Gots to Love Me Some Intestines... :) (Byul Gopchang - Koreatown)

Something you must know about me is that I am a very adventurous eater. (I'm sure i've mentioned this before) But what you're about to see is somewhat normal in Korean culture. :) It is beef intestine. And there is a place in K-town that specializes in this and I must say it is something I cannot live without. I need to have this at least once every 2 months or else my cravings just turn me into a nasty person. (Food has a very strong influence in my life)

Okay so I guess i'll start off with my two favorite side dishes... They serve a few more but i really wanted to emphasize on my favorites. :)

P.S: The lighting in the restaurant wasn't great so I apologize in advance for the pictures.

This is a spicy dried squid dish. When I came here with my mom one time she asked them what makes this taste so different. My mother is an amazing cook and can cook just about any korean food just by taste. But when she tried a little bit of this little dish, she was able to notice that there was a unique taste in this that she didn't recognize. So after asking the waitress they mentioned that they add mayonnaise in this seasoning. We were both surprised but it tastes amazing. It has a very very light spicy taste to it but mostly it is sweet. Even if you are unable to eat spicy foods you should be okay with this one. :) Good luck!

YUMMMMMM!!! This is and has always been one of my favorites! This is beef tripe that is seasoned with salt and sesame oil along with some black pepper and veggies. My mom used to make a huge plate of this when I was little and I used to eat this as a meal while my dad picked at it while chasing it down with some beer. (Sounds so refreshing right about now) I have always liked tripe because I like the crunchiness to the meat. If you aren't an adventurous eater and get freaked out by freaky textures of food, I don't recommend eating this. The meat has a rough texture and is a little crunchy when you chew. It does not have the same consistency as any other meat.

Just to give you a birds-eye view of what you get when you order the byul combo (Star Combo)

Top: Small Intestine

Bottom left: Large Intestine

Bottom right: Last Intestine

You also get 1 free bottle of your drink of choice between soju or beer.

Also as a heads up, the outer parts of the intestines all are tough and chewy. :)

This is the Small intestine. Most people who like intestine, and have experience eating this, like it better than the other parts. This part of the intestine has more flavor. When you chew it, there is almost a grainy texture to the center. (Don't worry it is normal) While it is cooking you will notice that the meat will start to swell and sometimes it pops so make sure you keep an eye on it. :)

The Large intestines taste nothing like the small intestines. The Large intestines have a very fatty filling. (Which I am told is good for your skin due to lots of collagen) Because the waitresses cook everything for you, they will give you an option if you want to have them round or flat. While it is being cooked it is still round but they can cut it to open it up. When you open it up, It releases some of the fatty meat but honestly, it's the best part. If it is your first time, keep it round. That way you can experience it for what it is.

The Last intestine is just flat so there is nothing inside of it. (don't worry) Out of all three, this has the toughest skin. If it is cooked really well done, be prepared to work out your jaw bones. :)

Because there is nothing inside of this, there is less flavor.

 Here are some pictures of how it looks before and after it is cooked:

They first cut up all the pieces and they also mix it with a marinade which is amazing. The marinade is sweet and you can taste garlic in there.

Almost done...

You want the colors of the meat to be fairly brown. This is one of those types of meats that you want to make sure you cook all the way. Regardless, the waitresses cook everything for you and also tell you when it is safe to eat.

Towards the end of your meal they offer you the choice of soup or kimchi fried rice for free. I always like to get the Kimchi fried rice but i'm sure both are delicious.

I hope this didn't freak you out!! There are many more interesting food posts to come. :)

I highly suggest making reservations if you want to go during rush hour. 

Here is their address:

3819 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Phone: (213) 739-0321

Enjoy!

XOXO

Christine



Can I get some Beef Jerky with that cocktail? (Rivera - Downtown LA)

Hello friends!

Who would have ever thought.. beef jerky in a cocktail!! It's pretty amazing actually. Okay so here is a little background...A couple of my friends came to this place called Rivera in Downtown LA and they told me (althought pricey) it's a great experience and they have interesting presention and drinks. The words experience, interesting, and drinks really caught my attention. So I went ahead and made a reservation to go there. Lets get to it!

