ivy city smokehouse

ivy city smokehouse
1356 Okie St NE, Washington, DC 20002
tel: 202) 529-3300

what was consumed: smokehouse fish board, crab stuffed grilled branzino

what do you know about ivy city? before this, i knew very little (i'm ashamed to say). but i'm glad i ventured out to this part of DC to enjoy ivy city smokehouse.

just like yelp reviews say, ivy city smokehouse is not a four-legged animal sort of smokehouse. rather, they specialize in smoking the delicious thing from the sea.

a and i were finally able to find a date where we were both free, so we decided to make a night of it. we head out to ivy city after everything we'd heard about ivy city smokehouse. we took the yelp recommendation and ordered the fish platter (sort of a sampler of the smokehouse's signature offerings). it's definitely meant for sharing (though i'm pretty confident i could enjoy it alone. it would take me a while, but i'm ready for the challenge!). the plate also comes with two bagels, but beware! don't fill your belly too much because you're gonna wanna enjoy other things on the smoke house's menu.

i look forward to going back to the smokehouse when the weather is warmer and we can sit out their outside deck, maybe when there's a band. and enjoy their all-you-can-eat maryland crab. and the fish board again. and everything else on the ivy city smokehouse menu. yum!

online: http://ivycitysmokehouse.com/tavern/

siren by RW

siren by RW

1515 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005

tel: 202) 521-7171

what was consumed: their entire HH bar bites menu -- fritto misto, shrimp pupusa, lamb ribs, croquete, tuna gahoush, savory caviar cookies

happy hour at siren! k and i sat at the bar and ordered one of everything on their HH menu. you know. just to try. one of my favorite ways to eat!

the highlights were the fritto misto and the lamb ribs. the lightly battered fried treats in the fritto misto were crisp, well seasoned, and light (i.e., not greasy and not heavy). it was mostly veggies along with a few pieces of fish. it also included lemons. lemons! a sour but wonderful surprise. and the lamb ribs! fall off the bone, smothered in a delicious ribs sauce ... 

online: http://www.sirenbyrw.com/

sam woo

sam woo

15333 Culver Dr #720, Irvine, CA 92606

tel: 949) 262-0688

what was consumed: seafood and other chinese style dishes (shrimp, peiking duck, french style steak cubes, fish in ginger sauce, seafood lettuce wraps, sautéed morning glory)

for me, sam woo has always been a staple for chinese chinese food while in so.cal (as opposed to korean-style chinese food). both the take out as well as the sit-down sections. whether you're looking for some favorites or are wanting something new, sam woo is a solid choice.

i remember the first time i went to sam woo, as a kid, and they brought out the super fresh (ie still alive) shrimp to show you before preparing it. while that was a surprise then, i've since some to see that show as a sign of freshness (right?). so when my aunt wanted to take us here for dinner, i was totally game.

we had an early-ish reservation for dinner and were warmly welcomed and quickly seated upon our arrival. we ordered a series of dishes (including fresh shrimp! shrimp heads fried, the rest steamed. YUM) and were quickly on our way to eating. the fresh seafood, the delicious flavors ... YUM. thanks auntie for a delicious dinner!

online: http://www.samwooirvine.com/

tong young oyster rice (통영 굴밥)

tong young oyster rice (통영 굴밥)
near gwanghwamun station (ugh. i can't find the exact address. it's in one of those buildings, on the basement level)

what was consumed: oyster rice! both "original" and spicy. and oyster pancake. and oyster soup!

the koreans say winter is the time to eat oyster. i say it's always time to eat oysters! and so, we indulged with rice, soup, AND pancakes. a nice way to spend a lunch hour.

tong young does a good job with their flavors, and, perhaps most importantly, all of their dishes are chock full of oysters. i wish i had a better grasp of tong young's location near the office (or that it would appear on naver). in the meantime, i'll have to enjoy through these photos. may the search for tong young commence! and then let me know - i'll meet you there!

mahn-seon jju-kku-mi (만선 쭈꾸미)

mahn-seon jju-kku-mi (만선 쭈꾸미)
서울특별시 종로구 자하문로1길 20; also at 서울특별시 종로구 체부동 193
tel: 02-735-6570

what was consumed: spicy mini octopus! and a seafood pancake

walking along all of the eateries near gyung-bok palace, we are always in a quandry as we decide where to eat. chicken? beef? pork? seafood? one day, we stumbled in to 만선 쭈꾸미, from where we decided that seafood was going to be our pick!

