mascarpone

I guess it is difficult to determine what VIPs actually eat when they are spotted . I know my reaction was... 1) Wait a second...that person looks familiar. Let me get a closer look without blatantly staring at them. 2) I think that must be so-and-so, is it really? If so they look different in person. Can I be sure? I will sneak another glace. Thus the tendency is to look mostly at the VIP rather than at their food. Did any one see what VIPs ate?

I just had a great idea for a thread for top Korean restaurants-- UM-MAH's RECOMMENDED RESTAURANT LIST Or LISTEN TO YOUR UM-MAH AND EAT SAM GAE TANG HERE...

The parents of the student I teach that treated and highly recommended Seoul Garden are from Korea and the mother was the one who suggested the place and ordered the food. She claims to have been to most of the Korean restaurants in Manhattan, Flushing, as well as New Jersey.

Why is this bad?

That is interesting. Perhaps a Japanese tour agency reccs them. I have found the same phenomena at the Vietnamese Restaurant Monsoon on Broadway in the 80's I think.

I had a brief stint as a waiter at a restaurant on Madison and 92nd called Busby's when I was in college in 1991. My table waiting career abruptly ended when I accidentally dropped a tray holding five steins of Pilsner all over an exec's Armani suit. The lesson I learned from this experience was that finding humor in difficult situations can get you through them (like the look on the exec's face as he saw the steins heading for his lap ). At any rate, in the short time that I worked at Busbys (lunches only) other waiters served Gerrick Utley, Sigourney Weaver, and Dustin Hoffman. I seem to recall that a fellow waiter said that Hoffman asked her if the Mussels were good, and when she said they were his reply was "Your not trying to con me now are you?" I think Busbys has since closed.

Wow thats a first. The last time I ran into that was in Japan where I left a tip and as I was walking out into the parking lot the waiter chased me down and gave me the money that "I had forgotten on the table".

Or, another possible thread "I can't believe I caught VIP so-and-so eating such-and-such at this hum-drum restaurant. " Perhaps it could be called "VIPs with defective tastebuds".

Sam Gae Tang, yeah ...thats it. At Seoul Garden they stuck a whole genseng root in the Sam Gae Tang. Perhaps this is routine , as I have only had Sam Gae Tang at Seoul Garden.

Thanks for the response. The power lunch places sounds like an interesting potential category (perhaps... )

I ate at New York Noodle Town tonight and after paying the tab for a great meal of seafood congee, salt baked squid and roast pork and asparagus (around $30 with tip) I looked over my shoulder and spotted Ed Koch hunched over a plate of Roast Duck. I asked the lady at the register if he ate there often and she thought he was a regular. Where and what do VIPs eat or drink ?

Thanks for reminding me of the fantasic eel at Fugi. This is a very distictive and excellent item served by Matt. I can't believe I neglected to mention it as it was such a memorable experience--comparable to eel I ate at an only-eel-restaurant in Nikko, Japan last December.

My girlfriend and I ended up going to Fugi in Cinamonsin. It was a very pleasant meal. I ordered a great Sunomono appetizer and she got a very good Nuta which consisted of sugar, wasabi, miso, and vinegar over tuna, scallion and cucumber as an ornament. As a main course I had the Sushi Deluxe that came with a great roll whose name I can't remember; but on the inside there was Hamachi, Gobo ( a pickle that resembles a carrot), Tobuko (read caviar) on the outside. All of the fish, particularly the Salmon was fantastic. The individual sushi size was a bit smaller that what I am used to as I frequent Tomoe in Manhattan. However, the quality was as high as I am used to in Manhattan. My girlfriend had Chirashi that was very good. She remarked that the Chef (Matt) was extremely fast in preparing the fish and that he could probably work in a Manahattan restuarant. As a chef, Matt was extremely personable. He talked about his frequent visits and his knowlege of all the sushi restuarants in New York. He said he was particularly interested to see what the new Nobu restaurant next to Carnegie Hall will do for the Sushi scene in New York. Matt is a real master at his work.

If I am offered a position at Queens College or Queensboro Community College and I get a private studio of Korean students with ambitious parents, I don't see why that couldn't be a possibility.

On Sunday my girlfriend and I were treated to a great dinner by a students parents at Seoul Garden Restaurant 34 W. 32nd Street (between Broadway and 5th Ave.) 2nd floor Manhattan 212-736-9002 (Sun-Thur. 11AM-12AM; Fri-Sat 11AM-2AM). A students mother ordered for our party of six. LA galbi was grilled on a gas grill at the table and was eaten in lettuce leaves--solid. The real highlights of the meal, however, were the Jigae or thick stews; two of which were made with soft tofu and the third was a healthy chicken Vegetable/Genseng root soup. One thing that struck me at this meal was the contrast between the spicy Kimchi Soon Tofu Jigae and the milder Soybean Paste Soon Tofu Jigae and the milder still Chicken/Genseng soup (that I can't remeber the name off hand). The Tofu stews were both $8.95 while the Chicken Genseng was more expensive at around $17.95 if my memory serves me correctly. My host said that the chicken/vegetable/genseng stew was supposed to be very healthy. I was also told that this restaurant was distinctive in that it did not put MSG in its food. Evidenlty, in the Korean community, the Chicken/Genseng stew at Seoul Garden is even superior to that of Kang Suh. Although I have not had this stew before I can say that the Tofu Jigae are tops.

