Kaya

 Located at 3925 Sedgebrook Street in High Point, Kaya offers Korean and Japanese cuisine. Lunch specials are available.

 

Tucked into a shopping center off 68 near the High Point-Greensboro border, Kaya hits a number of hidden gem checkboxes: it’s unassuming and easily overlooked, it’s family-run and popular among locals, and the food is, by and large, good. That said, I would hesitate to give this place a rave.

 

A no-frills establishment, Kaya is nevertheless quiet and clean. It offers a familiar selection of hibachi dishes, but Korean is the main draw here. A large, pictorial Korean menu greets you upon entry. For those seeking authenticity, dishes like spicy squid or braised pig trotters let you know that you are in the right place.

My wife and I opted to split a seafood pancake, a bimimbap, and a spicy pork. As expected, they came with an array of banchan, and portions were plentiful. Though food quality varied, nothing was worse than average. The spicy pork was delicious. It was served hot with onions and slathered in a delectable sauce. The seafood pancake’s dough-to-seafood ratio favored the former though it was still tasty. That said, the bimimbap was a mixed bag. I appreciated the array of vegetables included though it was fairly light on meat. It also was not served sizzling, but that was my fault for not realizing that I needed to order the dol sot (stone pot) version.

 

Staff here are polite, but they will leave you alone unless you specifically request something. Chalk it up to custom rather than any kind of intentional indifference. For what Kaya charges (entrees in the teens), the plastic silverware and styrafoam cups felt like penny-pinching.

 

The variety of Kaya’s offerings and the quality of the spicy pork alone make me want to give this place another chance, but I would probably opt for takeout rather than dine-in in the future.

Bonchon

Located at 607 South Elm Street in Downtown Greensboro, Bonchon specializes in Korean fried chicken and also offers other Korean eats. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily. Drinks (including sake specials), lunch specials, online ordering, and delivery are available.

As a chain in close proximity to a plethora of eateries on Elm, Bonchon needed to be something special to have a chance at survival. Fortunately, it is. Delicious food, friendly service, and a surprising number of options make Bonchon a must for downtown dining.

Ironically housed in a former antique shop, Bonchon is bright, clean, modern, and inviting. There is plenty of seating around the bar and no shortage of conventional tables as well. One caveat: the latter come with low chairs that are not particularly comfortable.

While Korean fried chicken is the marquee attraction here, Bonchon offers quite a bit more. Rice bowls, tacos, sliders, salads, and more can be found here too. While Korean cuisine is well-represented (bulgogi and bimimbap are just the start), the fusion/pan-Asian offerings bring a strong dumpling game including takoyaki (Japanese breaded fried octopus poppers).

For our first visit, my wife and I split an order of strips (half soy garlic, half sweet crunch) with radish and an order of pork buns (pork belly, cucumber, slaw, spicy mayo, and sauce). Given that the chicken is made to order, the food didn’t take terribly long to arrive.

Both dishes were hits. While the chicken was perhaps dryer than it would have been were it in wing form, it was nicely breaded and crunchy without any greasiness. The pork buns were tender and practically inhalable. All of the sauces delivered big flavors, but none were overpowering, and the radish provided a cool, fresh counterpoint.

Everything proved to be surprisingly affordable. Ten-piece strips ran $12, three pork buns were $10, and the quantities were filling.

Some restaurants can leave you wondering if you’ll be back. With Bonchon, the only things left to wonder are when and what to try next.

High Point Korean BBQ

Located at 2017 Kirkwood Street in High Point, High Point Korean BBQ serves Korean fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

With limited Korean options in the area, High Point Korean BBQ filled a definite need when it opened this past spring. Though dining here proved to be an up and down experience, the restaurant is still a welcome addition.

Housed in a nondescript plaza, High Point Korean BBQ is much nicer inside than out. It’s tastefully appointed with a combination of booths and tables as well as semiprivate dining areas off to the side. Soothing music plays unobtrusively in the background.

Despite the restaurant’s name, do not come here expecting tableside grilling: everything is prepared in the kitchen. That aside, you will find a lot of recognizably Korean dishes: bulgogi, bimimbap, jjigae, jap che, galbi, and more. Pricing is all over the place, ranging from wallet-friendly $10 lunch specials all the way to $40/person group meals. There are enough protein options within that range to satisfy most patrons’ diets.

My first visit was a late lunch, and I went with a ttukbaegi bulgogi (beef and a broth-like sauce with glass noodles) lunch special. First and foremost, it proved to be a fantastic value. For a mere $10, I received not only bulgogi, but a small salad, miso, six banchan (side dishes, which included pickled vegetables and kimchi), a side of rice, and a cold cinnamon tea for dessert.

