Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
It's been a while since we went to Cho Dang Gol and went on Christmas Day at the request of Jodi's cousin Jessica, as we were all meeting in the city to see the latest installment of Star Wars (great movie by the way, the spirit of the original movies being kept).
Dining room at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
As we were eight people, we reserved a table at the time they open, but I was surprised to see this place packed when we arrived. They probably opened earlier that day, I am not sure. However, what I was sure of was that we would get great food, the smell emanating from their really hot pots being divine.
Banchan at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
After we order our dishes, they brought to us some banchan, these small side dishes that I am always looking forward to.
They were composed of:
Soybeans with peanuts (delicious, my second favorite after kimchi):
Soy beans and peanuts banchan at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
The aforementioned kimchi that was delightfully spicy:
Kimchi at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
Squash:
Squash at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
Seaweed:
Seaweed at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
Mushrooms:
Mushrooms at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
We also shared some appetizers. Of course, we could not go without the Cho Dang Gol tofu slices. Why? Because they make their own and you can definitely taste the difference.
CDG tofu slices at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
Then, we ordered the buchu Jeon that is like a scallion pancake in a way, but made with leeks. It was a bit softer and not as crispy as its Chinese counterpart is, but it is still a crowd pleaser.
Buchu Jeon at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
Buchu Jeon at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
The last appetizer was the Cho Dang Gol dumplings, steamed, made with meat and tofu. Quite good and light, I liked the fact that the shell was not too thick.
For her entrée, Jodi ordered the mushroom bibimbap that had all sorts of mushrooms such as oyster, enoki, white or pyogo. She added a raw egg that did not take long to cook, the stone bowl being very hot.
Mushroom Bibimbap at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
On my side, I ordered the bulgogi jiggae, a stew made with bulgogi, tofu and onion. This was fantastic, although I admit that it took me some time to eat it as it came piping hot and still boiling.
Bulgogi Jiggae at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
It came with rice that I poured in the hot stew and I also added a raw egg that took seconds to cook...
Rice for jiggae at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
Egg in bulgogi jiggae at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
Near the end of the meal, they brought us some tea with rice that I guess was for digestion.
Tea with rice at Cho Dang Gol, Korean restaurant in NYC, New York
This was definitely a succulent meal, very comforting in a way. Cho Dang Gol is a great place, maybe my favorite Korean restaurant in Manhattan. Would I go back? For sure, an I will probably have again the bulgogi jiggae that is fantastic.
Enjoy (I did)!
I you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!
