I don't want to give anything away about the Brew-vitational. But I do not exaggerate when I tell you there were open jaws when the winners of our final tasting rounds were revealed.
Hello Oosh! The chicken, to me, was very mediocre at best (as is obvious from the review), but there is a full menu of Korean standards on that menu. I've seen them noted in reviews of other Bonchons in other cities (like Boston), so it's not just unique to the Philly location. It makes sense in such a decent sized space to offer more options, but these cooked dishes seemed a bit beyond their capabilities to execute well.
YES it is Jake T. I'm sort of surprised it took everyone so long to guess it. But yes, and it's still my favorite. Nobody makes better corned beef in this town than Russ Cowan. The new Kaufman's that took over his former 19th St. branch of Famous does a pretty credible job. But we got a chance to revisit the original Famous location on Sunday for the first time in a while, and it was fantastic... there's just something about Russ's corned beef that speaks to me. It was amazingly tender, for one thing, which speaks to the steam-finish as well as the initial cure and aromatic boil... just a tug of the teeth is all it needs. No fatty-stringy end-bit snaps...(all the trimmings from the slicer, by the way, get folded into knishes, which now I also need). My only challenge is eating it slow, so I don't get heartburn. Pickles are good for that. And Cel-Ray soda. To my surprise, Russ was even there on Sunday night in his white deliman lab coat. Which may also explain the perfect architecture of my sandwich, right? Glad to see that original is still holding true.
Totally disagree. Katz's is great for pastrami. I remember thinking the corned beef was rubber the last time I visited. Hershel's in the RTM, which has a family connection to Katz's, does an excellent job with the pastrami - probably the best in Philly. But for corned beef, I'd put Cowan's rendition at Famous up against any NYC deli (he comes from a Brooklyn deli family after all). Only contenders in my memory is the corned beef from 2nd Ave. Deli (now extinct in NYC), Zingerman's in Ann Arbor and Kenny and Zuke's in Portland, Oregon.
If you can, definitely try the omakase tasting, which is a good greatest hits survey of what they do best. Especially if this is a first time. But don't miss the iconic tartares (toro is my favorite), or any of the sushi that shows off the restaurant's exceptional rice.... which gets polished from brown in the basement. Also, I love the ishi yaki buri bap take on the hot stone bowl Korean dish, but made with yellowtail fish. Excellent.
Sorry not to reply sooner ATown! Congrats on that graduation party. Outdoor options depend a lot on time of day, preferred style, etc. But I think Talula's Garden or Le Cheri would make really elegant settings for your group. If you're looking for something a little homier, maybe a whimsical red gravy-themed Italian meal in the kitschy back alley space of Little Nonna's? Or.... if people don't mind getting their fingers dirty, there's always BBQ in the courtyard at Fette Sau. With your graduation day best on, though, I might stick with the others.
Obviously, yes, that is correct. Every franchise has standards with recipes, etc. And much of Bonchon's menu lacks finesse at its root concept because several dishes are seasoned with one of the two pre-packaged wing sauces that come from the Bonchon factory in Korea (hot, or sweet-garlic-soy). But at some point, there has to be a feeling and finesse for this food on site, plus a knowledge of how these dishes are supposed to taste in each individual location. The Chinatown spot simply struggled with basic execution -- fried things were still drenched in oil; sauteed things (like the pancakes) were totally scorched black on the bottom. Noodles had no flavor. Rice dishes were mushy. And it's a shame, because it's a missed opportunity. Korean food is at a real crossroads where it's finally about the enter the culinary consciousness of the American mainstream. But Bonchon's menu - and its potentially rapid expansion (doubling the amount of US franchises this year) - is not going to do the Korean tradition any favors if it continues like this.
Haven't been to the new Triangle yet. But wine on draft has really picked up over the past few years, with local pioneers like Johnny Brenda's, London and the Tria Taproom bringing in some wines (from both near and far) on keg that are exceptionally fresh and vibrant. I've also seen them at Hawthorne's, among other places. The can concept is a natural follow to that draft/keg trend, and also, with so many new canning lines facilitating the can renaissance in craft beer, it makes a lot of sense.
I had a brief conversation with owner Konstantinos Pitsillides about this a few weeks ago, and frankly, he still sounded pretty conflicted to me. On the one hand, I think he's smart to focus on one location, and also understand that he needs to grow. I was at Kanella for dinner recently, and you'd think the place was about to explode - there were so many people lining up for the Sunday night meze menu prix-fixe. Then again, you hate to risk losing such a magical situation, with a crowd of locals who can find you and a familiar space that's always in the groove. It's uncertain what will become of the old Kanella - he may sell it to another operator, or create something new there. But I personally am just glad to know I'll have another excuse to write about some good Cypriot cooking again. Will be very interested to see how the big new space on Front Street turns out.
Well we're way overtime, which is a sign that we've been wrapped-up in a great chat. Sorry about our brief technical glitch, but glad we got it fixed so we could wrap this up. Thanks to everyone who came out and joined today's conversation with great comments, questions, and Crumb Tracker guesses. If you didn't win today, there's always next week. So, until then, may you all be well and eat some Reubens and Rachaels worth bragging about!
I liked the chicken at Bonchon more than you did, though I was surprised that they actually had other things on their menu. Honestly, I was expecting a menu more along the lines of FedNuts where they focused nearly exclusively on fried chicken (with maybe 4-5 other things). I didn't see anyone who ordered anything other than the fried chicken.