This is their famous Barbacoa drink. Includes "Mezcal, Chipotle, Ginger, Lime, BEEF JERKY". They garnish this drink with lime and bell peppers as well. Let me just tell you. I LOVE beef jersey so whoever thought of this..THANK YOU! The drink itself is not back, definitely something different. You can really taste the different flavors and bell peppers too. I like to take a sip and then rip off a piece of jerky to chase it with. :) Delicious.

This is called their Blood Sugar Sex Magic with "Rye, Basil, Lemon, Red Pepper" garnished with bell pepper and lettuce. This drink is a little spicier...I wasn't a huge fan of this drink because of this. But if you are into spicy cocktails, this is definitely something you want to dive into.

Now onto the food.. (yay!) This is their Tortillas Florales which is their "housemade nixtamal tortillas" They serve this with a side of something they call "India Butter". But to me it tastes like very light guacamole. (Sorry it got a little cut off in the picture) The tortillas taste like regular tortillas it's just the presentation that makes it interesting. This is good to get if you got a meat dish that you can wrap inside of this tortilla. Otherwise, you will be just eating the tortilla by itself with the light guac.

This is called Peruvian Quechua..."Sweetbreads, Huacatay from the Incan world" as they describe in their menu. So this was ordered without knowing what it really is. And I am still not really sure. All I know is that it is some type of a gland from a cow. BUT I can tell you, it tastes like very clean, deep fried beef intestine. (gopchang as Koreans call it) If you are not a fan, you will not like this dish.

They call this Caracoles which is "Snails, Inerico Ham, and Herbs". Have any of you tried escargot? Yea, well this is nothing like that. Escargot has a very creamy buttery taste. This is much more fishy BUT flavorful. (choose your battles carefully). I couldn't finish this dish because the aroma was a bit too much for me especially with this being an appetizer. However, after looking around restaurant, I noticed a lot of other customers had ordered this dish and they finished every last drop. 

(ordered from the Dine LA menu) 

YUMMM!! This is by far my favorite. The Brazilian Feijoada..."Fire grilled lamb chop, Brazilian bean and chorizo stew, Malbec reduction"

This Lamb was cooked to perfection. I usually eat smaller cuts but I was able to finish this one which means it was really good. If you like Lamb, I would definitely try this. If you are new to eating Lamb, I would wait only because the Lamb taste could be a little overwhelming.

Beet Salad! Listed on their menu as Ensalada Semana Santa..."Sevilla-style salad of beets/oranges/garbanzos/moorish spices".

Beware, the appetizer portions are small. The flavor and sauce they use on this plate is absolutely amazing. It is sweet because of the oranges, a little nutty from the garbanzo and almost creamy from the beets. I can eat this everyday.

Perfectly cooked and seasoned scallops. Scallops Arabesque "Sea scallops / eggplant / preserved lemon / ras el hanout"

I'm not a cooked scallop fan. I like raw scallops better. But these looked too good to pass up. So I ordered this off of the Dine LA menu so the portion is a little smaller. However, the flavor is huge. The scallop itself is cooked so the center is still soft and it melts in your mouth. The outside of the scallop has a light saltiness to it so once you bite into it, you can the saltiness from the outside the sweet melting meat through the inside. Yumm. :)

I mean...look at that presentation! It's so fun. This is the Gitano..."Rib-eye, pimenton, jerez vinegar, patatas bravas"..what?

All I understood was Rib-eye. We asked for this steak to be cooked Medium but it came out a little more on the Medium well side. This doesn't usually happen because I know someone that has gone there and gotten something cooked perfectly when asked for Medium. The more pink the meat is on the inside, the better. This dish is great along with the presentation but it's more like your classic steak and fries. 

This was also ordered off of their Dine LA menu. This is the Diego Rivera Seabass. I love how they glaze the skin of this fish so it is extra crispy. The portion was so small it was a perfect snack. :) The plate is huge but the food was small. I'm sure if you order this from the main menu it is a lot bigger but I cannot gaurantee. Just like the scallops, the outside of this Seabass is a little salty but the crunchiness is the best part.

