Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pkang0202]

This is kind of travel related. A lot of us hail from different areas. Why not post the best of the best restaurants in your hometown, so that if someone were to visit there, they could enjoy it. Doesn't have to be "local cuisine". If your town has an awesome Mexcian restaurant that has Chicken Nachos to die for, then list them.



First off, city/town, country. Then type of food and name of the place. Next is the specialty. And general directions so they could easily find it.

Place:
Type of food:
Restaurant Name:
Specialty:
Directions:

[pkang0202]

Place: Richmond, Virginia USA
Type of food: Pizza Restaurant
Name of Restaurant: Bottom's up Pizza
Specialty: Their signature Pizza's
Directions: There are 3 locations in Richmond. The original is in Shockoe Bottom. When you get to Richmond, just ask people where Shockoe Bottom is, and that you want to get to Bottom's Up pizza. Almost anyone you meet will be able to tell you where. Shockoe Bottom has a lot of clubs/bars too so you can get some drinks after you eat pizza. Bottom's Up does serve beer and alcohol.

Here is their website, where you can check the menu:

http://www.bottomsuppizza.com/

The pizza slices are huge. 1 Slice is really all one person needs. I would recommend the Mozzarella Tracks as an appetizer. The pizzas are unbelievably good. Get the Chesapeake, made from blue crab meat. I've taken many people here, from Jersey al the way to California. They all say its one of the best pizzas they've ever had.

[DrOctagon]

Hometown or where we're living now? I can't name just one.

Chicago, IL, USA:
Pizza: Lou Malnati's (few locations)
Italian Beef: Johnny's Beef in River Forest/Oak Park
Hot Dog: Gene and Jude's in Franklin Park

Jeju-Do:
Western: The Lighthouse in Samyang beach (best french toast).
Indian Food: Baghdad Cafe in City Hall (overpriced and small portions, but good food).
Western: Gecko's in Seogwipo
Pizza/Western: Young Gu's in Shin Jeju
Korean: Some chicken galbi place in City Hall. Sorry, can't remember the name. I'll find out and get back to you guys.

[Faunaki]

Where: Sorrento, BC.
Name: Billabong Pub
What: $0.10 chicken wings and the best caesars in the world
Directions: It's the only pub in the town and within a 50 mile radius. Try not to blink while passing though the town, you may miss it!

[chris_J2]

Place: Scarborough, Queensland, Australia.
Type of food: Seafood
Restaurant Name: Morgans
Specialty: Seafood
Directions: 25 miles north of Brisbane cbd along Hornibrook Hwy.

I recommend the mixed prawns (tiger, endeavour, ocean king), small sand crabs, (they're sweeter than the big ones), Pacific rock oysters, & fresh crumbed cuttlefish, & cod, washed down with an Australian chardonnay or 2. Best of all, you don't need chopsticks to pick out the fish bones, like you do in Korea.

[alex83]

Place: Toronto, Canada
Type of food: Steak + fine dining
Name of Restaurant: Harbour 60 Steakhouse
Specialty: STEAK
Directions: 60 Harbour St., in same building as Port Authority

Not a cheap place, but a great value for what you get.

[waynehead]

Not my hometown but worth the drive out to it:

Place: Wilson, North Carolina, US
Type of food: Eastern NC BBQ (shredded pork)
Name: Wilbur's
Speciality: BBQ (it's a noun)
Directions: US 70 East, Wilson

[seethetraffic]

Place: Seattle, WA USA
Type of food: Vietnamese
Restaurant Name: (2 restaurants) Pho Bac and Ballet
Specialty: Pho Bac (Beef Noodle Soup) / Chicken Curry with Vegetables
Directions: Pho Bac is at the intersection of 14th S. and S. Jackson
in Seattle's "Little Saigon". Ballet is on E. Pike near Broadway on Capitol Hill behind/next to a gas station.

[movybuf]

Place: Milwaukee, WI USA
Type of food: Greek
Restaurant Name: Oakland Gyros
Specialty: Gyros
Directions: On the corner of Oakland Ave and Locust Ave.

Every gyro I eat is compared against the ones there. I know they aren't exactly authentic, but they are awesome!

[crocadoodledoo]

Place: Montreal
Type of food: Jewish?
Restaurant Name: Reubens
Specialty: Fresh baked bagel with smoked salmon or smoked meat
Directions:

[Mdvl_lady50]

Am sure I'm going to go on, so just skip the cities you don't care for, as I'm a rambling rose when it comes to hometowns.

