Take a Bite of the Big Apple

Photos by Lee Hyo-won, except for green apple, below (Korea Times File)

NEW YORK - The Big Apple continues to symbolize the great American melting pot, and a culinary adventure to savor all of New York City’s dizzying food culture is not only ambitious but almost impossible in a limited amount of time, especially since chic restaurants and eateries seem to mushroom here continuously.

There are countless ``it’’ bars and brunch places that have international audiences smacking their chops while watching ``Sex and the City.’’ In the jungle of luminous skyscrapers, yellow cabs and poker-faced pedestrians, there is, without fail, a hotdog or pretzel stand in every corner. Then there’s Little Italy, dotted with pizzerias; Chinatown, teeming with dimsum places; and Koreatown, lined with round-the-clock ``galbijip.’’

Still, there’s nothing like cuisine that embodies the soul of a culture and a people, and one can only attempt to take a big bite of the Big Apple. The following is a very modest -- and very subjective -- list of low- to mid-budget treats the city has to offer. But what is certain is that this reporter finds herself going back to them time after time.

NY Exotica

Forget the hotdogs and the pretzels. The best street food -- and tastiest halal dish -- in the city can be found at the corner of 53rd Street and 6th Avenue. The modest truck is hard to miss, considering how a long line of hungry pedestrians can be spotted even in the wee hours around 4 a.m. For $6, you get a plate full of scrumptious lamb and chicken (you can choose either or both), rice and pita bread. Don’t forget to smother it with the white sauce, bottles of which can be found next to the truck. But the red chili sauce should be handled with care, because it will burn you.

Quintessential New York cuisine _ an eclectic mix of Spanish, Chinese-American and Kalyustan flavors, among other influences _ comes in tasting portions at Alta (slightly hidden on the south side of 10th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues). Chef Harrison Mosher offers small, fun dishes like ``Brussels Sprouts’’ with Fuji apples, crème fraiche and pistachio nuts or Moroccan Bistilla of chicken confit, creamy eggs, and scallion with harissa mayonnaise. The restaurant features small rooms with orange-colored walls and heavy wooden furniture, providing a cozy, intimate dining experience _ particularly since you’ll have to lean over the table with your company to taste the small yet satisfying portions. Call (212) 505-7777.

Prince & Pauper

Caviar for breakfast? ``Sex and the City’’ fans will be familiar with Norma’s, the chic brunch place found on the ground floor of Le Parker Meridian Hotel (West 57th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues). Don’t worry if $1,000 is too much for breakfast (appropriately named the Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata), because Norma’s other meals are under $30. Try their lovely eggs Benedict and fluffy blueberry pancakes. Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. everyday. Call (212) 708-7360.

Le Parker Meridian, however, is also home to the city’s secret obsession, the Burger Joint. Literally a hole in the wall, it is tucked away next to the front desk, with only a mini neon hamburger sign announcing its presence. After entering the posh marble-floored hotel lobby, you’ll be surprised to walk into the down-to-earth diner, where names are scribbled on poster-covered walls. You can order your hamburger ($7) at different levels of ``doneness’’ (rare, medium or well done) and choose the dressing (tomatoes, onion, etc). You can taste the smoky flame flavor from the charcoal grill. Cheeseburgers ($7.50) include two types of cheddar for special effect. Complete the experience with greasy fries ($3.50) and a cup of milkshake (vanilla or strawberry, $5) or beer. Call (212) 708-7417.

Art & Food

Gustav Klimt and Vienna coffee are a couple of Austria’s hottest assets, and you can get both at the Neue Gallerie (corner of 86th Street and 5th Avenue). This gallery is home to the painter’s gold-encrusted masterpiece ``Adele Bloch-Bauer I’’ among other works. Café Sabarsky on the ground floor features tasteful food and period objects. Sit at the classic wooden table below the beautiful lighting fixtures and savor Vienna coffee, desserts and sausages by chef Kurt Gutenbrunner. Closed on Tuesdays. Call (212) 288-0665.

After gallery hopping around Chelsea, swing by the meatpacking district’s never disappointing Balthazar. The onion soup gratinee ($10.50) is a steady pleaser, and other standard French bistro dishes such as moules frites (oysters with French fries, $20), steak frites with Béarnaise sauce ($29.50) and duck confit ($21) are delectable. Call (212) 343-1274.