Now onto the desserts!! Gotta love me some chocolate cake. Xochimilco..."Ancho Chile chocolate cake, avocado mousse, lime pepper sauce". Sweet but a little too much chocolate for me. The inside is filled with some chocolate fudge so it's very very juicy. Chocolate lovers this is a must!

Now this is the dessert I was all about. This is Baba Cachaca..."Individual sponge cake soaked in Brazilian rum syrup, dulce de leche, fresh citricos"

You can definitely make out the aroma of the Rum on this one. But the sweetness of the syrup and caramel make it bearable. The garnish of grapefruit and oranges don't compliment the taste of the dessert but it's fun to just eat separately.

Here is a link to their complete menu:

http://www.riverarestaurant.com/index.php?menu

You will realize they have several different menus. They have three different sections in their restaurant and each section has their own special menu. The above meals are combined from all three rooms (which is why it is so much food).

Overall, this really was a great experience AND the ambiance is very intimate although it gets pretty loud during happy hour.

Thank you for reading!

Enjoy!

XOXO

Christine

Best Korean beef BBQ in K-town (Park's BBQ)

Hello Friends!
I wanted to share with you my experience as Park's BBQ in Koreatown. It is located on Vermont and Olympic Blvd (Northwest side). They have Valet parking available so don't worry about finding a parking space in the tiny parking lot.

I've been going to this place for a couple years now and they have always in my opinion had one of the best Korean BBQ beef ribs. We didn't order much this time because we were so tired from a full day of golfing but here are a couple items that are a MUST when you go to this place.

This is their Yuk-hwe which is basically a beef tartare. They marinate the meat with some soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, pine nuts, pear, and other seasonings. Every restaurant prepares this dish differently but at Park's BBQ they serve it with thin slices of chilled cucumber. I used the cucumber as a wrap for the meat and it was delicious! The meat is actually very fresh tasting and sweet. The contrast in taste between the meat, cucumber and the sweet pear makes every bite a great balance of yumminess. :) 

I HAD to take a picture of this because it is seriously one of my most favorite side dishes when I go to Korean restaurants. This is Gaejang which is spicy marinated raw blue crab. Now it's not a good idea to go to a restaurant and just order your crab raw. They usually use fresh live blue crabs to make this dish. It is really spicy and the meat inside the shell is fairly sweet. I can eat just this and rice and be perfectly happy. :)

Now before moving on to the real food, I wanted to take this overview picture so you can see just how many side dishes come out when you order your meat. This is only 3/4 of the table shown in this picture. They have side dishes including; potato salad, kimchi, steamed broccoli, japchae (noodles w/ vegetables), cucumber/shrimp, and many more.

Mmmmmm.... :) You always want to order their seasoned Galbi. The marinade is always on point and not too salty. We ordered 4 ribs for 5 people and it was more than enough. Remember this is not an All-you-can-eat Korean BBQ place so the meat is higher quality AND more expensive. They also cook everything for you.

This is what it looks like when they bring it out to you. (This picture was taken after they had already put two onto the grill)

Now this little gem is amazing. You can order this by asking for the "Special Bean Paste and Ssam". This is called dwenjang which is a bean paste. But this isn't just any normal dwenjang that you can find at the korean market. This is homemade and they add meat and seafood into this. This is used as a sauce and you can eat it with your meat and rice.

The bean paste also comes with Ssam. Ssam is what they call vegetables that you can use as a wrap for things like meat. They bring out this plate with steamed and raw cabbage, veggie sticks and some red leaf lettuce. See below on how to eat this as a wrap.

This is just how I eat it but everyone has different taste and likes different things in their wrap. I used the steamed cabbage and put some lettuce on top. I then put a small spoonful of rice and topped it with the special dwenjang sauce. I put the best part (meat) on top and added some spicy vegetables from the side dishes that were brought out at the beginning of the meal. You wrap it up as small as you can and eat it up!

If you're with a small group of people that don't mind spending a little more for better quality (compared to AYCE Korean BBQ) this is definitely the place to go.

I really hope you found this post helpful and make sure you come back to visit again soon!

XOXO - Christine

Appetizers Galore! (Cork Bar - Downtown LA)

Hello Friends!!

