Monday, July 23, 2007

Cho Dang Gol

Coming off a week-long trip to the Czech Republic that was excellent in all respects other than the culinary department, I was in the mood for a pig out session in the company of other committed foodies. Thankfully, one of my favorite Meetup groups, the NYC Pepperheads, had an event going on - fiery Korean food at Cho Dang Gol in K-town. As the mission of the Pepperheads states, the group seeks to bring together people who like to sample cuisines that challenge the tastebuds (read: hot 'n spicy).

Pictured above is the seafood and tofu soup that I chose for the appetizer. Not too spicy, but definitely delicious and a great start to the meal. I already felt a bit full after finishing that and eating some of the traditional Korean pancakes. Other choices were kimchi/tofu soup and the milder vegetable/tofu soup, both of them similarly delicious according to the people at my table. To the right is pan fried spicy pollock which I couldn't get enough off, and apparently most felt the same way, as I snagged but one piece before it all disappeared.

But most of all, the entree that made me glad I had a bottle of OB Korean beer at hand was the pan fried spicy squid with noodles, veggies, and tofu on a hot stone plate. This one simply exuded raw HEAT!!! Eventually the sweat beads started to appear, and I was gulping down water as fast as the waiter could refill the glass. Whew! That capped off one heck of a meal, which along with the free-wheeling conversation/debate at the table, made it quite an enjoyable night with the Pepperheads. I eagerly await the next hot 'n spicy outing.

Cho Dang Gol in New York