Myung Ga Tofu & B.B.Q. Restaurant in Fairview

[tommy]

well, i made it.  

i think it was one of those high expectation situations.  i wasn't blown away, although it was pretty good.

i first have to comment on how nice the place was.  brand new everything, lots of attention to detail.  a good looking place, considering i was expecting a hole in the wall.  it's obvious there's some money behind this place.  i don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

the soup arrived piping hot in a hot bowl.  this soup remained hot during the whole meal.  and it was very good.  we had the mushroom tofu soup (didn't want to overdose on meat).  it's a meal alone.

we ordered the other 2 things on the menu.  the boolgogi was very good.  i can't remember where i've had this, and i stayed awake half the night trying to.  this morning it dawned on me that it was probably at Mi in nyc.  a decent place as well BTW.

the BBQ ribs were brought out and cut at our table.  a pain in the arse to eat actually.  but really flavorful.  i found that if you put your chopsticks parallel to the bone, with the meat facing you, you can pull the meat off while using the bone as an anchor btwn your chopsticks.  half the fun was trying to figure out how to eat them without looking like an idiot.

the kimchee was standard, with the exception of the pickled cucumbers, which were my favorite.  

the tea tasted like a bowl of water would if you left cheerios in it for a few hours.  very strange.  too strange i think.  then they pour some tea into the rice bowl and it all just gets too confusing.  i frantically looked around to see what the other people were doing with this bowl of rice tea.  turns out they eat it.  what a shock.  mine was cold by the time i got to it, so we didn't eat it.

while we were there, they were retrofitting the lovely tables with electric powered grills.  i have to assume that they'll be expanding the menu and allowing table grilling soon, as the 2 existing menu items are probably best left to the kitchen.

no liquore license.

very little english.

not very expensive.

(Edited by tommy at 1:52 pm on Jan. 30, 2002)

[Rachel Perlow]

Quote: from tommy on 11:46 am on Jan. 30, 2002

i think it was one of those high expectation situations.  i wasn't blown away, although it was pretty good.

I understand where you're coming from. I'm not in love with the place either, mostly due to the limited menu. However, when you compare the value to a more mainstream Korean place like Sin Goong Jin in Palisades Park, you can see why Jon & Jay love it so much. I think each have their place.

[Rosie]

Tommy--We always travel with a corkscrew also. Some places don't have them. Lowell carries one in his shaving case also in case we need it when on vacation.

[tommy]

Quote: from Rosie on 12:16 pm on Jan. 30, 2002

Tommy--We always travel with a corkscrew also. Some places don't have them. Lowell carries one in his shaving case also in case we need it when on vacation.

and...what does that have to do with the price of tea in china? ;)

[jhlurie]

Actually I think Jay and I both share the philosophy that you can love a place for one (or two) items done to excellence.  Variety is only a virtue when the restaurant can maintain the quality across the whole menu.

White Manna is an equivalent example--in their case for Hamburgers instead of Short Ribs.

[tommy]

Quote: from jhlurie on 12:36 pm on Jan. 30, 2002

White Manna is an equivalent example--in their case for Hamburgers instead of Short Ribs.

if i could fit inside of white manna i'd love to try it.  however, every time i drive past it's a-holes to bellybuttons in there.  i can't deal with crowds and chaos when i'm hungry.

[thereuare]

I believe that there only has to be one excellent item on a menu for me rave about it.  I'm such a creature of habit that i've often said "if i was a wanted man, i'd be dead" as i often order the same thing at each restaurant we patronize (whatever i feel each place does "best").  

I usually don't tire of a great dish for about 6 months, than i take a break from the restaurant, then go back again and start the cycle all over again.

I can see myself visiting this Korean restaurant once or twice a month for the next few months, ONLY ordering the Boogogi, and then taking a hiatus for a few months.

My fiance likes to cook at the table, so it'll be interesting to see the quality of the meat once they start serving it that way.

[Rosie]

Quote: from tommy on 12:32 pm on Jan. 30, 2002

Quote: from Rosie on 12:16 pm on Jan. 30, 2002

Tommy--We always travel with a corkscrew also. Some places don't have them. Lowell carries one in his shaving case also in case we need it when on vacation.

and...what does that have to do with the price of tea in china? ;)

Rachel told you to BYO. I told you to also bring a corkscrew. Tea in Korea. ;)

[tommy]

sorry rosie, i totally misinterpreted your post.

we also have a corkscrew in the car.  in fact, not only for restaurants, but for my parents and relatives houses, who for the most part aren't wine drinkers.  they have the most archaic corkscrews that i've ever seen.  makes me want to gouge my eyes out with the bloody things.  never again will i be caught with one of those cheap "butterfly" things, or whatever they're called.

[jhlurie]

Quote: from tommy on 12:41 pm on Jan. 30, 2002

if i could fit inside of white manna i'd love to try it.  however, every time i drive past it's a-holes to bellybuttons in there.  i can't deal with crowds and chaos when i'm hungry.

Ever go on a weekday afternoon?  I've gone on days off from work, and its well worth it.

I call it the McSoreley's technique.  Go when everyone else is at work. :)