Holiday Escapades

VM and I are craft fair mongers from way back (think independent artists, not dried flowers in baskets) and we especially enjoy the Grand Central Holiday Fair and The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park (you can keep up with the Markets of New York all year round) with a Hangawi chaser.

We don't venture to the tourist part of town very often, but because of these fests we can't help but to visit around the holidays.  We started our day at Dean and DeLuca for coffee; but, being the loyalists that we are, we smuggled in vegan contraband in the form of Vegan Treats cowboy cookies.  Note: under intense questioning, the gentleman at Dean and DeLuca swore that there were no animal products in a soy, vanilla latte.

It was a particularly rainy day, so we then ducked into the free Lion King exhibit on 6th Avenue, Inside the Lion King.  There were plenty of people offering insight into how the intricate costumes worked and it was cool to see them up close since they were the only thing we liked about the show when we saw it years ago.  Yes; my family members and I are the only people in the universe who did not like The Lion King.  We can't help it; the opening scene was fantastic and the rest of the show was a letdown.  Don't judge us.  Unrelated: a day later I tried to text VM a pic of her with this elephant and I inadvertantly mis-dialed (I know; so old-school of me).  Would you believe a conversation ensued?  The mistaken recipient actually responded, "Who is that?" to which I had to reply, "Sorry; mis-dial," to which he responded, "Ok."  Really?  You receive an unusual pic obviously sent in error and you can't just let it go?  Back in the day when film had to be developed I was mistakenly returned an envelope of abhorrent trophy hunting shots that I was able to exchange for the correct roll with less communication.

Next up, Bryant Park.  I was disappointed by how many out-of-place vendors were represented at this holiday market; I even heard a tourist lament that some were selling "the same crap you can get on the street" and he was right.  These markets are intended to showcase local shops and artists; iPhone cases, black umbrellas, and mass-produced winter hats do not a market make.  But, there were also some in-spirit venders to be discovered.  I chose a print by Ilia Pasymanski, and, later, a Turkish lamp that I'd been stalking (I'll spare you the drama, but take it from me: never assume that all Turkish lamps are sized the same).

I've been shopping at the Animated Closet for years: they sell cotton clothes and accessories made of man-made materials.  While I was looking at the gloves, one of the salespeople (possibly the owner) suggested that I look at a bracelet that she thought matched my pocketbook.  The bracelet looked like leather, so I asked; you never know.  When she confirmed, I said simply, "No, thank you," to which she replied, "Oh, your bag's not leather?"  When I told her that it wasn't and that I don't wear animal products, she promptly and cheerily replied- in all seriousness, "Oh! Well these bracelets are made from cows who died from natural causes."  I took a deep breath and, in slow motion, turned in her direction.  Before I could open my mouth, VM warned her, "Don't go there," but she couldn't control herself from further spewing dangerous naivete, "No, really!  They're made from cows on a farm in Thailand that are milked and treated really well."  I won't bore you with the conversation that ensued, but suffice it to say: we have a lot of work to do, vegans!  For any non-vegans reading, please don't delude yourself; leather is a byproduct of cruel industries that you are a part of if you consume, wear, or use animal products in any way.

We'd just arrived at Grand Central Station when a young girl- probably about 13, approached VM with the question, "Excuse me, but are you Jewish?" Without hesitation I ran about 8 feet away for fear of being in the line of fire when VM laced into the girl for her uncouth forwardness.  I waited for it: 5,4,3,2.... and then VM's expression softened and she calmly replied, "Why yes; I am." Without hesitation, the young woman handed her a menorah and wished her a Happy Hanukkah.  Indeed.

For dinner, we headed over the Hangawi.  I'm sorry to report that while the atmosphere is as calming as ever, the service and ceremony that has, in the past, truly made dinner at Hangawi a ritualistic experience is all but gone.  Luckily, the food still reigns supreme (and the serene lighting still prevents the photos from being anything but informative).

Plum juice for me:

White sangria for VM (this was more juice than wine: with pineapples, blueberries, and possibly mango):

We started out with an order of the fritters galore: crispy batter fried sweet potato, todok, doraji, taro, beet, and kabocha.

And the vermicelli delight: Korean sweet potato noodles with assorted vegetables.  The blur is actually steam.

For dinner we shared the crispy mushrooms in sweet and sour sauce:

And the vegetarian stone bowl rice: assortment of vegetables over rice served in hot stone bowl with hot chili paste on the side (we've been through all of the stone bowls and can never remember which is our favorite).

The food was delicious and everything was enjoyed.  But, as I said, while Hangawi is a longtime favorite- it's definitely missing something of late. 

The serving ceremony that has always made the dining experience so special has been all but discontinued,  and what remains is performed like a chore.  No one asked if we were enjoying everything or even if we needed anything, and the waitstaff was impatient if you happened to be getting up from your seat if they were passing (it's hard not to be).  Worst: they just exhibited general malaise about the theme of the restaurant, which is what makes it so special.  I hope this was just an off-night and the service returns to its former glory so that it may catch up with the food and atmosphere.

