User's Manual: Sammy Chon's KTownBBQ at Phoodie.info: The ...

The Pork Bulgogi Dolsot at Sammy Chon?s. Guh.

About a month ago, we told you about the opening of the new outpost of Sammy Chon?s KTownBBQ, which, at long last, has put Korean BBQ into Chinatown. Now, after two visits that made us various combinations of excited/stuffed/damn-near-post-coital sleepy, we?re happy to roll them out as the guinea pig for our debut User?s Manual post.

That would be the Potato Shrimp, crunchy and warm.

VIBE/BACKGROUND:

As we alluded, Sammy Chon?s KTownBBQ is, in the strictest of terms, a chain. The new Chinatown outpost is indeed a franchise, but it?s only one of three (the two others are in South Jersey), and Chon himself is on hand from time to time. So this is not exactly the Olive Garden we?re talking here. The decor feels half-done ? fluorescent lights and banquet chairs make it not necessarily baller ? but that?s not what you?re really here for. (Although, it must be said, the big flat screen that broadcasts nothing but what seems like a never-ending K-pop broadcast of Korean Idol, is completely enthralling.)

What you are here for is Korean BBQ, and Sammy Chon?s is doing it right: The menu is extensive, loaded with favorites as well as in-house flourishes. Chon?s style differs from lots of other Korean BBQ spots in that unlike, say, Kim?s BBQ in Olney, there?s no grill at the table for patrons to grill their own meats. Depending on how you look at it, Sammy Chon?s either does all the work for you, or does not give you the option of playing with your food. All of which is to say: No grill. Deal with it. In this case, it?s definitely not a drawback.

THE ESSENTIALS:

This is how starved for decent Korean we?ve been: We asked for extra kimchi and kimchi cucumbers in the opening serving of Ban Chan (those small dishes that are traditionally served with Korean meals). You should, too; they wake up the palate, and as Ban Chan goes, Sammy Chon doesn?t skimp. (We just asked for extra because we?re filthy Americans who can never have too much of a good thing.) As for the actual menu, here?s five to try:

1. Potato Shrimp. This little plate from the app menu (pictured above) is gonna get you where you live, no matter where you live. It?s a healthy-sized piece of shrimp deep fried with a sort of crunchy shoestring French fry around it. This may not be the height of Korean cuisine, but it is, after all, fried shrimp.

2. Pork Bulgogi Dolsot. Sizzling dolsot rice bowls are a Korean staple of BBQ?d meat, rice and veggies, served in a hot-as-hell clay pot, and at Sammy Chon?s, a whole page of the menu is dedicated to variations on the dish. And truthfully, Sammy Chon?s could be a window joint that served these and only these, and you?d still come away psyched. The Pork Bulgogi Dolsot bowl was so hot that A) it basically fries the egg on top on its own and B) gets that amazing thing going after a while where the rice closest to the bowl starts burning up and getting crunchy. It?s an odd thing to say, but there may be nothing better in this world than burnt-ass rice. Meanwhile, the pork part ? little pieces of shredded spicy BBQ pork ? is no slouch either, flavorful and hearty.

3. Dolsot Bibimbap. The more traditional version of the above, served instead with fresh veggies (including royal fern) and shredded beef, didn?t disappoint, either.

4. Beef Bulgoki. This, after all, is what many come to a Korean BBQ spot for in the first place, and the dish sits at the heart of Sammy Chon?s BBQ menu, available alone or in combination with servings of chicken and/or short ribs, all likewise lovingly BBQ?d in the kitchen so you don?t have to. It?s completely legit, smoky and just the right amount of wrong. You dirty carnivore. You filthy animal. More, please!

5. The Koagie. Sammy keeps it real with a hometown mash-up: Your choice of BBQ?d meat with Korean slaw on a seeded hoagie roll. We?d recommend the spicy pork but really, there are no losers here.

NOTES & PROVISOS:

No liquor license for the time being, so BYOB. Service is friendly and accomodating. Great for birthdays and kids, so long as either your friends or your kids do not eat chicken fingers and nothing but. Plenty of vegetarian/vegan options.

Sammy Chon?s KTownBBQ , 911 Race Street, (215) 574-1778.

Phoodie.info User?s Manual is a new post category on the site that seeks to take a worthy spot and boil it down to the handful of dishes that?d be strongly recommended to a first-time patron. Got a suggestion for a place we should try out for User?s Manual? Give us a shout at phoodieinfo[at]gmail[dot]com.

Source: http://www.phoodie.info/2012/01/31/users-manual-sammy-chon%E2%80%99s-ktownbbq/

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