Eastern Inspiration

You don’t need to be in Koreatown (West 32nd Street) for tasty ``bibimbap’’ (Korean mixed vegetable rice) and charcoal barbeque. Gyu-Kaku, a fashionable Japanese eatery in mid-town (East 50th Street and 3rd Avenue), offers Japanese-style ``galbi’’ (Korean barbeque) and kimchi bibimbap, which the server mixes for you. Call (212) 702-8816.

In the East Village, David Chang’s much talked about Momofuku Ssam Bar (corner of 13th street and 2nd Avenue) offers modern, upscale spin-offs of traditional Asian cuisine. The dishes, such as kimchi Fuji apple salad, boast creative presentation and delightful taste, but are rather tiny. This would be a better place to enjoy ``sake’’ (Japanese rice wine) and fun foods after a light dinner. Call (212) 254-3500. Another great place to hang out is the Bryant Park Grill. On a summer afternoon you can sip ice tea in view of the green park, while on a calm autumn evening you can sip cocktails at the romantically lit bar. Call (212) 840-6500.

Sweet Tooth

A meal is never complete without a dessert. Cupcakes are all the rage in Korea, and a New York trip is never complete without a mouthwatering visit to Magnolia Bakery (three shops found, one in the downtown area, the second near Rockefeller Center and a third one uptown). The sugary Red Velvet, served with traditional whipped vanilla icing, is a must ($3). Visit www.magnoliacupcakes.com.

A more formal venue for dessert is the ``Sex and the City'' favorite Payard's (Lexington Avenue, between 73rd and 74th Streets). The bistro-patisserie offers a mean onion soup gratinee that's topped with a generous amount of Gruyere cheese ($10), but the true highlight is the dessert menu. The cakes, such as the warm chocolate toffee cake with marshmallows, are to die for, even though they're a little pricey ($13). Call (212) 717-5252.

Another great place is Café Lalo (West 83rd Street, between Amsterdam and Broadway). While overrun by tourists, this charming French café fails to displease with its juicy berry pies, Belgian waffles and espresso. Breakfast sets range from $4.50 (Paris style croissant and coffee) to $18 (large Jewish lake sturgeon with salad, bagel and drink). Call (212) 496-6031.

On the Go

If you’re craving fresh crème brulee on the go, and happen to be in Greenwich Village, stop by the Dessert Truck (8th Street and University Place). The truck offers chocolate bread pudding, molten chocolate cake and more at reasonable prices. The slow-baked apples and cinnamon features a light, buttery pastry with caramelized baked apple and a heap of cinnamon, tart cranberries and streusel topped with light whipped cream _ ``it’s like autumn in a cup’’ as one fan said.

Whether you’re in a hurry or want to enjoy a nice sandwich in a cozy place, Le Pain Quotidien is the place to be. It’s a bakery with a large, wooden communal table in the middle, where you can munch away soups, tartines and baguette sandwiches. The chain shop can be spotted all over town. Visit http://www.lepainquotidien.com/.

Last but not least, you cannot leave New York without tasting New York-style pizza. Lombardi’s in Little Italy is more than famous, but Two Boots can be a fine alternative to busy people. The kitsch retro diner features a pair of boots by the window and pizzas with strange names inspired by celebrities, movie characters, etc. Toppings are fresh, diverse and generously served on your choice of crust (Sicilian or whole wheat). Visit http://www.twoboots.com/. You can order deliveries by phone or online.

Met Opera Celebrates 125 Years With Lavish Gala

Wish I was there... But I was lucky enough to hear Mr. Domingo's performance in Seoul earlier this year -- it was the only one he gave in Asia :) Happy Birthday Met!

NEW YORK (AP) - Fabled past met future promise at a Metropolitan Opera gala like no other _ a triple celebration that honored the New York company's 125-year history, previewed its current stars in upcoming roles, and found time to pay tribute to Placido Domingo's 40 years at the house.

If that sounds like a jam-packed agenda, it was. With excerpts from 23 different operas, ranging from brief arias to extended scenes, the festivities clocked in at just over four hours Sunday night, including intermission.

Much of the evening's charm was due to the loving recreation of old sets and costumes from productions of the past, some of it through the magic of video projection. So the famous picture of Enrico Caruso as Dick Johnson standing on a tree stump about to be hanged at the 1910 world premiere of Puccini's ``La Fanciulla del West'' (``The Girl of the Golden West'') came to life before our eyes. Only this time it was Domingo standing there, ready to launch into his aria, ``Ch'ela mi creda.'' Domingo figured again at the end of the first half in a recreation of the final scene from Wagner's ``Parsifal,'' a 1903 depiction of the temple of the Holy Grail, complete with a white dove fluttering over the knights as Wagner intended.

