New York Hot Dog & Coffee - Bodacious Korean Hot Dogs

New York Hot Dog & Coffee - 245 Bleecker Street, New York NY 10014
917.388.3742
A/B/C/D/E/F/V Train to West 4th Street/Washington Square
www.nyhotdogcoffee.com

Only recently have I gotten into Korean food, tasting it for the first time at 8st Kitchen.  It made such a strong impression on me that when I was invited to try New York Hot Dog & Coffee, a unique hot dog place with a Korean twist, I was intrigued.  Dan accompanied me on my hot dog journey, and I think I sold him on the amazingness of Korean food. We both enjoyed ourselves and I was glad that we got him to open up to hot dogs a bit more (he doesn't usually like them).

Atmosphere:
Located in trendy West Village, New York Hot Dog & Coffee is positioned on a lively street, in the company of legendary food institutions such as Amy's Bread, Murray's Cheese and Rocco's Pastry Shop.  It's really a wonderful place to be for the time being, but I hear that it's going to be moving to a more central location in the future to accommodate a more prominent lunch crowd.

The overall vibe at New York Hot Dog & Coffee is funky and modern.  The front of the house has a long counter where you order your grub and a couple of casual tables with high stools for you to relax and chow down.  On warm days, the front windows are open to enjoy the sunshine and the buzz from busy Bleecker street.

If you choose to take your food to the back of the restaurant, you'll enjoy a quirky vibe with modern white furniture that looks like it came out of anime.  I especially liked the comfy couches in the back, which were nice for unwinding after a long work day.  The back area is a bit more quiet so if you want more privacy, I'd suggest it.

Food:
Just like its decor, the style of the food is unusual and innovative.  Hot dogs and hamburgers are spruced up with interesting Korean toppings such as kimchi, bulgogi and various Korean seasonings.

Hot Dogs - Although not all hot dogs have Korean flavoring, some being more Americanized options such as BBQ Chicken, Chili Cheese and the Texan, we chose to sample the Korean varieties including the Kimchi Bulgogi and the Dak-Kalbi.  The first was a hot dog with marinated beef with Korean-style pickled cabbage (kimchi) on top and the other was topped with marinated chicken with a Korean sweet sauce.

Out of the two, I had a strong preference for the chicken topping due to the flavorful sauce and the tender chicken.  It reminded me of the fabulous chicken dish I had at 8st Kitchen and I loved pairing it with the light-tasting hot dog, which was comprised purely of beef brisket.  The beauty of it was that it really felt unbelievably light for a hot dog, and didn't leave me feeling overly full.  The fluffy, slightly toasted bun was also rockin'.

While I had a thing for the chicken hot dog, the Kimchi Bulgogi (beef) was also great.  I loved the clean crunch of the kimchi and the fresh feeling that didn't have a tinge of fishiness.  I don't like when kimchi has a fishy aftertaste and during my experience at New York Hot Dog & Coffee, I found out that the fishiness of kimchi depends on the region of Korea - the further South you go, the fishier the kimchi.  Interesting.  In terms of the actual bulgogi (beef), it was also tender and slathered with naturally flavored sweet/tangy sauce that comes from freshly pureed fruits such as pears and apples among other ingredients.

The Burger - The bulgogi burger was really similar to the above-mentioned hot dog, except for the patty, of course.  Made out of 100% beef, the burger tasted fresh and just like the hot dog, it was infused with sweet/tangy Korean seasoning.  I liked that the meat was tender and not overcooked, with nice char marks from the grill, which I always enjoy.  Once again, importance was placed on the bread, as it tasted fresh, slightly warm and peppered with plenty of crunchy sesame seeds. If you don't love hot dogs, I think this one's for you.  And for the record, the burger makes you a lot fuller.

Fries - How could we not order a side of fries with all this protein?  Yum! We were very satisfied with this rendition, as they were really, really crispy on the outside and nice and chewy on the inside.  In fact, the outside seemed like it was battered - I'm not really sure in what but whatever it was, we dug it.

Service and Cost:
Since this place is super casual, there's no wait service.  You order up front and then pick up your food and bring it to your table of choice.  The employees however seemed really friendly and accommodating.  Given that the place wasn't busy when we walked in, they were happy and eager to serve us.