Sorry it has been such a long time since my last post. I've been really busy with things going on in my personal life.

I had to stay at a hotel (with my puppies) for almost 2 weeks while a contractor put in new flooring in my unit. After all that trouble, they ended up installing the wood flooring incorrectly and may need to re-do my whole place. (so depressing) 

Anyways lets go on to the food. :)

I went to this little wine bar in downtown on 12th and Grand Ave. I really only found this place because I was in need of a wine night. :)

They have a great wide selection of wines that you can order by the glass or the bottle.

I am a huge fan of Ceviche which means I've tried it at many places and I have a huge opinion about it. When I ordered the Ceviche I was already thinking, it probably won't be great since this is a wine bar. I was bascially already expecting it to be bad (or mushy). But when it came out and I tried it, it was very crisp and fresh. I was very surprised and happy. :) You can taste the lemon and the seafood is not overpowering, it has the right amount of balance between the citrus flavor and the seafood.

This is their Marinated Olives and Spiced Nuts. This is just a good snack to pick on while you drink your wine. I was accompanied by my dad when I went to this place and we have the same taste buds...We don't need a heavy dinner we are good with a few appetizers and a nice glass of wine. 

The olives for the most part were not too salty, I would just eat them in small bites so it isn't overwhelming. I'm not a huge peanut fan so I only had a few of the nuts but they have a slight spicy cajun flavor if that is your forte.

Another thing I like about corkbar is that they offer a limited variety of cured meats. (I love cured meat!) So I just sampled a couple that I had not yet tried.

Pictured above is the Duck Salami (aka - Fabrique Delices). This was sliced like sausages in thicker pieces. I cut them into smaller pieces so I can fully enjoy each bite. This Duck Salami has a slightly sweet flavor and is a little tougher than Genoa Salami. However, it has larger pieces of fat so it helps with the toughness. They serve the cured meats on a platter with pickles and french bread with honey and jam on the side.

I LOVE PROSCUITTO!! :) I had to try it here. Although I've tried it everywhere else, I had to get it at this place just because they had it. The first time I ever had proscuitto was in Italy on a Pizza...and I've been in love ever since. :)

I really liked this proscuitto because it was not salty or chewy. I ate this on top of the french bread that was lathered in honey and jam. (delicious) That is really how you should eat it, it is salty, sweet, and crunchy.

Next came the Root Beer Braised Short Rib served over cheesy polenta cakes. 

This meat is very very tender. You can tear the meat into pieces with your fork very easily. When you put it into your mouth the meat just melts. I must say that the flavoring itself was good but a little bit on the salty side. I like salty foods so It was okay for me but if you are sensitive to sodium, I would have a glass of water next to me just in case. :)

This is their Hanger Steak Salad. There was nothing special to this. The meat was nicely cooked (a little bit on the rare end) but it is something that you could make at home easily. I would look at other things on their menu if you wanted meat.

I don't have a picture of the pork tacos but I did try them and they were VERY juicy and delicious. I suggest you order those instead.

Overall I had a great dining experience at Cork Bar and would definitely like to go again in the near future. Make sure you sit next to the entrance of the kitchen so the waitresses have no choice but to pass you everytime they enter the kitchen. Try to catch their happy hour for their great wine prices!

Have a great week! XOXO 

Christine

Pork Heaven (Kang Hodong Baekjeong)

Hello again!! For all my pork lovers in LA...This place is an absolute MUST!

This restaurant is located inside Chapman Plaza (6th and Kenmore) in Koreatown, Los Angeles. You need to make sure that you either make a reservation, or get there at an odd hour. (i.e 4:30-5:00pm) This place gets really busy and the wait time they give you is never accurate. I went there without making a reservation one time and they told me I only had to wait 30 mins and they called me on my cell phone 2 hours later. In other words, make a reservation. :)

You're probably going to be seeing this green bottle a lot through my blog. This is a Korean Rice Wine called Soju. It goes with pretty much any type of Korean food. :) If you are new to this drink, I suggest that you take it with a splash of lemon to kill the alcohol taste. Please also be careful because this drink is a creeper. Pace yourself and make sure to be a responsible drinker especially when it comes to driving. :)

This is a spicy vegetable appetizer that goes with the meat. It has bean sprouts and green onion mixed with red chili pepper paste and some sesame oil. This is meant to be eaten WITH the meat. I like to wrap this with a piece of the meat so I can taste these together. They really compliment each other if you don't mind having onion breath. haha

Okay now onto the meat. When you look at the menu you have an option to choose between Beef and Pork. This restaurant is known for their Pork. So unless you have a really good excuse for not eating Pork, it's what you should always order.