Domingo was in splendid voice all night. In the Puccini, the Wagner and an excerpt from Verdi's ``Otello'' he was covering familiar ground in roles he's mostly given up. But the highlight of his evening was the extended Act 1 duet from Verdi's ``Simon Boccanegra'' for the title character and his long-lost daughter, Amelia. Not only is this a new role for Domingo, it's written for a baritone. But it seems to fit the darkening quality of his voice well, and he and soprano Angela Gheorghiu blended their voices beautifully.

There were many other standout performances. Natalie Dessay (in a dress based on one worn by Bidu Sayao in 1937) previewed her upcoming Violetta in Verdi's ``La Traviata'' and showed again that she's just about the finest singing actress around. Not only did she nail the coloratura of ``Sempre libera,'' she brought the character's ambivalence about falling in love vividly to life.

Baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky proved that his current assignment in Verdi's ``Il Trovatore'' hasn't coarsened his voice with a ravishing performance of Yeletsky's aria from Tchaikovsky's ``The Queen of Spades.'' In brief scenes from three Franco Zeffirelli-designed Puccini productions, Joseph Calleja won the battle of the tenors with a sweet-voiced ``Che gelida manina'' from ``La Boheme.''

The evening's decibel prize went to soprano Maria Guleghina and mezzo Stephanie Blythe for their sizzling duet from Verdi's ``Aida.'' Both showed considerable artistry in addition to lung power.

One of the most anticipated moments was the closing duet from Wagner's ``Siegfried,'' a trial run for a new ``Ring'' cycle with soprano Deborah Voigt as Bruennhilde and tenor Ben Heppner as Siegfried. He sounded in healthy voice if slightly restrained, with none of the cracking on high notes that afflicted his ``Queen of Spades'' earlier this season. Voigt did some fine singing, but her repeated forays up to high C were problematic.

Met music director James Levine, whose own 40th anniversary is just two years away, conducted the orchestra with unflagging energy.

One sour note was the absence of soloists of color. As the evening wrapped up and photos of Met performers through the ages flashed on the curtain, it was hard not to reflect on the contrast with the 100th anniversary gala in 1983, when stars like Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry, Kathleen Battle and Simon Estes proudly held the stage.

MoMA to Screen Korean Colonial-Era Films

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York will screen Jan. 28-Feb. 1 some of the earliest known Korean films, made in the 1930s and '40s under the Japanese occupation (1910-45).

The seven films to be screened were rediscovered in 2003 and 2004 at the Chinese Film Archive and restored in new 35mm prints by the Korean Film Archive.

This is the first time these carefully restored prints will be shown outside of Korea. They present a rare visual record and narrative resource to this little-known period. The exhibition titled “Korean Films Made During the Japanese Occupation.”

Films included in the event are "Sweet Dream" (1936)—the earliest known Korean "talkie" which was recently recognized as a Korean national cultural property— "Spring in the Korean Peninsula" (1941), "Angels on the Street" (1941) and "Straits of Chosun" (1943).

Yuni Cho of The Korea Society, New York, co-organized the event with MoMA. Commenting on the upcoming program, she said, “The dramatic content of the films is shaped by the censorship of their era, and several are uncomfortably pro-Japanese. Yet simultaneously, their rich aesthetics and formal experimentation reach beyond imperial Japanese ideology to express transcendent themes of longing, loss, and duty.”

MoMA has shown several series on the work of Korean filmmakers, including recent exhibitions such as "Im Kwon-Taek: Master Korean Filmmaker" (2004) and Kim Ki-Duk (2008).

(Source: KOFIC http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/)

Read more about Korean film history and the Korean Film Museum.
Read about "Modern Boy," a contemporary Korean film set during the Japanese colonial era.

Director Explores Korean-American Identity

By bringing to Korea ``West 32nd'' ― a gritty, street-style crime film that delves deep into the underworld of New York Koreatown ― director Michael Kang explores the Korean-American identity, including his own. It is a continuation of the directorial concerns from his feature debut piece ``The Motel.''

``I needed this much time to get the film made, I needed `West 32nd' to be my second film. I think it was a personal journey, and it was a personal challenge, too, to make the film,'' Kang told The Korea Times in a recent interview in Seoul.