Costs are moderate for hot dogs and burgers and I'd go as far as saying inexpensive for the West Village area:

Hot Dogs: $3.25 -$5.50
Hamburgers: $6.49 - $7.25
Korean Tacos: $2.25 -$6.49
Fries: $2.49 -$3.29

3 Mmmms

8st Kitchen - My First (and not last) Experience with Korean Food

 

  

  

  

8st Kitchen - 22 West 8th Street, New York NY 10011
212.477.7755
A/C/D/E/V/F/B Train to West 4th Street
http://www.8stkitchen.com/

My day started out horribly.  I was slammed with work that just didn't seem to go anywhere and I was in no mood to socialize during lunch.  But I set up a lunch date a while ago at 8st Kitchen with my co-workers, and didn't want to cancel last minute.  In the end, I couldn't be happier about my decision to go - not only did I get to try Korean cuisine for the first time, my mood completely transformed as a result of it. 

Atmosphere:
As a brand spankin' newcomer, 8st Kitchen has that "untouched" feel.  The decor is ultra modern with dark wood rectangular tables and bench seating that isn't the most comfortable but not unpleasant either.  I like the simple, round light fixtures with exposed light bulbs, as well as the awesome wall filled with rustic pieces of cedar wood.  It even smells new!

The vibe is chill and pretty quiet for lunch.  We were the first customers to arrive, but after a few minutes, we had some company a few tables down.  So, what I'm saying is...you definitely won't need a reservation.

Food:

Leann and I were both unfamiliar with Korean cuisine, so we looked to our friend Bo for recommendations.  Bo is Korean and grew up eating this food, so she had good pointers.  Although there was some confusion when ordering--Bo had to address it by using her multi-lingual skills--in the end it worked out for the best and we were happy with our choices.

Starters - The beginnings of our lunch consisted of a modest yet appreciated offering of clear soup with sprouts as well as two small appetizer plates of daikon and kimchee.  I've never had any of these dishes and was intrigued to try them.  The soup was my favorite, as it was warm in temperature and in spice.  It wasn't too spicy but had a defnite kick to it that lingered on your tastebuds.

The Kimchee and the daikon, both pickled dishes were also interesting.  The daikon looked strangely like pineapple chunks but tasted tangy and a bit sour.  I enjoyed it as a starter, and it certainly cooled your mouth after the hot soup. 

After tasting the kimchee, Bo thought it would be a culture shock.  Hmmm...I was curious as I popped a small piece in my mouth.  It was spicy, smoky and crunchy too - overall a hit for me, especially since I'm a huge cabbage lover.  I'd certainly recommend trying it just to experience the mix of flavors.

Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap - We all ordered this typical Korean dish, which consists of steamed sticky rice served in a hot stone bowl topped with a protein.  Each of us got a different variation of the latter: Leann chose the spicy chicken, Bo got the spicy pork and I went with the marinated beef (bulgoki).

Really not knowing what to expect, I was impressed when all the dishes came out in beautiful stone bowls, some of which contained contents that were literally bubbling up with goodness.  Each of our dishes looked amazing and we couldn't wait to dig in. 

My beef was AWESOME and I'm so glad I chose it - it was tender with a hint of sweetness that hit your tastebuds a couple of seconds after the fact.  The best part though was the sticky rice, which was so flavorful (I know that sounds weird to say about rice but it's true).  Because the stone bowl was so hot, the rice got slightly crispy on the outside and was a little charred.  It all worked beautifully when combining it with the delicious beef and also mixing in a couple of spoonfuls of hot sauce. 

I tried both the chicken and the pork but couldn't decide which I liked better.  I'm going to have to make two separate trips to order each just for myself.  If picking a slight favorite, I'd choose the chicken, which had loads of cheese on top, and when mixed with the rice, it was oozing with stringy goodness.  Just like in my dish, the chicken was affected by the hot stone bowl and got nice and charred on the edges.

The pork was great too and definitely the spiciest of the three.  It came with vegetables and a raw egg, which Bo mixed into the rest of its contents, thus cooking it.  This dish looked the most authentic out of the three and if you're a pork gal or guy, you'll love it.

Service and Cost:
Service began on a strange note with a slight language barrier between us and the waiter.  However after we ordered, everything went smoothly.  Our waiter was attentive, respectful and brought out all dishes promptly.  As an added bonus, we each received coupons for a free lunch for next time.  That's right, it's buy one get one free lunch until the end of February.

Because of 8st Kitchen's friendly staff coupled with our nifty negotiating skills, we were able to get 1 lunch for free, so we ended up paying for two dishes and split the cost amongst the three of us.  Each dish was a mere $8 without the discount - and with discount it was $8 per person including tax and tip (we left our server a generous tip in exchange for his kindness).  For the amount of food you get here and for how tasty it is, this is an absolute steal.

3 Pickled Mmmms