Dinner #2 of 2014 - Hanjan

In early February, a former colleague (in town from DC) and I made it to Hanjan. On a random Monday night, the place was packed. And it was a nice crowd with a comfortable layout. Overall, we were happy with the meal, though it wasn't good enough to seek out again. Hanjan is has a better environment, but remains in the The Kin Shop strata for me: happy to go again, not great enough to make a point to go back.

We started with the cold tofu, which was nice but not comparable to Hibino. Then the Korean pancake (call it Pajeon!) was probably the most memorable. I love the crisp exterior with the soft, unctuous interior. Finally, our entrees were fine but completely not memorable. Both the kimchi/beef fried rice and the Bulgogi were fine, but not memorable.

Dinner #1 of 2014 - Uncle Boon's

We visited Uncle Boon's early on a very cold Friday in January (I guess they were all very cold this January) with our former neighbors (we moved, not them.)

For food, Uncle Boon's was fantastic from beginning to end. The least enjoyable dish we ordered - Northern-style golden curry - was style delicious. Dishes like the charcoal-grilled octopus, seared chicken liver, and kabocha squash were fantastic. All the classic thai flavors were strong and pronounced. All the meats were juicy. Everything had great texture and enough sauce to complement.

The cocktails were not good. They were fine. I think if you're charging at or close to Weather Up, Pegu Club, Evelyn, then the drinks should be close. These were not.

We arrived and it was pretty empty (6:00). By the time we left, it was full with a considerable looking crowd.

2014 Restaurants

Three months late but the list exists! The 12 restaurants I'd like to try this year.

1. Han Dynasty
2. Hanjan
3. La Vara
4. Maison Premiere
5. Mission Cantina
6. Mission Chinese (if they reopen this year)
7. Pok Pok
8. Purple Yam (holdover from last year)
9. RedFarm
10. SriPraPhai (holdover from last year)
11. Uncle Boons
12. Xi'An Famous Foods (seems like they're everywhere now - even on the radio)

Eating at Walter's

We walk by Walter's in Fort Greene frequently. And it looks so inviting. Something about the lighting and bar layout make it feel like a neighborhood restaurant that I'd want to make "our place." Last month, we went as a family (I rarely like going out for dinner with the little ones, but that's a different story).

Walter's was great. We had a great time. The food was fantastic - from the spicy, crunchy wings to the shared steak. There wasn't a single dish we didn't enjoy. That steak was something special. Not in a melt-in-your-mouth way. Strangely, I felt like the meat was seasoned from the inside-out. The steak had chew, not tough. I still think about it a month later.

Talde (6 out of this year's 12)

We visited Talde in August and had a fine meal. It was our 6th of 12 restaurants to visit this year. I've been trying to figure out why we didn't love it. Finally, I realized: at this price the service and atmosphere felt too casual. In many ways, Talde has the feel of a poor-man's Blue Dragon (in Boston). That's probably unfair; Ming Tsai's been a restaurateur for 12+ years. And liking a Boston anything over a Brooklyn anything pains me.

You can see what we ordered.


Strangely, I'd say our favorite item was the Chow Fun. It was flavorful and had a great texture capturing crunch and chew. The Kung Pao wings were also delicious - great exterior and moist (slightly bland) meat.

Then the other things were fine, not great and nothing terrible. The BBQ Negroni was much more innovative and interesting than the Navy Grog.