Growing up in the suburbs of New England, the award-winning director had never been exposed to such a large Korean community until he moved to New York for college.

``It was very jarring to me, my relationship with that community. I would walk around in Flushing (Queens, New York) and look like anybody else but I felt like I didn't belong there. That's what I very much wanted to explore (in `West 32nd'),'' said the New York University graduate.

Kang became well-known in the international circle with ``The Motel,'' a coming-of-age story about a young Asian American boy living in a cheap suburban motel. The piece won much critical acclaim and awards including the 2003 Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker's Award.

His second film takes place in the heart of New York's Koreatown (K-town), which lies on West 32nd Street. Ambitious attorney John Kim takes on a pro bono case to defend a Korean teenager implicated in a gang-style homicide. Over the course of the investigation, he meets Mike Juhn, a local thug, and becomes entangled in a world of mobsters and mayhem. Kang said that the mainstream-style film is inherently similar to ``The Motel," a smart indie flick.

``They're just different styles. The base of both films is rooted in characters you don't usually get to see. I feel like the gyopo (Korean-American) community really has not been shown on film before,'' he said. ``To me the message of the movie is that Koreans in America are very lost, very disconnected and they don't know where their place is,'' he said.

But why is the film based in New York instead of L.A., which has a larger and more deeply rooted Korean community? ``Partially because I'm from New York so it made more sense to shoot the film there. But it's also because it's the farthest you can get from Korea, so people are almost in this little island. Whereas in L.A., there are people who can live there without knowing any English. In New York, you can't do that ― the Latinos are here, the Jews are right there and the Chinese are right behind you.

``In L.A. K-town, people are more comfortable. People are usually completely bilingual, they can exist in both worlds ― they're very attached to their Korean culture and like to hang out in K-town but will also have a regular job where they're part of mainstream American culture and have no problem fitting in there.

``Whereas in New York, you have to make the decision, like those two characters, John and Mike,'' he said. John is the classic American success story; a lawyer climbing the mainstream American corporate ladder, while Mike tries his best to ascend the hierarchy of the Korean crime gang. They are polar opposites are but are in fact kindred spirits.

John Cho (Courtesy of CJ Entertainment)

``Mike has just as little clue about Korea just as much as John, even though he seems more in touch with his Korean side. Partially by exposing that and exposing the American culture in the movie, Koreans also get a look at what America is. Though I may be wrong, they might have a romanticized view of the Korean-American community,'' he said, explaining how he wanted to show the other side to the success stories of Michelle Wie and Daniel Dae Kim.

In the film, the convicted boy's older sister is well-off. ``I have a lot of friends whose brothers are in jail while they are working at a big Forbes company, so it's an interesting phenomenon,'' said the director.

Although the movie is fictional, it is deeply rooted in reality. Edmund J. Lee, who co-wrote the story with Kang, discovered an intricate Korean crime network in New York while working as a reporter for the Village Voice.

``The architecture of New York very much helps the inaccessibility of this (underground world). Beneath all those noraebang (karaoke) and restaurants, there are room salons (bars) there and different things that you need access to in order to enter,'' said Kang.

The director explained that Lee had followed a ``yangachi'' (thug) around for a year to really understand the K-town crime scene. In fact, the supporting actors that played the young teenage boys were actually kids from the area. They were part of the creative process to portray the true culture of K-town and create realistic ``Konglish'' (mix of Korean and English) and slang-ridden dialogue.

``West 32nd'' also brings together the best of Korean talent in the U.S. and Korea, with popular actors John Cho (``Harold and Kumar'') and Grace Park (``Battlestar Galactica''), and Korea's top star Jeong Jun-ho and hot newcomer Jun Kim (Kim Jun-seong).

``I was a big fan of John's from way back… As we were writing the script he became the shorthand for (my co-writer) and me, we'd just talk about it as if it were John Cho but we never thought we'd be able to cast him,'' said Kang, who spoke of his likewise great luck in casting Grace Park. As for Jeong, he said it was an ``unbelievable fantasy, because I know that he's like an icon here, and that's exactly what we needed.''

Kang said Jeong's star power is key for the film because ``he's the last connection to a real Korean. Within three minutes of the film he's dead, and the rest of the movie is about how his death affects these Koreans in America who are lost and have no connection anymore to Korea. So symbolically it works.''

Kang's bridge-making efforts continue. Upcoming projects include the production of a film here about Korean-American guys making their way through the dating scene in Seoul, which he describes as `` `The Swingers' (a male version of ``Sex and the City') meets Kim Ki-duk,'' and a TV show for HBO about Chinese-Americans, the first Asian American family drama in a long time.