만선 served spicy mini octopus. you order based on the number of diners and it is served to you, family style (as is the case with lots of korean cooking). once served, you add a bit of the octopus to your bowl, along with some rice and some of the other side dishes, and mix it up before eating. and oh yum oh yum oh yum, is it tasty! the spicy sauce covers all of the other additions in your bowl, and the saute/grill that they utilize to cook the octopus puts just a bit of char on the octopus that comes through in such a tasty way.

and don't forget a seafood pancake! while i'm not a fan of green onions (or scallions or spring onions or or or), i have to say that the pancake is quite a delicious appetizer as you wait for the rest of your meal to be served. there's nothing like biting in to a crispy pancake, hot off the stove, filled with delicious seafood bites. YUM.

gahm-chon (감촌)

gahm-chon (감촌)
서울 종로구 청진동 166 르메이에르 2층
tel: 02-733-7035

what was consumed: soft tofu stew (순두부 찌개)

one of the most popular korean dishes (at least in so.cal) that is not bbq is likely soon-doo-boo jjigae (soft tofu stew. thank you, BCD!). it's a favorite of mine as well, regardless of what country i'm in. and while beef based broths are good, i prefer mine with seafood. and if it's spicy, all the better.

gahm-chon specializes in tofu dishes, and getting the 순두부 here is a must. the broth is rich and there is a lot of tofu (and other stuff) for you to enjoy within the stew. yum.

gahm-chon is also frequently included in the tour of restaurants when considering lunch options for official guests. apparently, former ambassadors stevens and kim were fans and frequented gahm chon (their photos along with press is up on display. hahaha).

gahm-chon also offers non-spicy varieties as well as a slew of other tofu dishes (and oyster pancakes when in season. YUM. highly recommended if you're an oyster fan like me).

dae-do cham-chi (대도 참치)

dae-do cham-chi (대도 참치)
서울 종로구 종로5길 58 석탄회관빌딩; also at 서울 종로구 수송동 80-6
tel: 02-732-3322

what was consumed: fish roe soup (알탕)

one of my favorite korean dishes is fish roe soup. it's fishy, it's spicy, it's hot ... YUM. people tell me that it's usually ordered as an appetizer (안주) with soju, but i say nay. nay! it's good all the time! so, mjk and i went in search of a place near the office where we could enjoy.

lucky for us, mr. park (our resident dude-food expert) directed us to dae-do cham-chi for some delish ahl-tang. once at the restaurant, we were seated in a private room (depending on availability. i've also sat at a table and at the sushi bar) where our server took our order. there are larger rooms to hold larger groups as well, in case you're looking for that sort of space.

anyway, to our delight, dae-do cham-chi, specializing in tuna, prepares the ahl-tang as part of a set menu. in addition to our fish roe stew, we were served a few korean side dishes, a "sushi" appetizer (different ones each time), grilled fish, spicy stewed fish, and a small bowl of noodles. we had to be careful not to spoil our appetites as we anticipated our piping hot bowl of roe stew:

ugh. craving it right now. like majorly. SO GOOD. nom nom nom ... 

toh-seong ah-gu-jjim (토성 아구찜)

toh-seong ah-gu-jjim (토성 아구찜)
서울 용산구 이촌1동 - in the market outside of the ichon station (take exit 3-1, pass yong-gang middle school, and go in to the market) in 동부이촌동
tel: 02) 795-3055

what was consumed: spicy seafood bake, korean style (해물찜)

one of the dishes i miss most when i'm away from korea is hae-mul jjim. so when khj told me she wanted to check out a hae-mul jjim place, i was all for it.

while we were waiting for our bake, we devoured side dishes of seaweed salad, kimchee pancakes, and steamed cabbage.

toh-seong ah-gu-jjim offers a few varieties of seafood bakes (focusing on fish or focusing on shellfish; we opted for the latter) that's baked in a spicy sauce, as is tradition, served on a bed of steamed soy bean sprouts. a huge pile of shellfish appeared and we began to enjoy layer after layer, with bites of soy beans in between. yummy!

be sure to save room for fried rice at the end! the ladies at toh-seong will fry the rice in the bake's sauce and leave the rice on the grill just enough for the rice to toast. YUM.

sables

sables
dragonhill lodge, usag yongsan

what was consumed: lobster! and steak. a perfect christmas dinner

looking for a sort of "classic" american style surf and turf dinner? people may direct you to sables at dragonhill lodge on usag yongsan. and while i have known about sables for quite some time, it wasn't until khj suggested we go for christmas dinner that i thought of it as a possibility. she nabbed a reservation and we were set!

