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Thursday, May 6, 2010

Snapshot from Koreatown, 32nd Street

Koreatown, NYC
Photo by myself in Koreatown, on 32nd Street and Fifth Avenue.

Just a few blocks in Midtown comprise the neighborhood known as Koreatown, affectionately known as 'Ktown'. Stores, restaurants, karaoke bars and supermarkets cater mainly to Koreans.

The restaurants here tend to specialize. Some restaurants are known for their tofu casseroles - soups thick with tofu and various goodies like kim chi or seafood. Others are known for barbecue, where you grill your own meat at the table, creating a smoky, hearty meal.

Many restaurants here are open 24/7, since Korean businessmen tend to work hard and party hard. I love this area and can never tire of Korean food. It's much less oily than typical Chinese food, and there is a huge variety to the diet.

Koreans love their beef, but they also love fresh vegetables, tofu, raw fish and anything made from rice. Flavors tend toward spicy, but you can customize it to your liking.

For a good primer on some of the popular restaurants in the Ktown area, click here for a guide in the Times.

Related posts: Lost in Translation, On Broadway and In the Streets with Silly String.

10 comments:

Olivier said...

bonne photo de rue

Fashion Schlub said...

ooh, your description of korean food sounds good. will have to make a visit to "k-town." i love the "grill your own food" idea!

Newyorka said...

Good to know that there is something like Ktown... :)

I'm waiting for the next photo :D

Ken said...

I like how the guy in the foreground has almost the same expression as the girl on the poster's background.

dianasfaria.com said...

Such a great NY portrait!

Leif Hagen said...

I bet you could find some food around there - hot enough to set your mouth on fire!

Anonymous said...

Cool shot! I love how NYC has all cultures in different neighborhoods. Very cool.

Paz

Anonymous said...

not knowing much about your city, one gets however the impression, it must be a very tolerant place - probably able to become a role model indeed.
please have a nice friday.

daily athens

Pat said...

It is now only 8:30 a.m. and I want tofu, beef, and spices! Yum. Excellent shot and description.

Laura Cousins said...

I think my life was saved once by two Korean women who lived next door to me. I was pregnant with my 2nd child and just as sick as a parrot. Honestly, I was so ill, Monty Python made The Parrot Sketch about me.

I couldn't eat a thing, and I was flagging fast.

But then they called at my door and, in broken but still serviceable English, invited me to have lunch with them.

The spread was enormous, and it was all food that I had never tried before. My sickness VANISHED, and I ate and ate and ate.

I will never forget their kindness. I went on to have a normal pregnancy and a lovely baby boy. He's nine years old now, and he LOVES Korean food ...