I think they're both pretty great. I prefer pupusas when I'm feeling the need for mo masa.chrizow wrote:i liked the pupusas, but was also somewhat disappointed. i was prepared to be totally hooked and obsessed, but as a food-unit i think the taco is far superior.mean wrote:the pupusas at Sabor Centro Americano on Indy are excellent.
Though how much demand is there for Korean? Honest question.bobbyhawks wrote:From a downtown perspective, I'd like to see a Korean restaurant in the Crossroads area, rather than the smattering we have way out South. I was hooked on the style where you can grill your own meats on a mini charcoal grill at the table when I was in Japan, but that exact version would probably never be allowed here. Any Korean would be nice to have around.
Sort of related to that, I want to be able to eat some fresh pawpaw. A restaurant focusing on native resources would be something nice.And last but not least, I would like more places that focus on our regional cuisine. Not just steak, though, I think this is something that Chef's like David Chang (about NYC) and KC's Howard Hanna have mentioned in various publications... we need more people who embrace and continue to define our regional cuisine, based on things we do really well here in the midwest. Ethnic cuisines should certainly not be ignored and are a great influence, but we have some amazing produce and potential for super high quality livestock that can lead to a new and more unique identity.
well, i have to admit, even though i felt slightly unimpressed yesterday, i am already craving pupusas today. mission accomplished!mean wrote:I think they're both pretty great. I prefer pupusas when I'm feeling the need for mo masa.chrizow wrote:i liked the pupusas, but was also somewhat disappointed. i was prepared to be totally hooked and obsessed, but as a food-unit i think the taco is far superior.mean wrote:the pupusas at Sabor Centro Americano on Indy are excellent.
Sorry you weren't as impressed as I'd have hoped, but I probably shouldn't have talked them up quite so much. I mean, it's just a pupusa.
You are absolutely correct, but the question was "what else would you like to see," and not "what do you think will open next?" Sometimes, customers don't demand something because they know very little about it, or because the options are so limited. I imagine American/Anglo-Chinese was like that at one point, and Sushi was like that more recently. I could see a Korean place doing quite well, but there is little reason to think someone would move away from the concentration of Korean-Americans in the suburbs. We have 4 sushi places downtown, a few chinese, thai-ish places, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Italian, Spanish, German/Austrian, tons with a French influence, Mexican, etc. I think Korean would set itself apart and fits in with our BBQ culture.IraGlacialis wrote:Though how much demand is there for Korean? Honest question.
Because unless we get some "contemporary" joint, I don't see any Korean feeling the need to go out of their comfort zone of JOCO (they, at least at the first generation level, sure as hell aren't going to move there) unless there is a strong demand for that cuisine in the area. Same reason we probably aren't going to get a pure regional Chinese (be it one of the eight culinary traditions) joint in DT.
I'd like to see little nook and cranny SE Asian bars like you describe. The Vietnamese place on w39th somewhat fits this a bit. Thai Place in Westport tries to be this a little bit but is a rather large space, the front smells from the water problems and is usually not very good - some of the apps are OK but not traditional. I wish they could've grabbed Sam from the KC North location when it closed. Lulu's takes too many shortcuts and is inconsistent, but sometimes doable. Vietnam Cafe in Columbus Park is my fave SE Asian in KC and wish they would expand - a nook and cranny bar/eats in Westport would work, they keep it real by serving the herbs (rau thom) on the side, etc. Those shrimp/sweet potato bundles also yum with the well balanced dipping sauce. Often try to talk a Cambodian friend (who partly taught me SE Asian cooking) to open something small in the city, or a food truck.bobbyhawks wrote:IraGlacialis wrote: Also, I'd like more Southeast Asian places that focused on getting drunk.
I think you might be projecting just a little. I can personally attest to the wide array of garbage served all over Spain -- including bad, bad ham -- and the diverse range of trash-food Germans eat. I can say with total honesty that I have never been to a foreign country where there was anything like universally high-quality or well-prepared food.bobbyhawks wrote: the appreciation for quality ingredients and pride in product that one finds in Western Europe, Japan, and other parts of the world. In Spain, you don't just eat sliced ham, but you eat sliced ham from the best pigs available.
Fair point. Everything is rosy when you are wrapped into the cultural fantasy that is a rare trip (for me) to a foreign land. Maybe I just went to the right places, but I would say the food quality in Japan was pretty top notch. Having fresh seafood in Spain made a huge difference to my perception, but I felt like I could throw a dart and hit quality places that had a local focus with much better precision than I could in the states. Same with Japan.chingon wrote:I think you might be projecting just a little. I can personally attest to the wide array of garbage served all over Spain -- including bad, bad ham -- and the diverse range of trash-food Germans eat. I can say with total honesty that I have never been to a foreign country where there was anything like universally high-quality or well-prepared food.bobbyhawks wrote: the appreciation for quality ingredients and pride in product that one finds in Western Europe, Japan, and other parts of the world. In Spain, you don't just eat sliced ham, but you eat sliced ham from the best pigs available.
Whoa. I thought I was up to date on this kind of thing, but I have never heard of this place. Going there today!heatherkay wrote:The proprietor of the Mandoline Cafe on Grand is Korean, and she has some Korean items on her menu. She was also (is also?) hosting a Korean dinner for some foodie types around the end of this month. You might check it out and suggest to her that she beef up this part of her menu.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 377&type=3
Very cool to hear. I'd not heard of it either.heatherkay wrote:The proprietor of the Mandoline Cafe on Grand is Korean, and she has some Korean items on her menu. She was also (is also?) hosting a Korean dinner for some foodie types around the end of this month. You might check it out and suggest to her that she beef up this part of her menu.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 377&type=3
Point.bobbyhawks wrote: You are absolutely correct, but the question was "what else would you like to see," and not "what do you think will open next?" Sometimes, customers don't demand something because they know very little about it, or because the options are so limited. I imagine American/Anglo-Chinese was like that at one point, and Sushi was like that more recently. I could see a Korean place doing quite well, but there is little reason to think someone would move away from the concentration of Korean-Americans in the suburbs. We have 4 sushi places downtown, a few chinese, thai-ish places, Vietnamese*, Ethiopian, Italian, Spanish, German/Austrian, tons with a French influence, Mexican*, etc. I think Korean would set itself apart and fits in with our BBQ culture.
Have you been to Little Egypt on Broadway? Standard fare on the menu, mostly, but really excellent daily specials that are in line with what you describe.IraGlacialis wrote:Middle Eastern cuisine that is not Mediterranean (for example: Saudi food (nothing like whole-roasted lamb with rice) is much much different from the typical Levantine fare people are sued to). Gulf State, Kurdish, Yemeni, and Assyrian comes to mind. Also, central Asian food such as Afghan and Uzbek.