His next big directorial project is a human-trafficking story that takes place in Africa. Although Kang's personal journey as a Korean-American may have halted for the time being, his filmmaking endeavor goes on.

One can expect more of Kang as he wrestles the crippling challenge for all artists ― that is, taking one's cultural assets to create something new and named.

``West 32nd'' awaits release here Nov. 22, exclusively at CGV multiplex theaters. For tickets, visit www.cgv.co.kr. To learn more about the movie, visit http://www.w32nd.com/.

>>Read my movie review of "West 32nd"

>>Read my interview with John Cho.

>>Read my interview with Daniel Dae Kim.

`West 32nd' Breaks Down NY Koreatown

It gets down-and-dirty like the gritty streets of New York. In ``West 32nd,'' Korean-American director Michael Kang gives the classic detective genre a fresh twist as he tells the untold story of a Korea that exists in the heart of the Big Apple.

West 32nd Street is the geographic location of New York Koreatown (K-town) near the Empire State Building. But even those who are familiar with the ``noraebang'' (karaoke), stationary stores and ``seoleongtang'' (Korean beef broth) restaurants lining the strip will be shocked to know that there lies a whole new world beneath it all -- where Korean gangsters and ``organized'' mayhem reign.

While snippets of Koreatown have began to appear (fleetingly) as an exotic backdrop in Hollywood films like ``Collateral'' (2004) and ``Shoot 'Em Up'' (2007), it remained a relatively unexplored territory, and ``West 32nd'' breaks it down, once and for all.

In the dark corner of K-town, a bar owner Jin-ho (Jeong Jun-ho) is shot to death. Ambitious young lawyer John Kim (John Cho) offers to defend the 14-year-old Korean boy convicted of the homicide pro bono. Over the course of the investigation, he meets Mike Juhn (Jun Kim), a ruthless thug ascending the hierarchy of the Korean underworld.

Though polar opposites, the two quickly become friends. Mike is contemptible as much as he is charismatic -- an anti-hero with the tempting appeal of Kurtz in ``The Heart of Darkness.'' He attracts John like a lamp would a moth in his anarchical world that lies outside the reach of state laws.

To complicate things, John starts to fall for his client's beautiful older sister Lila (Grace Park). But winning the case -- a fast ticket to promotion -- is always his top priority, while Mike takes ``the guy from the other side'' under his wing to manifest his own grand visions.

``West 32nd'' is a classic crime movie but it's also a story about Koreanness and Americanness, and the murky middle ground in between -- a critical branch of the Korean diaspora that constitutes the thin but integral thread of the American social fabric.

In recent years, independent films like ``Better Luck Tomorrow'' (starring John Cho) and Kim So-yong's ``In Between Days'' began to accurately portray the Asian American community, but ``West 32nd'' really punches the genre through with a strictly mainstream appeal.

In the American context, the film shines through for breaking the model minority myth -- the false stereotype about Asian kids being all math whizzes who go to Ivy League schools and thus in no need of Affirmative Action. For mainland Koreans, it looks at the dark side of the American Dream, that moving to the U.S. does not guarantee wealth and success.

Just as ``West 32nd'' serves as the missing link between the two Korean communities, it brings together top talent from each side, popular actor John Cho (``Harold and Kumar'') and ``Battlestar Galactica'' heroine Grace Park from the United States and top star Jeong Jun-ho and hot newcomer Jun Kim (also known as Kim Jun-seong) from Seoul.

The film also does justice in presenting the Asian community, like the dialogues that are realistically crafted with ``Konglish'' or a clever mix of Korean and English. Characters like Mike and Jin-ho (Jeong) ooze with sex appeal, bashing stereotypes that deprived Asian men of their sexuality. It depicts more disturbing truths, touching upon racial conflicts within the Asian American community and hints upon human trafficking issues.

``West 32nd'' is not a feel-good movie. Deeply embedded in the bitter and ironic reality of life, the film's ambiguous nature will leave some feeling slightly confounded.

But it doesn't drown with heavy drama. Far from being preachy, it has a rhythmic street-style beat sprinkled with good humor -- provided by a pair of ``Dumb and Dumber'' characters -- and an eye-catching array of ``poktanju'' or Korean-style boilermakers. So get ready to descend into an intoxicating underworld you may find hard to turn back from.