Friday, November 27, 2009

hangawi

Hangawi interior

Yes, I'm still commuting from Philly to NYC every day. All that traveling makes a girl hungry. Last week, I met my good friend VKO for lunch at Hangawi. This mid-town Korean eatery is 100% vegan. The decor is shrine-like: minimal, all-natural materials, sunken tables, handmade vessels...



My blood pressure lowered the moment I walked in the door and took off my shoes.


We started off with the combination pancakes, served with a delicate soy dipping sauce; they are pure comfort food, not to be missed. Pictured from left to right: leek, kimchi mushroom, and kobocha pumpkin with mung beans.



For her main, the lovely VKO chose the spicy tofu hot pot. It came with rice and two kinds of kimchee. I had a taste: sublime and perfect for a chilly day.


I opted for my all-time favorite Korean dish: stone bowl rice with sesame leaves. The hot stone bowl crisps the rice, giving it an unmistakable crunch.

Thank you, VKO--for the lovely gift and for once again introducing me to another fab restaurant.

21 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

I have the pleasure of knowing VKO in real life, so this post makes me ESPECIALLY happy! :)

Christo Gonzales said...

I am glad you are enjoying NYC - that does seem like blood pressure medicine and I could sure use some of that...

Sweet Pea's Mom said...

I love Asian food and that looks delectable! Now I'm hungry for hot & sour soup!

Unknown said...

what a cool restaurant!! And the food looks amazing!!

buffalodick said...

Korean flavors are some of my favorites...Sesame oil is a must have in this house!

Anonymous said...

What is your favorite restaurant in Philly and how can I get a hold of you? I'd like you to giveaway some of my organic date syrup on your web site. After you try it of course..

Abby Bean said...

How much did you love, love, love that spicy kimchi? I have never had a meal that wasn't great at Hangawi. Also check out Franchia, their sister teahouse a few blocks away.

urban vegan said...

Anonymous: Fave restaurant: Horizons. You can email me: theurbanvegan@yahoo.com

Jes said...

Vegan. Korean. !!! Next time I'm in NYC I'm going to have to eat there. I love making Korean food, but I'm sure it's not super authentic & every Korean restaurant I've been to uses beef bone stock (ick).

Anonymous said...

I never knew I loved Korean food until I tried Hangawi! I always recommend it to friends visiting NYC. It's worth the splurge.

Meg Wolff said...

OMG! I LOVE Hangawi, too.

mamapasta said...

sesame leaves???I will try to put some sesame seeds in a pot just to taste that, I did not known that we can eat thoses leaves!

JENNA said...

I must remember to suggest Hangawi the next time my husband and I have a date night.

Judy said...

Mmm yummy.

Any time I see/hear of someone having to take their shoes off somewhere, I am reminded of the Sex and the City episode where Carrie loses her $500 Manolos that way. Be careful!

And I love how the two food photos at the bottom have the same bowl in each photo, so it looks like one big photo. If that makes sense...

Vegiegail said...

OH God, Denise, I LOVE Hangawi! I haven't been to NYC in years, and I'm so glad to know it's still there. Your pancakes photo is making my mouth water!

Lisa said...

Are you the same person who runs urbanvegan.blogspot.com? If so, I really want to try your spaghetti carbonara recipe (referenced here: http://www.veganbean.com/vb/2008/07/vegan-spaghetti-carbonara-with-smart-bacon-peas.html). But I can't get to it with that link. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction? Thanks SO MUCH!

noncoupable said...

This is my first time reading your blog: I am in the process of vegan-izing over the last 5 weeks or so. I'm almost there, but getting rid of eggs has been difficult because it's currently my last resort for protein when I'm too lazy to make anything else. Clearly, I need to buy your cookbook.

Love this post about vegan Korean. I am a huge fan of bibimbap and used to order it like everyday when I lived in Taiwan ($3 !!!!!) but in the SF bay area (where I live) it's more expensive and nearly always with meat. Wonder if there are vegan Korean restaurants in SF...!

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Mmm, HanGawi! I love it. I went there with VKO as well. I miss her, she never posts anymore!

Pinoy Ideas said...

Wow!! I love stone bowl rice with sesame leaves! This is one of my favorite korean dish

rgjr4444 said...

you have to try

Mac and Cheese
1 lb elbow mac.
1-2 containers of We Can’t Say Its Cheese

Cook mac until tender
Add We Can’t Say Its Cheese spread, mix and serve.
Its melts so easily and I like lots of cheese so I add more than 1 container.
It tastes just like cheese. Got the tip for this product from Veg News April pg 60 great new picks. A local health food store had it. Also, the local Whole Foods manager here in Ct said they were going to carry it in May. I never had a vegan cheese that tasted so good and melts for cooking like We Can’t Say Its Cheese. Check the website www.wayfarefoods.com

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