When I’m home in NYC and have an afternoon free, I love nothing more than to pick a starting point somewhere in the city and walk around, visiting old haunts and exploring new ones. One of my favorite neighborhoods to do just that? Koreatown.
Located in Midtown Manhattan, Koreatown, (or K-Town for short,) is just one city block, calling 32nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue home. Though it may be small compared to other ethnic neighborhoods in the city, it makes up for it as one of the busiest and liveliest blocks in the entire city.
We had our first snow of the season in NYC last week, and after spending the morning uptown running errands, a trip to Midtown was the perfect detour to grab a bite to eat and shield away from the snow. Wether it’s a planned stop for some Korean BBQ or I’m just passing through, an afternoon in K-Town usually goes something like this…
EAT
96% of my trips to K-Town revolve around food. OK, 100% of my trips to K-Town involve food. First up is Food Gallery 32, a food court with a variety of Asian eats from bibimbap to pork buns to pho. When I worked in the area, this was the place for a delicious bite that was not just quick, but also reasonably priced. Even today, it’s still one of my favorites when I’m on the go. And truly, you can’t be the variety of food that’s available!
Veggie Bibimbap, $9
When I have a bit more time and in a “treat yo’ self” kind of mood, my favorite place to eat is miss KOREA BBQ. Miss KOREA is known for their traditional BBQ, but it’s their bibimbap that I absolutely love, especially with a nice hit of gochujang (chili pepper paste). The restaurant is clean and beautiful (especially the 2nd floor) and is open 24 hours like much of K-Town.
SHOPPING
Sprinkled amongst the myriad of restaurants and bakeries on 32nd Street are a number of Korean specialty stores. Koryo Books is a must for any K-pop fans, and H-Mart is a go-to for foods imported from Korea. However, mo trip to K-Town is complete without a stop into any one of the beauty shops specializing in all things K-Beauty. While many mainstream stores sell Korean beauty products now, shops like Kosette have the newest in K-Beauty way before the likes of Sephora. No matter what beauty shop I stop into, I always have to stock up on sheet masks. I don’t know what’s in most of them, but my skin loves them, They are simply the best.
TIME FOR DESSERT!
Koreatown has a few bakeries, the two most notable being Tous Les Jours and Paris Baguette. While both bakeries boast French names, they are very much Korean in their offering. These bakeries got their start as “French-Asian” bakeries in the culinary world, thanks to their European and Asian influences in technique, ingredients, and pastries. Consider them fusion bakeries with something for everyone. (Think a brioche bun filled with red bean paste.)
However, if I had to pick one must stop for dessert, it would be Grace Street Cafe. Grace is a hidden gem in NYC when it comes to a cool cafe vibe as well as their coffee and desserts, two things they do extremely well. I’ve sampled quite a bit of the menu at this point, (and haven’t been disappointed yet) but if there’s one dessert that I keep coming back for, it’s the Ho-Dduk.
Ho-Dduk is a Korean donut that’s doughy and has a filling of melted brown sugar and walnuts. While great on its own, it’s really best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, especially since the donuts come out warm. (There’s also a vegan option available!) It’s the kind of dessert you dream about having again and again. There’s a reason it’s the most popular dessert on the menu. Wether it’s for ho-Dduk or one of their delicious lattes, no visit to Koreatown is complete without a visit to Grace Town.
In the grand scheme of this great city that is NYC, one city block isn’t much. But Koreatown challenges that and more than makes up for it. With enough to see and eat, it’s a must visit, day or night. After all, it is open 24/7…
No comments
Post a Comment