now, i've had quite a bit of lobster in my time, both at restaurants and at home. but the lobster we were served was definitely fit for three ... !!! and we dug right in, enjoying all of the lobster pieces, dipped in butter. so decadent, despite the mess. hehehe. the steak we ordered was also well cooked and delicious, but the lobster was the highlight, for me.

and the sides! i'd missed all of the sautéing in butter. i take that back re: lobster (which still is a highlight, don't get me wrong, but ...). i could have dined just on those veggie siides.

khj, let's go back! and this time, i'll get my own sides. and maybe my own lobster  ;p YUM.

hae-byun-eh kkot-geh (해변의 꽃게)

hae-byun-eh kkot-geh (해변의 꽃게)

서울특별시 종로구 인사동3길 5-3; also at 서울특별시 종로구 인사동 142tel: 02-722-7237

what was consumed: the big table! which includes soy sauce crab, spicy marinated crabs, soy sauce shrimp, and crap stew

i love soy sauce crab. like love. so when m told us about a place she'd discovered that offers unlimited soy sauce crab, we made an almost beeline to visit. hello, hae-byun-eh kkot-geh, why didn't we meet earlier?

Yum.

we ordered the big table, and have ordered variations of that at subsequent visits to hae-byun-eh kkot-geh. we didn't know the spicy marinated crab was unlimited, so the next time we went, we made sure to order multiple iterations. and probably my favorite. it's super spicy, but the seasoning is so delicious! i powered through. and the soy sauce crab? nice and salty, just the way i like it. and unlimited! wootwoot!

and when they say unlimited refills, they really mean unlimited refill. and not just for the soy sauce crab, but also for the soy sauce shrimp (provided that it's included in the meal you selected) and the spicy marinated crab as well (as mentioned). additionally, they have a bar of other treats (soup, salad, noodles, chicken stew, banchan, etc) for all of the fixin's. only the rice (i know!), crab stew (if you order it altogether), and maybe the kimchee pancake (though we never asked) is not unlimited.

hae-byun-eh kkot-geh is sort of difficult to find. here's how we did it: off the main insadong road, turn in to the street next to the nature republic. then make an immediate left and in about 30 feet, you'll see the entrance.

omg, i want to go right now! nom nom nom ... 

jin mee restaurant (진미 식당)

jin mee restaurant (진미 식당)

서울특별시 마포구 마포대로 186-6 선화의원

지번 서울특별시 마포구 공덕동 105-127

tel: 02-3211-4468

what was consumed: soy sauce crabs

one of my favorite korean dishes is blue crab that has been marinated (pickled?) in soy sauce. i love the spicy version as well, but there's little like the salty taste of the sea found in these delicious critters.

jin mee restaurant is located near gong-deok station, off the mapo (i think) police station. they have some online presence (thanks to food bloggers), but not a website of their own. but sometimes these "hole in the wall" places, wrought with photos of the owners on family holidays and autographs from the celebrities that have dined over the years, are worth looking out for.

per person, you will be allotted 1 large-sh crab. the crab has been marinated in soy sauce, topped with a few other things like sesame seeds and chilis. don't worry, though, those who fear the spice. this crab dish is definitely a salty one, not a spicy one. the combination of the salty soy sauce combined with the meaty and sweet (raw) crab meat is just delicious. each crab is pretty decent in size (good thing, too, because each serving you pay for includes just 1 crab) and the large body shell is served separately from the body/legs. the soy sauce has gotten a chance to reach the insides of the crab so that each bite might have a bit of crab and a bit of salt. delish! and don't forget to take the soy sauce that has marinated the crab and pour a bit over your rice so that the delicious flavor might last just a little bit longer.

and, of course, the meal would not be complete without varied side dishes (bon-chon) that accompanies the meal. various kimchees, some dwen-jang soup, and some delicious seaweed varieties. to note is the one that looks like a series of seaweed strings that have been pressed together into sheets. i might have asked for quite a few plates of this - i could have eaten sheets and sheets of this for days upon days. YUM. 

other blogs i've read recommended reservations; good tip! jin mee's tables are reserved for those who called earlier, unless you're friends with the owner (which is always the case, i've found. then there's always a table waiting for you). and so, until i get to that level, i will call ahead and ensure that a table is waiting for me. oh, jin mee. you are not cheap, but definitely worth the visit and the taste. i can't wait to visit you again!