Among the offerings, there were more hits than misses. The miso held its own, the mild broth imparted the bulgogi with flavor, the kimchi was appropriately spicy, and the cinnamon tea was deliciously refreshing. On the other hand, the dressing atop the salad was offputtingly acidic (wherefore art thou, classic ginger?), and the beef in the bulgogi was rather chewy.

Throughout the meal, Matt proved to be a capable, polite, and attentive server. He clarified the differences between the different bulgogi variants, identified each of the banchan dishes, and generally seemed to be on top of things.

Given the ambiance and pricing, High Point Korean BBQ has the potential to be a very good lunch spot for the area. In order for it to take the leap, however, the kitchen needs more consistency.

7.75/10

Spring Break Northern Excursion

Spring Break Northern Excursion

My “Spring” Break rarely comes in spring, but I’ll take time off when I can get it. As I had not set foot in my home state in several years, my wife and I ventured north to New Jersey for a few days in early March, stopping along the way in Delaware to visit some friends. Here are but a few places we took in along the way.

Marchese Italian Market

Located at 1700 Pleasure House Road in Virginia Beach, Marchese Italian Market serves appetizers, salads, coffee drinks, panini, and pasta dishes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Sunday. Sliced meats, cheeses, and baked goods are also available for purchase.

The last time we passed through Virginia Beach, we got a good laugh from the dueling Baptist churches on Pleasure House Road. This time, we decided to actually explore said thoroughfare. Marchese Italian Market made us glad that we did.

Though not a large space, Marchese feels cozy rather than cramped. Signed soccer jerseys and other memorabilia cover the walls, and wines, meats, and cakes are prominently displayed. The owner made us feel welcome and told us she had made some fresh minestrone soup, making a tough decision (everything on the menu sounded good) even tougher.

In the end, my wife and I split an order of rice balls and went with the minestrone with meatballs and the Parma (prosciutto, sweet red peppers, parmesan, and pesto) panini respectively. The food was neither cheap (panini are $8.20 and soup with meatballs ran north of $5) nor quick to arrive, but it was worth it. The rice balls were very cheesy, the generously sized panini balanced salty (the prosciutto) and sweet (the pepper) well, and the soup was the best minestrone I’ve ever had, rich and hearty with perfectly fluffy meatballs. An order of cannoli drizzled with chocolate sauce did not disappoint either.

Giacomo’s in Greensboro remains my gold standard for Italian markets, but for a lunch stop in northern Virginia, Marchese exceeded expectations. If you don’t mind paying and waiting a bit, you’ll walk away full and satisfied.

8/10

Yukon Korean BBQ and Sushi Bar

Located at 865 North Dupont Highway in Dover, Yukon Korean BBQ and Sushi Bar offers sushi, Japanese, and Korean fare. There is a full bar, and food and drink specials are available.

It would be unfair to categorize the whole of Delaware as a culinary wasteland, but on a Saturday night in Dover, dine-in options for a group of four were few and far between. After being quoted wait times of forty minutes to an hour at a few destinations, we decided to give Yukon a try. Though the name (an Americanization, perhaps?) suggests the Alaskan wilderness far more than pan-Asian cuisine, it made for a solid choice.

First, a few caveats. Yukon is not a traditional Korean BBQ restaurant. Though banchan (small side dishes like kim chee) are served and several Korean entrees (such as bulgogi and bimimbap) are available, they are not sizzled tableside, and a good chunk of the menu is dedicated to sushi and Japanese offerings. Next, Yukon is not cheap for what it offers. While the teriyaki and tempura offerings provided an acceptable value ($15-$16 with miso and salad included), the BBQ entrees went for $16-$20 with no such accompaniments.

Beyond that, however, Yukon offers a varied menu with plenty of options: meat or vegetarian, Japanese or Korean, hot or cold. The beef teriyaki featured thinly sliced steak with a nice char while the galbi (marinated boneless ribs) were tender, sweet, and smoky. The tempura offerings held their batter well, and the flavored martinis were a hit with those who tried them. Though things got a bit hectic as Yukon filled up, our server made a good effort to be attentive.

Were there more restaurants of its type in the vicinity, Yukon would rate as strictly an average eatery, a hit-or-miss, take-it-or-leave-it affair. However, the dearth of similar options in the area and the variety the menu affords elevates it to a must-try for Dover-area denizens on the hunt for something different.

7.5/10

Lindt Chocolate Shop

Located at 68 Palmer Square West in Princeton, Lindt sells chocolates by the bar or by the bag as well as chocolate beverages. Free samples are usually available.

If you have even the slightest appreciation for chocolate, this place is hard to pass up. The selection includes truffle flavors not usually found in stores (or not year-round, anyway), and you can cobble together your own custom bag. Yes, it can be pricy, but taking advantage of sales can take some of the sting away. Moreover, the staff at this location were welcoming and free of snobbery.

