Comfort Food

Home - 2/13/09

Sometimes there's nothing like rice mixed with fried eggs & soy sauce, topped with Jang Jo Rim (beef cooked in soy sauce) and white kimchi. Korean comfort food. And one of Ella's favorite meals.

Basta Pasta

Basta Pasta (37 W. 17th St., NYC) - 12/24/08

Ella loves good pasta. And Basta Pasta is the spot, hands down. The Linguine Al Ricci Di Mare (linguine with fresh sea urchin) is pretty unbelievable; if you love uni, then this is a must. The Spaghetti Con Prosciutto E Parmigiano is an understandable favorite here, as well, with the waiter dumping hot spaghetti into their parmesan wheel and mixing to tasty perfection right by your table. Can you imagine how amazing this is? And their classic Spaghetti, Mozzarella, Pomodori E Funghi is absolutely delicious. We could eat here a lot; and we do. Basta Pasta is definitely on Ella's list.

Biak Hwa Restaurant - 백화정

Biak Hwa Restaurant (Koreatown, LA) - 12/6/08

When we find ourselves in Los Angeles, our first stop is Koreatown. It's pretty much agreed that LA has the best Korean restaurants outside of Korea, and this restaurant called Biak Hwa serves up the most amazingly tasty daeji kalbi (grilled pork ribs). Words cannot describe. This is where we pig out. In addition to the grilled pork, a must order is the bo ssam - a platter of boiled pork belly served with oysters, kimchi, green peppers, garlic, and soy bean paste; all for wrapping in cabbage and stuffing in your mouth. Also, their den jang jigae (miso stew) is a fine accompaniment. Of course, as is standard with such hearty Korean meals, mom and dad wash down every bite with ice-cold soju.

Joe's Shanghai

Joe's Shanghai (Pell St. & Bowery, NYC) - 1/24/09

Who doesn't love Joe's Shanghai? Everyone lines up for their famously tasty soup dumplings, in spite of the restaurant's embarrassing decor and uncomfortable eating conditions (squeezing into tight tables with strangers). This place proves that if the food is good, then people will come. And the food is good. Definitely the crab meat soup dumplings to start - get 2 orders, 1 is not enough. Some like the pork soup dumplings, which are also good, but the crab dumplings are superior. Ella likes the jelly fish noodles, as well; she's not your average Cho. And of course we have to order the Shanghai noodles, the baby bok choy, and the kung pao chicken. All with chili sauce from the side, for the adults. A pretty hefty meal for the 3 of us; then we go home and nap.

Kaya Restaurant

Kaya Restaurant (450 Broad Ave. in Leonia, NJ) - 1/30/09

We are constantly searching for the best Korean restaurants, and it is always a joy to run into a spot that makes the list. Kaya definitely makes the list. The place is always packed with Koreans (families, couples, students, businessmen), and there is a palpable energy of serious diners enjoying hearty meals. It also helps that the service is excellent, with waitresses who are friendly and involved. Kaya's specialties include raw crabs marinated in soy sauce and also their ssam special -- an assortment of fresh leafy vegetables that are used to wrap up some daeji bulgoki (grilled pork) along with soy bean paste, grilled garlic, and green peppers. You know what I'm talking about. So delicious.

Ramen Setagaya

Ramen Setagaya (1st Ave. 9th St., NYC) - 1/31/09

We eat ramen all the time. Ella loves ramen. And while there are many fine noodle shops in NYC, we love going to Ramen Setagaya. The noodles are excellent, the best consistency and taste; and the broth is pretty damn good. We also love the oshinko and the soft boiled eggs.

Casa Mono

Casa Mono (Irving Place & 17th St., NYC) - 2/1/09

We celebrated mom's birthday by going to one of her favorite restaurants, Casa Mono. The food was so tasty, as would be expected from Mario Batalli's restaurant. Ella loved all the small dish offerings, especially the sweetbreads with fennel al mono, the quail with figs, and the sardinas fritas. She wasn't crazy about the grilled artichokes with mint and was also not digging the foie gras with cinco cebollas; which was fine, because mom and dad love foie gras. Naturally, Ella's favorite dish was dessert - chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream.