Flying Deutschman, and the Butter Truck. Rookie of the Year candidates included Philly Fry, Seoulfull Philly, Rigatoni's Mobile Crabcakes, and Las Olas Food Trucks. And last but not least, the dessert finalists featured Sweet Lavender, Jimmies Cupcake Co, Luscious Bakery, Pound Cake Heaven, and Undrgrnd Donuts.

SeoulFullPhilly - Mini Cheesesteak Koreans
Korean BBQ marinated beef, whiz, sauteed kimchi, onions
  

Rookie of the Year winner Seoulfull Philly had one of the longest lines of the day. They were still masters of churning out their Korean-American fusion of cheesesteaks. While a bit high on the bread-to-meat ratio, the soft pillowy roll housed well-seasoned Korean BBQ marinated beef, whiz, onions, and sauteed kimchi to bring out funky depth.

Rigatoni's Mobile Crabcakes 
 

Rigatoni's crabcakes provided perfect bite-size morsels of sweet crab, accented by a lightly spicy aioli. 

Flying Deutschman - Knockwurst & Bratwurst Samplers
Spicy mustard, curry ketchup

The Flying Deutschman brought out a sampling of both their knockwurst and bratwurst, which were snappy, juicy, and nicely paired with a spicy mustard and a curry ketchup with some depth.

Las Olas - Vegetarian Bowl
 

Las Olas had the healthiest dish of the day with their healthy Mexican fare. And while I'm not generally one who tries to watch his waistline, this was a surprisingly flavorful blend of quinoa, black beans, sour cream, and chips. 

Philly Fry - Surf and Turf Waffle Fries
Steak, crab meat, American cheese, Old Bay, waffles fries
  

Philly Fry's long line was worth the wait. There were a myriad of options on offer, including a base of regular, waffle, or curly fries, topped with crab, steak, cheese, or buffalo sauce. I went with the surf and turf, which wasn't the prettiest dish, but certainly tasty. The beef was juicy and well-seasoned, with the sweet crab accented by the Old Bay. And the fries? As crisp as they could be! 

Butter Sandwich Truck - Japanese Curry Chips 
Handcut griddle chips, sour cream, cotija, sweet white onion, parsley, homemade curry roux  

The Butter Truck had Japanese curry fries, which featured thin potato medallions with a lightly spicy curry sauce balanced by the cool sour cream. 

Foolish Waffles - Pork Belly Bahn Mi Waffle
Coriander-black pepper glazed pork belly, pickled red cabbage, fresh cucumbers, jalapenos, cilantro, sriracha, Brussels waffle
  

My favorite dish of the day? Obviously the pork belly bahn mi. So much so that I went up again to get their sweet waffle (strawberry-rhubarb), but had to get another pork belly! The crisp Brussels waffle had a hearty sweetness that was the perfect counterpoint to the heft of the black-pepper glazed pork belly. The pickled red cabbage and the freshness of the cilantro and jalapeno helped to provide additional balance to the dish. No wonder Foolish Waffles won the Vendy Cup!

Pound Cake Heaven - Red Velvet Cake
 

Pound Cake Heaven had the most options of the day- seemingly with their entire bakery on display. I opted for the red velvet cake, which was moist, light, and redolent with the richness of cream cheese. 

Sweet Lavender - Peach Cobbler
 

Sweet Lavender had a few options, including the peach cobbler. The crust was buttery, sugary, and flaky, revealing lightly spiced peaches that still had some bite. 

Jimmies Cupcake Co - Ice Cream Sandiches
James Brown - Salted toffee brownie, caramel, vanilla ice cream
Jimmy Appleseed - Cinnamon dusted pie crust, sweet baked apple ice cream
  

Jimmies Cupcake Co had two ice cream sandwiches that were clearly popular. The James Brown was richly flavored with the toffee brownie and the caramel highly present. This was all tempered by the clean flavors of vanilla. The Jimmy Appleseed's pie crust was a bit doughy, but the star was the ice cream, which had the essence of baked apples. Yum!

Luscious Bakery - Spaceship Express Sundae 
Signature sea salt chocolate chip cookie, vanilla bean ice cream, Makers Mark caramel, Belgian salted chocolate sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles, spiced candied pecans  

Chef Jamie Landers of Luscious Bakery was previously a rocket scientist. And watching the appropriately named Spaceship Express Sundae being created was great fun. The soft sea salt chocolate chip cookie, the depth of the Makers Mark caramel, the Belgian salted chocolate sauce, the lightly spiced candied pecans, and the clean vanilla bean ice cream was the perfect melange of sweets. Likely a close contender for the Dessert Cup!

Undrgrnd Donuts - French Toast Donut
Maple swirl, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar 

In the end though, Undrgrnd Donuts won the Dessert Award and with good reason. They had a duo on offer, which started with their french toast donut. With a beautifully cakey base, the flavors of french toast were packed into each bite. 

Undrgrnd Donuts - The Homer Donut
Vanilla dunk, chocolate swirl, raw sugar, bacon
  

My favorite dessert of the day? The Homer. I mean c'mon. Everyone might be doing it, but when you've got perfectly crisp candied bacon on top of a flawless cake donut, you can't go wrong. Salty, sweet, savory, and succulent. 