They have a wide variety of Pork. From Pork Neck, Pork Butt, Short Rib, Pork Belly they have it all.

What I usually do when I go is order a Pork Combo. They have two different meal options Regular or Large. Regular can feed up to 2-3 people otherwise you should order the Large portion.

The last two pictures above shows the meat that is included for the Large combo. I heard that the reason this restaurant's Pork is so tasty is because it is never frozen and always fresh.

The Large Pork Combo comes with: Special Pork Neck, Seared pork Butt, and you have the choice of getting Seasons Pork Short Rib or Thinly Sliced pork Belly.

 I always eat the Pork Neck first and once you let it cook it looks like this. :)

They grill Kimchi and some vegetables on the sides of the grill. The yellow liquid that you see is egg. As the meat cooks, the egg cooks as well so you can enjoy this with your meal.

The combo also comes with a Soybean Stew (dwenjang jjigae) which includes Tofu or Meat, Zucchini, and other vegetables. This comes toward the end of the meal when you are almost done with your meat.

But for me that is not enough...I always like to get a cold refreshing soup after I eat Korean BBQ.

This is a Radish Kimchi Cold Noodle called Dongchimi guksoo. This has a light vinegar (ish) taste to it and a very refreshing end to your meal. Depending on how you like your soup, you can add some hot mustard or vinegar to it.

Overall, besides waiting to be seated, this restaurant is a MUST for any foodie. It is also a good place to take relatives that are visiting. :)

Mastros Steakhouse or should I say Butter Cake...

Mastros is a place where you want to go for a special occasion. It is a very nice steakhouse with exceptional service and a nice ambiance.

Now to the food. :)

This is the Escargot. I personally didn't order this but I did try it. In my personal opinion, it was too buttery and oily but there was definitely lots of flavor. This was not my favorite but I wouldn't be opposed to giving it a second try.

The next course we had were the raw oysters. Let me tell you..these oysters are delicious!! BUT because I have been spoiling myself with the flawless oysters from Water Grill, these Oysters are ..WOMP WOMP second place. (still delicious though) Make sure that you ask for their RAW horseradish. It is TO DIE for. :) I love their raw horseradish.

If I could do sound effects on this blog I totally would. These lobster mashed potatoes were epic. The buttery taste of the potatos mixed with the richness of the herbs and the lobster = PERFECT...!! This is definitely a must before you have your main course...

Say hello to my little friend..his name is 12oz. Filet. :) WEE! Hands down, best filet in town. The moisture in this steak...man.. I cannot even explain. When you bite into a piece of this steak, it is so juicy and flavorful, you can't stop until your whole plate is gone! No joke. 

Their cocktails are amazing as well. To be honest, I am not a fan of sweet drinks. I am a Whiskey/Soda girl. BUT this drink was so light and delicate, I really didn't mind. (I just couldn't have more than one glass) I guess it is more for the presentation. When they bring you the glass, they present it to you with the dry ice in the cup. When they pour the drink, it fizzes and causes the drink to start bubbling and creating bubbles filled with smoke. This is definitely something you would want to show your friends from out of tow. (you know, to show off how COOL LA is. )

Last but NEVER the least. The Butter Cake. I can write an essay about this dessert. For all the people that know me personally, they know that I LOVE sweets. For me to say this is probably the BEST dessert I have ever had in my life is a very big deal. This Butter Cake is sweet and salty, hot and cold, and everything in between. I've had dreams of having this dessert delivered to my doorstep. (not normail I know) My last word of advise, make sure that you order this no matter what. It will probably be the best decision you ever make. I am in love with this dessert. YUM!!!