Obviously, becoming a regular here would be detrimental to wallet and health alike, but for those who visit Princeton every once in a while, this should be a regular stop.

8.25/10

D’Angelo Italian Market

Located at 35 Spring Street in Princeton, D’Angelo Italian Market offers sandwiches, salads, pizzas, pasta dishes, desserts, and more. Catering is available, and there is a full-service butcher.

D’Angelo is an indecisive person’s nightmare, which is to say that it offers many, many delicious-sounding options. I’ve enjoyed their sandwiches in the past, but during a recent visit, my wife and I decided to try pizza. The Parmense (red sauce, prosciutto, arugula, mozzarella, and parmesan) was savory and salty while the Parmigiana (red sauce, eggplant, basil, mozzarella, and parmesan) was refreshing and not the least bit soggy. This isn’t cheap pizza ($3-plus a slice for the Parmense), but you get what you pay for.

For as good as the food and the selection are here, D’Angelo has some definite drawbacks. Seating is limited and inadequate given the volume of dine-in customers. The pizzamaker on duty also seemed surly, and I’ve gotten a brusque vibe from sandwich staff in the past.

If you know what you want and take-out is an option, D’Angelo is a blessing. But if you have to eat in, be prepared for some trade-offs along with your likely-to-be very tasty food.

7.75/10

Chen’s 22

Located at 901 Mountain Avenue in Springfield, NJ, Chen’s 22 offers pan-Asian cuisine for lunch and dinner seven days per week. Sushi is offered (including an all you can eat option on select nights), and lunch specials are available.

Years ago, one of the first jobs I ever held was located a few doors down from this longstanding Springfield institution, and I would sometimes head over on lunch breaks. Since then, Chen’s has added Japanese and Thai offerings to its repertoire, but its Chinese dishes remain satisfying if unspectacular.

Chen’s is not a big restaurant, but it is more spacious than its narrow storefront suggests. Go when it isn’t busy, and service is generally on-point. Our group of five hadn’t long to wait for hot tea or any of our food.

Speaking of the food, they execute competently here (nothing over or undercooked, no missing components, no excesses of grease or salt), but the flavors tend to be a bit muted. Our group went with sweet and sour pork, General Tsao’s chicken, a Szechuan beef dish, a Cantonese seafood dish, and New Year’s coins (coin-shaped pasta). Everything was several notches better than the run-of-the-mill takeout that is so ubiquitous down south, and the coins were something I haven’t encountered elsewhere. Just the same, several of the dishes that were supposed to be spicy definitely could have used more heat.

Since Hunan Spring’s unfortunate decline, Chen’s 22 has emerged by default as a go-to Chinese destination for return visits to New Jersey. The prompt service, balanced menu, and tasty (if toned-down) offerings make that far from a bad thing.

7.75/10

Seoul Garden

Located at 5318 W. Market Street in Greensboro, Seoul Garden offers authentic Korean cuisine with pan-Asian flourishes. The menu includes soups, rice bowls, noodle dishes, and shared entrees. Lunch and drink specials are available.

Tucked amid a slew of other West Market businesses, Seoul Garden is quite easy to miss. The building is nondescript on both the outside (there’s signage, but nothing memorable about it) and within (the dark wood on white walls is classy albeit familiar). Indeed, the only thing that initially stands out about the establishment is the fact that it is Korean; there aren’t many in Greensboro.

Once the menu reaches your hands, however, everything changes. Seoul Garden has something for the newcomer and the Korean aficionado alike. Dishes range from simple, tried-and-true (udon and ishiyaki) to enchantingly complex (table-prepared gol dishes that combine everything under the sun). Our server recommended the bulgogi, so we tried one with beef and one with spicy pork.

Like any reputable Korean restaurant, Seoul Garden offers an assortment of banchan (side dishes). The kimchi and vegetable dishes were tasty, but a Waldorf salad-like concoction was perplexing. The bulgogi came as advertised, which is to say spicy (they can tone it down upon request) and sizzling hot. Throw in some complimentary miso and a sweet cinnamon iced tea dessert and you’re looking at quite a bit of food for the money ($9.99). It’s worth noting, however, that prices increase sharply among the more intricate shared dishes (including a reservation-only multi-course $100 halibut sashimi).

Staff at Seoul Garden are polite, but the service leans toward slow. This is not much of a problem from a hunger standpoint – the side dishes can tide you over until the bulk of your food arrives – but be sure that you plan for a leisurely meal.  Crowding was not an issue during our visit.

Don remains the more convenient option for a quality rice bowl, but with so many eye-catching options left unexplored, Seoul Garden begs for a return visit. This time, we’ll know exactly where to find it.

8/10