I'm assuming that everyone who's reading this post has some sort of love for food. And if that's the case, there's no reason at all you should forgo your chance to taste food glory at the 2016 Vendy Awards. So be sure to look out for next year's event. And in the meantime, get out there! Support the mobile food trend and check out your favorite food trucks - both old and new. 

FTC Disclaimer: I received two complimentary tickets to the Vendy Awards. Regardless, all opinions are unbiased and mine alone.

Toreore Chicken: H Mart Elkins Park Review

After a long day skiing at Bear Creek, the GF and I decided to head over to the Elkins Park H Mart to grab some Korean food and groceries. This is definitely one of the better H Mart's near Philadelphia, with plenty of individual stores that surround the larger Korean grocery store. There is a Paris Baguette and a proprietor that sells fresh Korean ban chan, BBQ, and stews! 

But if you head to the 2nd floor, there are a variety of Korean dishes that can be ordered - right from the counter in the corner. Based on what you've ordered, you'll see the order number for the respective dishes pop up on a digital screen. Might be confusing at first, but it's efficient and seamless.

There are different outposts that create your respective dishes. And that's where the number for your order will pop up. So once it does, head over, grab your tray, and you're ready to go. 

Pan-Fried Vegetable & Pork Dumplings [$8.95]
 

The GF was in the mood for dumplings. Although Toreore's soup dumplings (aka XLB) were out of commission, the pan-fried dumplings were good as well. This was a hefty portion, featuring crisp and deftly fried wrappers filled with a healthy portion of vegetable and pork. It came with a soy-green onion sauce and some sweet pickled radish.

 
Kang Poong Gi [$9.95]
Garlic fried chicken

We also got the garlic fried chicken, which is usually of my favorite dishes. However, Toreore's was not my favorite rendition of this oft-enjoyed Korean-Chinese fusion dish. It's meant to be crisply fried (which this was), but I'm used to more garlic than sweet. I also prefer a lighter coating of the sauce.

Still, not bad for less than $10. It came with a green onion soup that was clear and wasn't salty at all. There was also some rice, a dollop of fermented black bean paste, sweet pickled radish, and onions.

So while Toreoreo and the H Mart at Elkins Park is a bit far from Center City, Philadelphia, it's worth a trip - especially if you're in need of Korean groceries. Stock up on kimchi, Korean BBQ, and grab a bite for lunch or dinner while you're at it. 

Toreore Chicken at H Mart: Elkins Park
7320 Old York Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027
(215) 782-1801
www.hmart.com

N.O.W. Review

This is for a series of posts for the Borgata Hotel & The Water Club including: Bobby Flay Steak, Wolfgang Puck American Grille, The Cafeteria, Tony Luke's, N.O.W., Metropolitan, Sun Room, Fat Burger, 28 West, Gelato, and the Borgata Buffet.  

If you're looking for Asian flavors and are at the Borgata, look no further than N.O.W. (Noodles of the World), located in the middle of the casino floor.  It's casual dining, but with dishes that are well presented and surprisingly on point.

So get in line and be prepared to wait if you're dining with more than one other person. This is communal dining at its finest - there are only a few tables for two - the rest are long communal tables. But if you're lucky - you might score some seats by the noodle bar.

Note the requisite Siracha, and you know at the very least, you can spice things up, Asian-style.

Young Coconut Juice ($4)

I wanted to quench my thirst after a long run at the blackjack tables, so opted for some coconut juice. This was refreshing and interesting, with the addition of fresh slices of actual coconut on the bottom. 

Cream Cheese Rangoon ($6.50)
Crispy wonton wrapper filled with cream cheese, scallions, and sweet and sour plum sauce  

I love a good crab rangoon, so knew I had to order this. These were on point - crispy, piping hot, and filled with cream cheese and scallions. 

Grilled Chicken Satay ($7)
Grilled chicken, sa cha spice, peanut dipping sauce, hoisin sauce 

I also decided to try N.O.W.'s take on chicken satay. Imbued with a peanut marinade and some chili, these were nicely grilled and moist. The spice had some heat to it, 

which was tempered by the peanut sauce.

Curry Chicken ($16)
Chicken, onions, potatoes, curry, chili sauce, peanut butter, coconut milk served with steamed white rice

The GF opted for the curry chicken, which was a home-y iteration of the dish. The curry was creamy with a nice base of coconut milk. It was filled with potatoes, onions, and juicy chicken - perfect to top the white rice.

She could barely finish half the dish, so obviously, I was a perfect gentleman and finished the rest.

BBQ Angus Short Ribs ($18)
Short ribs, kimchi, soy sauce, black pepper, served with steamed white rice 

When one thinks of short ribs, a huge braised short rib on a single massive bone comes to mind. When a Korean thinks of short ribs, several strips of 'LA' galbi - sliced cross-sectionally - come to mind. These were a perfect representation of this oft-enjoyed dish. The short ribs were typically marinated - sweet and sticky. However, the kimchi was merely passable and could have been more plentiful.

N.O.W. is definitely the place to spend your comps if you're craving Asian food while at the Borgata. This isn't Panda Express - the dishes are actually representative of Thai, Korean, Japanese, or Chinese cuisine. And more importantly - they're tasty.

http://www.theborgata.com/dine/casual-dining/now