The Ultimate Pig Out

Korean sam gyup sal, aka outrageous pork belly

Move over, suckling pig feasts. Here comes sam gyup sal. What?, you say. Pay attention: this popular Korean classic literally translates to sam (three), gyup (layered) sal (flesh) - or to us Americans: pork belly. Thick slabs are grilled table side, served wrapped in lettuce parcels and accompanied by a grilled trio of kimchi, sliced garlic and bean sprouts. Add to that pickled jalapenos, radishes, bean paste sauce and crown with one single peppercorn. Then just wait for the flavor explosion to burst in your mouth. It's incredible.



Porky welcome at Tong Sam Gyup Goo Ee

 For the real deal, take the LIRR to Tong Sam Gyup Goo Ee Korean restaurant in Flushing. Just look for the three little piggies in the window, across the street from the Broadway train station. Nothing but pork is on the menu. I quiver in anticipation.

Serious patience is required over the next 15 minutes, as you watch your server carefully grill your meal. The pork, placed at the top of a dome shaped grill, pops and sizzles, releasing that comforting aroma and succulent juices, which drip down to flavor the kimchi and sprouts. Bacon fat just makes everything taste better. While you build your appetite waiting, you do get a flavorful vegetable broth, cleansing your palate for the feast ahead.

Don't forget the peppercorn

Our server spoke little English but happily demonstrated how to prepare our lettuce  wrapped meaty parcels. Grab some extra napkins and get busy.

Just as you begin to slow down is when Act II perks you up again. Ask for "rice" near the end of your meal, and, for a few extra dollars, your server will smear any remaining morsels of crisp pork and veggies with a thick layer of seasoned rice and nori. Left to grill and absorb the pork drippings, the resulting bibimbap is yet another

Bibimbap in bacon drippings

sheer delicacy. Filling without making you want to explode, the meal is a relative bargain at around $30/head. Time to round up your pork loving posse. 

162-23 Depot Rd, Flushing, Queens
LIRR Port Washington Line to Broadway station
Mon-Sun, noon - 12 am
Reservations accepted
718 359 4583

Welcome to Goat Town

Hello, Goat Town!

Oh, what a welcome awaits at Goat Town. The kind of welcome that lured me back two days in a row. That's how much I love this new East Village restaurant from Nicholas Morgenstern, of Brooklyn's The General Greene.

Where in the world did the name come from? Apparently, it's the wry literal translation of 'Gotham.'

Bright and sunny by day, warmly candlelit by night, it's the kind of neighborhood restaurant that is perfect for any meal. It's all in the detail. The dining room is beautiful and kudos to the design team, brothers Evan and Oliver Haslegrave,who transformed the former Butcher Bay space. A weathered copper bar, the coolest white tiled booths and arched tin ceiling compliment the open kitchen and raw oyster bar centerpiece. Fresh amaryllis are everywhere. Even the loo has style. Not to mention the eclectic tunes.

Artful French toast

The American bistro serves a classic but creative menu from chef Joel Hough (formerly of Cookshop). Brunch highlights include a N'Orleans scramble with tasso ham and oysters ($13), and a semolina raisin French toast with New York maple syrup ($12). Dinner entrees feature arctic char with caramelized cauliflower ($22) and haddock fish + chips ($18).

Beer + burger special - a killer deal

A steal is the happy hour beer and burger special ($14). A generous cheese burger comes brimming with crispy thick cut fries, pickled onion and a side of delicious homemade horseradish-garlic mayo.

Goat Town embraces yard-to-table eating. The empty back yard is being converted into a vegetable garden (they may add a farm table for dining too) and there are plans to butcher meat in house as well. Even the desserts are made on site. Just come by.

511 E. 5th St, between Avenues A + B. 212 687 3471

The Hype on Lotus of Siam

Tasty Nam Kao Tod Crispy Rice at Lotus of Siam

New restaurant hype is such a double-edged sword. Expectations are built up so high and tolerance for error is so low. Take the debut of Vegas-based Lotus of Siam, billed as the "single best Thai restaurant in North America" in Gourmet magazine.Talk about setting the bar high. It opened last week, so, drum roll, please...

It’s a letdown in so many ways. Just knowing it came from Vegas, I expected at least some glamour and wow factor. On the contrary, the corner space on Fifth Ave. at 9th St. is so sedate, it looks leftover from former restaurant Cru. The walls are mostly bare, the Italian china is floral and the rice is served in traditional bamboo baskets. It just doesn’t really gel. Neither does the pared down menu.

The starters sounded really exciting on paper, but not on the plate. A som thum traditional green papaya salad ($9) lacked texture and layered flavors. Only heat and soggy papaya taste came through. The pik khai kra pao krob ($8), crispy fried chicken wings in chili garlic sauce, were bland. The only starter that delivered full ,complex flavor was the nam kao tod crispy rice ($9), with bits of Thai sausage mingling with hot chilies, crunchy rice, peanuts, and red onion, in a ginger lime dressing. Moving on to the main course, the kang dang with beef ($18), traditional red curry with chilies and bamboo shoots, tasted completely average. The fancy prices don’t fit the unmemorable fare or the lackluster service. Apparently, they still serve the 6-course $65 tasting menu promoted opening week, but you have to ask for it as it’s not on the menu. Probably for the best.

24 Fifth Ave. at 9th St. 212 529 1700

London's Hottest Italian Gem

Weeks before my recent trip to London, my English foodie friend Emma gave me the heads up on Polpo, an Italian bacaro. Unanimous rave reviews. Amazing value. I must go.

Delicious selection of cicheti

Polpo means 'octopus' in Italian and I wish I had eight hands to wrap around all of the food on their exceptional tapas-styled Venetian menu. Located on popular Beak St. in the heart of Soho, it's about a year old. Polpo has just spawned a sister restaurant called Polpetto, also getting raves, and a third offspring is expected next spring. All in Soho.

Flank steak with porcini cream

The owners are on to a good thing. It's my idea of a perfect dinner spot - small, buzzy restaurant, impeccable tapas, beautiful people eating greedily...and offers great value. 

Oh, does Polpo deliver. There was a short wait for our table, made very civilized with a glass of Prosecco by the bar and a constant parade of the food to come. My friend and I could not stop ordering, not because we were still hungry, but because we wanted to taste everything - and it wouldn't break the bank.

Roast pumpkin, prosciutto + ricotta salata

The seasonal menu starts with two-bite cicheti such as arancini, decadent fried rice balls (£1.5), anchovy and chick pea crostini (£1), and fig, prosciutto + mint (£2).

A short but extremely appetizing selection of meat, fish and vegetable plates follows. 

Beetroot, rocket and walnut pesto

Our choices included the polpette, three savory meatballs in a rich tomato sauce (£5), a show-stopping roast pumpkin, prosciutto + ricotta salata (£6.5), and a perfectly grilled flank steak with porcini cream (£7.5). These plates was followed by a superb mackerel tartare with horseradish cream (£5.5), flavorful mozzarella, bobby beans + cobnuts (£6.5), and beetroot, rocket + walnut pesto (£5), among the best beets I've ever eaten.

Even the selection of fresh breads such as wild mushroom piadina (£5.5) should not be missed. Tapas portions are very generous and easily serve 2-3. Sadly, there was no room for dessert this time, but be assured next time, I will be savoring a slice of the chocolate salami (£2), maybe two. I can't wait to go back.

Note reservations accepted for lunch only. 41 Beak St. at Carnaby St., Soho. W1F 9SB