Los Angeles/Orange County, CA, USA
Place: Hop Louies in LA Chinatown located on 950 Mei Ling Way, just off of Spring Street - the main pedestrian walkway to Chinatown. It's really old Cantonese style. I used to go up there religiously when my daughter was a "starving student" at USC, and I would treat her to a $25 (came to $35 or so when she became legal to drink) lunch. It is such a kitsch place (photos of John Wayne, etc.), and the interior seems to match its age. But honestly, the sweet and sour pork, fried rice, Mongolian beef are wonderful. I always had tons to take home as well:)

Place: Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse, 20782 Trabuco Oaks Drive, Trabuco Canyon, CA. This is a trickier place to find in that one has to traverse a few roads out of the city of either Orange or Laguna Hills. I would just use Mapquest.com if interested. I'm not usually a steak fan, but this place has memories and numerous visits. The setting is unique in that it is 30 minutes from the city in the mountains, and there are actual oak and sycamore trees that the restaurant built around that are in the restaurant. It's a very cool place. Prices are okay -- About $20 for an Oak A Bob - which consists of two skewers of sirloin and filet mignon steak with accompanying veggies. Then you get tons of fries (skinny little devils), salad, cowboy beans and all you can eat garlic fried bread. Wine list is a little pricey, but when I visit friends back home this is a place we always go back to. Both my kidlets were conceived (in the idea of course at this place with my now departed ex:)


Sacramento, California
Golden Dragon Restaurant, 2800 Broadway #1, Sacramento, Ca. This is in old town Sac I believe very near or in the Chinese Cultural Center (such as it is). My daughter and I just wandered in one night, and we blown away with the authenticity of the place. Again, it reminded us of Hop Louie, in that the sweet and sour pork was so good -- not the kind that us Yanks get at takeouts or ubiquitous buffets, but had that crunch. They also served a very good hot sizzling rice soup. Then we found out that they delivered, that made it better in that the parking is not so fine downtown old Sac. We usually got out of there for under $35.00.

Zelda's Pizza, 1415 21st Street, Sacramento, CA. This is Chicago style which I'd never eaten before until we ventured. The place is old style 60's I would imagine with dark walls, seeming like old Mateus wine bottles made into candles (am not kidding). No reservations, you just walk in, but the bar is super cheap and bartenders fairly friendly. The pizza crust does have a cornmeal crust (rather odd I thought), but it works. Servers are rather abrupt, but okay, -- and the pizza rocks. Prices ranged about $25.00 for 2 with 2 glasses of wine.


Las Vegas Nevada: What can I say. I lived there for a year teaching.
Ellis Island Casino - It's a total dive off of Flamingo Road, and on Koval Street. If you're wandering down, even in a dazed drunken state, you can't miss it. Their coffe shop has an excellent sirloin steak, baked potato (with fixings), beans, salad, and bread for $8.00 - they also throw in a beer that is from their on premises brewery. It's a fantastic deal. They also have an addition BBQ/chicken place where you can have the combo for $8.00 with garlic bread. That's where I used to go regularly once a week.

Much higher end is the Bally's Sterling Brunch buffet - at the Bally's Hotel on the Strip. It's a whopping $85 a person but one has choices of filet mignon, lobster, caviar, sushi, an inordinate amount of sides with the added bonus of unlimited Pierre Jouet champage. They also do not rush you. I've eaten there several times for special occasions with my family -- or we just make one up:)


England: Lived there for three years. All I can say is that I haven't had a lot of full dining experiences there in that for most of my time I was a landlady at a pub, and I really couldn't get out much. That being said, all the small villages, and especially the one I ended up in have very good takeout only chippies (fish 'n chips), Indian places and Chinese. They totally rock. I'm such a fish 'n chips fan that I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I moved to UK. Chinese was a bit different than over here in the States, but adapted quickly as I liked the Chinese style of curry. The Indian, which is not as popular in the States, I learned to love. It became my "mex" food.


Wickenburg, Arizona: This is where I now teach before I move to Korea. All I can say about Wickenburg is that it's on the way to Laughlin or Las Vegas from Phoenix, and does tout itself as a "Western getaway" from wherever.

Mecca Restaurant/Bar - It's a biker place on Wickenburg Way (there's only one main thoroughfare), and has killer spicy/bbq chicken wings. I've had my share in my travels, and these are excellent.

El Ranchera Restaurant - Wickenburg Way. It's very down home Mexican cooking, and not as Californized as I've had in the past. The owner knows good ingredients, and the menudo is very good. We also like the shrimp tacos - yum.

Sorry, this was like War and Peace, but I am a food junkie:)

[legalquestions]

World Famous "Leo and Susies" Green Top BBQ - US Highway 78 (the old Memphis to Birmingham Highway), Dora, Alabama.

Pulled or chopped/sliced (inside or outside meat) BBQ pork shoulder (Boston Butt) slow smoked over hickory or oak coals, on a bun with southern style BBQ sauce (you know it if you are from the region) and pickle. Melts in your mouth, and goes down real smooth with an ice cold Bud longneck!