A Culinary Trip To Korea

It's nice to take a break from the usual holiday fare. It's refreshing to have sushi or egg rolls, however after a while they too become stale or predictable. It's time then to try Korean food. It's a break from the usual Asian based fare with it's diversity of flavors, ingredients and textures. There's something for everyone from the meat lover to the sushi enthusiast.

Pete Wells, senior writer, at the New York Times Wednesday Food section went on an extensive  culinary tour of the Korean section in Flushing Queens. This borough of New York City is home to one of the largest Asian communities outside of Asia itself. Primarily known for its' large population of Chinese immigrants, it is also  gaining a sizeable Korean population as well.It is easily accessible both by car ,subway and bus  (although Manhattan too has good Korean restaurants) Mr. Wells sampled all the national dishes from kim chi to bulgoki,One of the best known dishes is kalbi or Korean barbecue. This is a marinated short rib that he sampled at Mapo Korean BBQ.The ribs are cut from the best, Black Angus and marinated for a long time until tender.It's best eaten in crispy squares and is one of the most flavorful in all the boroughs. For barbecued pork he suggests KangHo Dong Baekjeong. The owner  Kang Ho Dong.,a former Korean wrestler, comedian and variety show host  grills a pork collar, basically the pig's neck with sweet soy marinade.He also serves an unusual mix of eggs and corn with a cheese topping.Both dishes are very popular and are his signature dishes

One of the hallmarks of Korean cuisine is chicken,The Koreans have embraced friend chicken and elevated it to haute cuisine, especially at the restaurant ,aptly named Mad For Chicken.It is Mr Wells favorite chicken because of the way the crust is, puffy and golden, hovering just above the flesh,.It comes with a savory garlic sauce for dipping. Seafood lovers can go to Bada Story to try hwe or Korean sashimi.The Korean version is all about the texture which is crunchy and snappy along with being chewy. Interestingly enough, Bada Story starts off with fried fish fingers along with an on point seafood pancake.The highlight, though, is fluke draped over frosty ceramic cups , a textural combo of chewy and melty.Unlike the Chinese or Japanese, the Korean make a blood sausage.It is called soondae and it's actually pork casing filled with vermicelli.Pork blood is added for flavor and it can be eaten with chile salt as a tasty snack. They also are fond of black goat, which is first served with a chili paste and then , the leftovers are turned into a soup to be served as a second course.There's also rice porridge at Bon Juk and the traditional noodle fare at Geo Si Gi.

Take a break from the usual holiday fare with Korean. It is hearty enough for a winter's night but fun for an evening out with friends.It's a variety of meats and flavors, with a dose of heat and sweet on the side,