Korean food with a cheap price tag?
EATERY:
Han Bat
LOCATION:
53 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 (btw 5th & 6th)
REVIEWS:
Korean food is always freaking expensive, especially in Manhattan, probably because of the rent and all the Banchan (or panchan) they give you. So most of the time we drag our ass to Ridgefield in New Jersey to get our big Korean feast. One day we are desperately craving for a good cheap sit-down Korean restaurant. Do our research with stomach growling like lion and thanks to our hungry desire we find Han Bat. Once we sit down we spotted two huge 4 feet tall pot with traditional wooden lid embed in a stonewall structure. We ask the wait staff and they open the lid and both contain milky delicious beef broth. So with no hesitation I ordered the Sul Run Tang (aka Seolleongtang 설렁탕 "雪濃湯",) ($7.95)- Stewed Beef Broth with Rice & Noodle. The hanja characters describes the soup very well: 雪 (snow) + 濃 (thick, strong, concentrated) + 湯 (soup). The broth is generally made from the bones of the four legs of an ox and only salt and green onions are used as seasoning. The whitish milky color comes from the melted gelatin from the bones. The broth is as natural as it can get, just add some salt to bring up great flava. This is the best when you have a cold. Young got the Bibim Mak Kook Soo (aka 비빔막국수 Bibim Makguksu) ($7.95). Bi Bim means "to mix" and Mak Kook Soo is a relative to Naengmyeon except the noodle contains a much higher concentration of Buck Wheat flour. This cold Buckwheat Noodles dish come with diced Kim Chi, julienned Korean Gold Pear, sliced cucumber, sesame seeds in Gochujang (고추장 a Korean chili paste spicy sauce). It comes in a big ass stainless steel bowl and I am warning you, This Dish Is Spicy. Perfect for drinking with a OB in the summertime.
RANTS & RAVES:
We glance through the menu and the dishes range from $7.95 to $35 with most sit around $12-15. So is this place Cheap Ass? I would say its much more reasonable than all the other Korean places in the area. TIPS: This place is open 24/7. You can ask for more Panchan if you want more.
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