I don't know the exact ingredients that are used to make lafa but it resembles pita in that it is a flat bread. At another great Yemeni Shwarma/Falafel cafe, Super Pita @ Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn (between Ditmas and Newkirk), lafa appears to be a very large, rectangular version of pita. However, at Super Pita they do not use lafa as a pocket bread, rather they piled the shwarma, lettuce, vegetables, and sauces on top of the bread and then rolled the bread in a piece of foil. In terms of portions--pita=medium size; lafa=super size (burp! excuse me.)

I am not aware of a review by Asimov for this place.

Thanks Kim WB, I am interested--I hate to schlep. Could you let me know some details such as Street address/cross Street and telephone number possibly. I looked up asahegi on Google and City Search and did not have any luck.

I went to a Grease Truck in New Brunswick once four years ago and had a sandwich called Fat Budda. I can't remember the location of the trucks (I was driven there) or the contents of the sandwich as it was so long ago. To be totally honest, I really have not felt a need to return .

My girlfriend is from Tokyo. I am going to avoid the convention next week by hanging out at her place in New Brunswick. We are interested in very good Japanese food. From searching the New Jersey site it seems that Sagami in Collingswood and Fugi in Cinnaminson are the best in the state for Sushi. Is this correct or am I missing the ball?

I have nearly mastered the technique of walking down the street and eating a Papa Beards Cream puff without dropping it all over the sidewalk.

Even though this is on the wrong side of the State, I think Kalluri Corner @235A Nassau Street in Princeton (609-688-8923; www.kalluricorner.com) is worth mentioning. I had a great meal there last summer. Excellent Paneer Saag, Salmon Tandoori. Delicious appetizers. It was a great meal. I hope to go back there next week. The whole meal is a foggy memory a this point but I remember that the food had a distinctive, personal touch. The chef was the wife of a Princeton Professor (Physics? can't remember). I appreciate the Edison rec. I will try it next week.

Last week I ran across Yangpyung Seoul Haejanguk Restaurant in Manhattan @ 43 W. 33rd Street between Fifth and Sixth/Broadway. I ordered the Man Doo Gook (Dumpling Soup). Everything was so fresh. I am sure that the dumplings were created after I had ordered them. Phenomenal!!! I have been eating at Han Bat (35th between Fifth and Sixth Ave.)for years but this place is a revelation in terms of dumplings. The contents of the dumplings could be meat mixed with a kimchee-like vegetable. The broth is a complex blend of vegetable and dumpling flavor with red pepper spice. As I work in the area I went back the next two nights and had the same dish. Last night I went with my girlfriend and we had the Korean equivalent of a Shabu-Shabu (I can't remember the name of the dish off hand) but with these freshly made dumplings along with the beef, mushrooms, chinese cabbage, and other vegetables; the broth, of course, was beef. After we finished the dumplings and the vegetables and beef noodles and kimchee were added to make a delicious noodle kimchee soup. Although slightly more expensive than Han Bat, Yangpyung Seoul Haejanguk Restaurant is superior in the freshness of the ingredients. Han Bat does have a larger selection but Yangpyung Seoul Haejanguk Restaurant does BBQ (Kalbi, Bulgogi, as well as others). And what more, Yangpyung Seoul Haejanguk Restaurant is located on sleepy 33rd Street and therefore there is always a table available. This is quite a contrast from the bustle of 32nd Street and 35th street. So please go, but don't tell everybody you know ...

On a jaunt to Atlantic Avenue with my girlfriend we stopped by Bedouin Tent @405 Atlantic Ave and Bond Street (718-852-5555). Great food, especially the Pita and the lentil soup. I had the Foul and it was very tasty. The mint tea was also very good. There was this great middle eastern gypsy violin music that was played on the stereo system during the meal. I really enjoyed the place. My girlfriend, although she like the food, thought the restaurant was a bit unkept and grungy. The tables were not wiped when we sat down and the basket that the Pita was served seemed a bit dusty/dirty.

Today my girlfriend and I went to Atlantic Ave. and got Lebanese Walnut baklava at the Damascus Syrian Bakery @195 Atlantic between Court and Clinton (718-625-7070; <www.damascuspastry.com>). It was very pleasant--not to dry or to syrupy; not to sweet. I liked it better that the baklava that I had in Brooklyn in June at Mansoura Persian Bakery@515 Kings Highway (718-645-7977). The Mansourawas different in that it had no syrup or honey and was therefore dry in comparison to Greek baklava. The baklava, made of pistachio at Mansoura, was good, however the portion was so small and so expensive that I felt a bit cheated.