Seafood Doo Boo with Fried Man Doo from K-Town Kitchen & Bar (Photo by Ali Jones)
1. Seafood Doo Boo with Fried Man Doo
$9.50 and $4, respectively, at K-Town Kitchen and Bar
Made from unfermented tofu, this stew is a lighter version of chowder. A bowl of soft tofu stirred with shrimp, mussels, octopus and squid smoothly contrasts with crackling, pan-fried veggie dumplings.
2. Pork Belly Ssam Kimbap
$7.50 at J Kogi
Heartier than its Japanese counterpart, maki, this cooked Korean rice roll folds pork belly, lettuce, egg and grassy, minty perilla leaves into warm slices. Find off-duty restaurant folks ducking in for late-night happy meals of kimbap and sake.
3. Spicy Sweet Pumpkin Beef Ribs
$49.99 at Ye Won
A whole pumpkin is hollowed, baked and filled with succulent short ribs and potatoes in a glossy gravy. This bubbling cauldron serves three to four and comes with pickled bean sprouts, cucumber and other house-made banchan, plus sticky rice.
4. Japchae Rice (No. 11)
$9.99 at Noodles & Friends
The Midlothian New Grand Mart harbors quick, unfussy eats in Noodles & Friends. Japchae, literally “mixed vegetables,” are laced with glassy sweet-potato noodles and lean beef blanketed by sesame-soy sauce. With rice, this plate easily serves two.
5. Dol Sot Bibimbap
$9.99 at Gogi Bibimbap
Build-your-own bibimbap inside a sizzling stone bowl, with dol sot — that’s a soft egg on top — to cream into purple rice under included extras, such as kale, shiitakes and cabbage. Add sweet-savory Korean barbecued beef, chicken, seafood,pork or tofu.
