Last Meal #1

Spicy Miso Ramen @ Minca

My eggstra special lunch at 75 Gold.

lemony slivers of honey crispin apple too!

Savory, slow roasted tomatoes, sweet caramelized onions and meaty hints of spicy pepperoni folded into the fluffiest, thyme-y omelette.

When’s the last time someone brought you a perfect plate of lunch in the middle of your working day? Thanks, chef cruz. xo.

And sorry, no reservations.

Tong Sam Gyup Goo Ee

Tong Sam Gyup Goo Eee – go on, say it -  is the phonetic translation of the Korean words that literally mean (loosely): 3-layered pork belly strips, grilled tabletop. It’s also the name of an authentic, specialty pork belly restaurant in a smaller enclave of Flushing called Murray Hill.  It serves up unctuously delicious pork belly, grilled right on a massive stonelike dome which essentially comprises the structure of your table. The pork fat drippings drizzle their way down to caramelize the homemade kimchee that is layered around the circumference of the grill. Add to that, healthy heapings of mung bean sprouts and though at this point, you may be deliciously confused – it’s all working out perfectly. Now all these bits are free for the ssam-making. Wrap all the ingredients up in fresh red leaf lettuce leaves, add shredded pickled daikon, pungent bean paste, spicy pickled peppers, and my favorite – a single black peppercorn – and the ssam is ready to eat!

Once you’re beginning to contemplate the design of your last ssam, your server comes by to professionally assess the level of hungry still alive in your eyes, then brings rice to incorporate all the remaining tasty bits – of salty, caramelized goodness to stir up the most delicious fried rice. These pictures do little justice to the full experience.

layin the pork belly down

sprouts and all

finale of pork belly kimchee fried rice!