Manimal – Itaewon

Manimal has been the talk of the town lately. I took all the raving with a grain of salt, not wanting to be disappointed in decent, but not fantastic barbecue. I needn’t have worried – Manimal is scrumptious and totally worth the commute any day.

After you enter through the incredibly steep stairs in the alley on the left side of the building, you’re greeted by the enormous smoker. It has its own little room and takes up about an eighth of the entire dining room floor space. They are not kidding around here. It was a sign of delicious and wonderful things to come.

Like always, we started off with a few adult beverages. Eric got my first choice – the I Shot the Sheriff made with black tea, bourbon and honey. I chose the Lush Blush, featuring vodka, fresh maple syrup, and strawberries. Both were great, refreshing summer cocktails that went perfectly with the wonderful breeze from the open windows at our counter seats. The Sheriff was a smooth, sweet concoction that tasted a little like an iced hot toddy. The Lush was very sweet, but with just the right amount of maple syrup. Both were complex and mellow enough to be enjoyed by even the pickiest of drinkers.

Chile, cheesy heaven in cast iron

I had a bit of a crisis when I had to choose side dishes. I simply wanted them all. Fresh baked corn bread, bacon braised beans… how could I leave without sampling everything? We finally settled on the chipotle lime potato salad and the green chile mac and cheese. I really don’t think you can go wrong at this place. The mac and cheese featured a flavorful and spicy sauce that gave depth to an old classic. The potato salad was constructed beautifully, red potatoes and hard boiled egg elevated with the addition of the chipotle sauce and tasty mustard. The slightly more complex flavors took a side I usually avoid and made it into something I couldn’t stop eating.

To borrow an expression -These ribs? I can’t even.

The ribs were just this side of perfection. It’s not an exaggeration to say these were the best I’ve had in Korea. The rub and glaze were amazing – they’re so good naked, they don’t even need a lick of sauce. The meat was tender and smoky. Describing how good these are is hard to do without more synonyms for delicious. I really need to invest in an eating thesaurus. The brisket, in comparison, was definitely tasty, especially when doused in the vinegary, slightly spicy barbecue sauce, but not nearly as mind-blowing. Do yourself a huge favor – go early and grab a slab of ribs before they sell out. I’m not kidding. We got to Manimal exactly when they opened, and the ribs were 86’ed before we ordered dessert. We were told by staff that the chicken is stellar, the pulled pork certainly looked good, and the brisket was indeed quite yummy, but the ribs are definitely the star of the whole show.

One of the biggest surprises of the night was dessert. We usually plan on going to a second place, since we can usually end up with something a little better at a place that specializes in sweets. Don’t make that mistake and miss Manimal’s ice cream, though. House made, very vanilla ice cream served with bananas, crispy vanilla wafers and crumbles, and chunks of sweet cake. Our waiter told us we needed to try this, and he was completely correct. It’s delicious for being so deceivingly simple, and is totally one of those things I’ll be back for over and over.

Manimal is a pretty small place, and it’s probably a good idea to call for a reservation or at least show up right when they open. A lot of the seating is counter seating at the windows, and there’s really not a lot of room for a group any bigger than 6. As I mentioned before, they may start running out of ribs, corn bread, brisket, and other items as the night goes on, so show up early and make sure you order your goods right away. Don’t miss the ribs. You’ll hate yourself when you see other people eating them. This place is definitely going to be a regular stop for me.

***EDIT – Looks like Manimal doesn’t take reservations – make sure you get there early!

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Left Coast Artisan Burgers – Itaewon

Left Coast is one of my favorite places to hang out in Itaewon. The atmosphere manages to provide a comfortable place for either dinner or a quick drink and app at the bar. The windows overlook the street that marks the beginning of an area known for antique shops, providing great people watching opportunities. Also, scientifically proven fact: food tastes better when you’re listening to old school rap.

My usual go-to appetizers are the fried mac and cheese balls and the tachos, both of which are awesome. The crispy fried mac is served with a tasty red sauce, and the tachos are house-made tater tots covered in cheesy and spicy sauces, and should you opt for it, delicious pulled meat. This time, we decided to try the baked mac and cheese. On it’s own, it doesn’t quite hold up to those favorite apps, but we did discover it was an ideal dipping choice for the skinny fries that came with our burger.

LC does a great job of balancing flavors in their burger recipes. The Hapa features a pickled cabbage slaw, fried egg, and pepper aioli. The yolk breaks when you bite into it, and along with the tasty sauce, produces a very delicious mess. Each burger is served with the aforementioned lightly seasoned and crisp skinny fries.

Traditional Lemonade with Vodka

The adult lemonades are freshly squeezed and tasty like whoa. They come in three varieties, each with a different liquor – ginger/gin, strawberry/tequila, and traditional/vodka. Also pictured: Sriracha – I love that LC stocks this hot sauce.

Strawberry Lemonade with Tequila

Galbi Bao

Another great item is LC’s Bao buns. Each features a different meat and distinctive sauce, and all are served on fluffy white dumpling. My favorite is the pork belly with soy glaze and cucumber. It is surprisingly light and the veggies produce a satisfying crunch to go with the soft, fatty meat. The galbi is also super tasty and tender. These are my go-to bar snacks when we stop by for a drink – just big enough to satisfy a craving without being too filling.

Pork Belly Bao

Left Coast’s food is both interesting to the palate and satisfying to the appetite, and the staff is welcoming and awesome. They always have a special going – that day, it was a 1+1 on the lemonades, and they often feature unique burgers. Every once in a while, they also host late night snack nights with Mexican or Hawaiian food menus. Word is they’re also getting a new set of cocktails and an expanded dessert menu soon.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Ben’s Cookies – Itaewon

You don’t always have to be fancy to be delicious. Ben’s Cookies is, for all intents and purposes, a closet that’s just big enough to house an oven and a cash register. There’s only enough room to go inside and pay (and grab a free sample).

Ben’s started in the UK in the 80’s, and they now have two locations in Seoul. Their 5 + 2 deal lets you try a good array of flavor combinations, and won’t break the bank at 12,000 Won. Fair warning – you may want to eat them all at once and then pass out in a sugar coma.

We personally preferred any of the cookies with giant chocolate chunks, and I loved the peanut ones. Eric’s favorite was the milk chocolate orange. Nothing we tried disappointed. They last 3 or 4 days in the box, so you can take a few home and not worry about them getting stale.

Click to enlarge

Little Baja – Itaewon

I was excited to hear about a new west coast style taco joint down one of the back alleys in Itaewon. Run by guys from the LA area, the unassuming and tiny restaurant is hardly more than a kitchen and a couple of tables, but it delivers truly tasty food.

Little Baja offers tacos of three styles – fish, shrimp, and octopus. The seafood was fried to crispy golden goodness, the salsa added just enough heat, and the slaw had a good crunchy texture that pulled everything together. All three varieties hit the spot, but my personal favorite was the fish. I haven’t seen another restaurant serve an octopus taco, so I would recommend trying it as it was tender and delicious. The octopus is the only concession to existing in Korea – everything else is pure SoCal.

Little Baja also serves a very tasty horchata and a very generous sangria. The horchata was easily the better of the two. It was a milky, cinnamon infused delight.

Little Baja is a tiny place with a very small menu, but if you’re in the game for some tasty tacos, look no further. No frills, just straightforward and delicious west coast fare. Drop in if you need a snack or if you need to gorge until you need a nap.