Has it been a bit of a week! Let's see... I've got Logan back, for one thing. Yay! And I've started another one of those enervating test-grading jobs that leaves me too strung out and insane at the end of the day to blog.
I meant to talk about this giant collection of tastiness during our last cool snap, but missed out, so I'm hoping you guys will file this away under "good stuff for cold weather" for next time it's in the 50s and raining. We should have at least one more of those times before spring, right?
Korean Grill is one of the many outposts of insane deliciousness up in the Chinatown Center. Every time we head up there to shop at MT Market, I'm always drawn towards one of these restaurants. We've got a Chinese BBQ, a pho place, a takeout homestyle Viet shop, bubble tea, two banh mi joints, a dim sum/Chinese seafood place, and two noodle houses. Not to mention the Vietnamese beauty shop, bank, and video rental store... (those are three separate establishments, yes.)
Early last week, it was rainy and gray, and I was on a mission to buy several bags of frozen dumplings at MT. But it was lunchtime, and I was cold, and I was in the mood for:
A big spicy steaming bowl of kimchi jjigae, or hot pickled cabbage stew with pork. For less than $10 with tax, I got what you see above: nice, hot hot hot porky Korean cabbage stew, a scoop of rice, and a completely awesome assortment of side dishes. There was omelet, and tofu, and bean sprouts, and fish cake, and osmanthus, and MORE kimchi, and cooked greens with sesame oil. Total heaven, and it warmed me right up from the inside out.
These guys also do all sorts of other lunch specials, like bulgogi and bi bim bap, and thank goodness they are NOT a Korean/sushi joint. They're sticking to straight Korean tasties and doing a solid job. Next time you find yourself with a hankering for Korean food in North Austin, you could certainly do worse (Oh, wait, Koreana burned down. ZING.)
Korean Grill is in the Chinatown Center at 10901 N. Lamar. 512.339.0234.
Now, Logan and I have the entire weekend together for the first time since... mid-September! And we're off to FINO to meet up with Crystal and Justin. And have one of Bill's drinks specials, the kickass Manhattan!
I hear you on the test grading thing. Very... uh... let's just say a cocktail at the end of the day is a VERY good thing after all of that.
That kimchi jigae looks so freaking good. It's oddly warm here today, but I can't wait for it to get cold again so I can enjoy stuff like this.
Posted by: Albany Jane | Sunday, 08 November 2009 at 15:23
Wouldn't it be grand if every meal started out with a colorful selection of banchan? Mmmm!
Btw - I met the blogger behind Nose to Tail this weekend at the foodbuzz fest. When he told me that he was from Austin, I asked if he read you guys. He said, YES! And that he loves you both ;-)
Posted by: Gastronomer | Monday, 09 November 2009 at 15:07
AJ, SRSLY. And it's been really hot here ever since the day I indulged in hot cabbage and pork stew! Someday, it will cool back down...
Cathy, how cool that you met Ryan! He's great and is doing so well on that project! Sounds like we should have made it out to foodbuzzfest. And I don't think banchan would ever be taken amiss...
Rachel
Posted by: Boots in the Oven | Monday, 09 November 2009 at 17:13