This week’s selection: Chung Moo Ro-10 W 32nd St. (bet. 5th & 6th Aves.)-New York, NY 10001-(212) 594-4963 FAX (212) 594-4964-Serving authentic Korean barbecue and cuisine.
Named for a street and district in the South Korean capital of Seoul, Chung Moo Ro is located in the heart of Midtown’s Koreatown district (the particular stretch of 32nd Street is known as Korea Way). This restaurant is close to Madison Square Garden, Herald Square, and public transportation and is convenient because it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
One visit and the customer is taken away to the Land of the Morning Calm (Korea’s nickname), or as in the case of this former soldier, taken back to pleasant memories of his time spent there traveling around the country and its rich culture. From the moment you walk in the door until the moment you leave, it is as if you’re not even in New York anymore.
Upon being greeted by the courteous staff, my guest and I were immediately seated to our table with tall ice cold glasses of refreshing water. They were also extremely helping in explaining the menu, which were written in both English and Hangul (Korean). It didn’t take long for us to make up our minds of what we going to order (the menu has many extravagant dishes to choose from, but for customers new to the idea of eating Korean food, I recommend that you stick to the barbecue).
Within minutes of ordering, the staff brought out our drink (a bottle of baek seju, a type of rice wine with a low alcoholic content and sweet taste but packs a powerful punch to the inexperienced), shot glasses, and various side dishes from the delicate daikon, a sweet radish and bean sprouts to Cole slaw with a wasabi vinaigrette and kimchi, the national dish of Korea which is very spicy pickled cabbage, but there are many forms of kimchi within itself. As with most traditional Asian dishes one eats with a soup spoon and chopsticks, but forks are readily available upon request.
Finally the moment of truth came, when after we were served our soup and rice, the stove was lit (traditional Korean barbecue is cooked right at the table-from the grill top to the table within a reach of the chopsticks!) and you can soon smell the delightful aroma of the bulgogi (thinly sliced pieces of marinated steak), kalbi (short rib tips), and chicken mixed with mushrooms, garlic, and onions thrown on the grill for good measure. The staff was impressed how easily my guest and I were accustomed to eating the food, to which I divulged my secret of being stationed in Korean and even spoke to her in her native tongue. We even ate in the Korean tradition by wrapping up the meat and side dishes in the lettuce leaves provided, downing a shot of the baek seju, and gobbling down the wrap by attempting to eat it up in one bite. We ate and ate to our hearts content, and speaking on the other patrons in the restaurant, we definitely were left feeling satisfied with good memories of our Korean experience.
After the bill was paid with a generous tip, we were offered a min-dessert of yogurt smoothie shots, which helped cooled the tongue for the more spicy treats, and were well-wished for our safe travels and speedy return back for more.
On a scale of one to five chefs’ hats, the first entry for food and the city gets our first ever five chefs’ hats. Congratulations to Chung Moo Ro…if you ever want to sample the best of what Korea has to offer, come on down and say Annyeong haseyo (hello) to Chung Moo Ro!
1,2,3,A,C,E TRAINS TO 34TH ST-PENN STA; B,D,F,V,N,Q,R,W TRAINS TO 34TH ST-HERALD SQ; 6 TRAIN TO 33RD ST; PATH TRAINS TO 33RD ST, AMTRAK, NJ TRANSIT, AND LIRR TRAINS TO PENN STA, ALSO AVAILABLE BY MTA BUS
Named for a street and district in the South Korean capital of Seoul, Chung Moo Ro is located in the heart of Midtown’s Koreatown district (the particular stretch of 32nd Street is known as Korea Way). This restaurant is close to Madison Square Garden, Herald Square, and public transportation and is convenient because it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
One visit and the customer is taken away to the Land of the Morning Calm (Korea’s nickname), or as in the case of this former soldier, taken back to pleasant memories of his time spent there traveling around the country and its rich culture. From the moment you walk in the door until the moment you leave, it is as if you’re not even in New York anymore.
Upon being greeted by the courteous staff, my guest and I were immediately seated to our table with tall ice cold glasses of refreshing water. They were also extremely helping in explaining the menu, which were written in both English and Hangul (Korean). It didn’t take long for us to make up our minds of what we going to order (the menu has many extravagant dishes to choose from, but for customers new to the idea of eating Korean food, I recommend that you stick to the barbecue).
Within minutes of ordering, the staff brought out our drink (a bottle of baek seju, a type of rice wine with a low alcoholic content and sweet taste but packs a powerful punch to the inexperienced), shot glasses, and various side dishes from the delicate daikon, a sweet radish and bean sprouts to Cole slaw with a wasabi vinaigrette and kimchi, the national dish of Korea which is very spicy pickled cabbage, but there are many forms of kimchi within itself. As with most traditional Asian dishes one eats with a soup spoon and chopsticks, but forks are readily available upon request.
Finally the moment of truth came, when after we were served our soup and rice, the stove was lit (traditional Korean barbecue is cooked right at the table-from the grill top to the table within a reach of the chopsticks!) and you can soon smell the delightful aroma of the bulgogi (thinly sliced pieces of marinated steak), kalbi (short rib tips), and chicken mixed with mushrooms, garlic, and onions thrown on the grill for good measure. The staff was impressed how easily my guest and I were accustomed to eating the food, to which I divulged my secret of being stationed in Korean and even spoke to her in her native tongue. We even ate in the Korean tradition by wrapping up the meat and side dishes in the lettuce leaves provided, downing a shot of the baek seju, and gobbling down the wrap by attempting to eat it up in one bite. We ate and ate to our hearts content, and speaking on the other patrons in the restaurant, we definitely were left feeling satisfied with good memories of our Korean experience.
After the bill was paid with a generous tip, we were offered a min-dessert of yogurt smoothie shots, which helped cooled the tongue for the more spicy treats, and were well-wished for our safe travels and speedy return back for more.
On a scale of one to five chefs’ hats, the first entry for food and the city gets our first ever five chefs’ hats. Congratulations to Chung Moo Ro…if you ever want to sample the best of what Korea has to offer, come on down and say Annyeong haseyo (hello) to Chung Moo Ro!
1,2,3,A,C,E TRAINS TO 34TH ST-PENN STA; B,D,F,V,N,Q,R,W TRAINS TO 34TH ST-HERALD SQ; 6 TRAIN TO 33RD ST; PATH TRAINS TO 33RD ST, AMTRAK, NJ TRANSIT, AND LIRR TRAINS TO PENN STA, ALSO AVAILABLE BY MTA BUS
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