But, in order to leave you on a note of Holiday cheer...

behold 89 opening her very first Hanukkah present.

Which she managed to destroy in under 4 minutes.

Happy Han

ukkah!

Eve Eve

This year a group of us were hoping to get together on Christmas Eve, but family plans were an impediment.  So, we created our own non-secular holiday: Eve Eve!  

Here's how it went down: we went to Hangawi for dinner.

my requisite plum juice

Our first shared appetizer was the vegetarian dumplings, fried; it was Eve Eve after all.

 

Next up was my fave Hangawi appetizer, combination pancakes in pumpkin, kimchi, and mushroom leek.

They kindly quartered each flavor to make it easy for our party of four to share.

For dinner I took my cue from my friend, PS, who always orders the best noodle dishes: we both went with the vermicelli stone bowl rice and I stole all her hot sauce.  I still think I prefer the avocado stone bowl, but this hit the spot.  Our fourth, HB, ordered the original vegetarian stone bowl with brown rice (it looked too much like mine to warrant another flash photo in the serene dining room).  Note: it would seem that the stone bowls no longer come with complimentary miso soup.

My bud, MVG, ordered the tofu with mixed vegetables in brown sauce; it was mild, but extremely tasty.

We all telepathically agreed to forego dessert and headed to the place where everybody knows our names, Lula's Sweet Apothecary.  I had a sundae of pumpkin, cinnamon, chocolate, and peanut butter chip ice creams...

topped with hot fudge, caramel, graham crackers, whipped cream and a cherry.  A masterpiece!

As you can see, Eve Eve was a raging success; it just might have to be a permanent celebration.

photo courtesy of BYOL

Happy Eve Eve to all, but especially to the Fab Vegan Five!

The Consistently Extraordinary Experience of Hangawi

We hadn't been to Hangawi in some time and this visit was unplanned, as we found ourselves in the area unexpectedly.  Noticing some things on the menu that had escaped our attention previously, we sacrificed some old favorites in order to find some new ones.

VM started off with a white wine and I, the designated driver, chose the mysterious plum juice: mysterious mainly because I don't like plums.  When it was served in this gorgeous mug I didn't really care what it tasted like, but was elated to find that it was extra delicious.  I've had their soju mojito and their takara plum wine, but now I have an official "drink" at Hangawi.

We started off with the spicy kimchi salad.  If you love the complimentary spicy kimchi that is served with your meal at Hangawi, then this is undoubtedly the salad for you.  A giant mound of the piquant, marinated cabbage atop lettuce greens, it also contained a few slices of apple (all yours, VM), and cucumber (all mine).  Topped with crunchy taro sticks, this was a terrific start to our feast  

You may have noticed that we like fried foods: samosas, onion rings, tempura, tempura, fries, fries, fries; you get the picture.  So, we couldn't resist the fritters galore.  Mainly root vegetables and broccoli, this was served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce and was actually a much larger portion than appears below.

At this point I was so freezing from my ice-filled plum juice (so good!) that I ordered the vegetarian dumpling soup.  We're not really big fans of soup in general, but both VM and I agreed that this soup was fantastic.  Tasty broth filled with all kinds of crisp veggies (carrots, mushrooms, leeks, celery, peapods, etc.), as well as two giant dumplings bursting with yummy ingredients; I highly recommend- especially now that the chill has settled in.

Not to worry; we also revisited some favorites.  Both of us independently chose the crispy mushrooms in sweet and sour sauce, so that was a definite.  Delicious on their own, the mushrooms and sauce are further accented by the sweet red and green peppers, zucchini slices, and cabbage shreds.

After the accidental bibimbop incident at Franchia, for which I take full responsibility, I redeemed myself by shouting a preventative "stone bowl rice!" at VM as though she was unfamiliar with my language.  We then calmly discussed, compared, and ultimately chose one we had never tried: the waiter's recommendation of the avocado stone bowl rice.  Unlike the vegetarian stone bowl rice which comes with spicy sauce, this one comes with sweet miso; I think I liked this one even better!

Apologies for the mostly eaten kimchi you see below, but it comes with a tip.  As we both prefer the spicy version to the regular, VM masterminded a genius plan to soak the plain cabbage in the excess spicy juice, so we essentially wound up with two servings of spicy: yum.

In the end, there was an adorable surprise waiting for me when I finished my scrumptious juice.  Since Hangawi sells teacups I asked if my awesome mug was for sale.  The waiter kindly checked, but found that it was not.  I told him that it would fit in my purse without a problem, but he was quick to draw my attention to the security cameras.  I kid!

One note: Be prepared that when you enter Hangawi you will be enveloped by a serene atmosphere that makes you immediately forget the street that exists just on the other side of the door.  The dim lighting, pleasant music, and below sea-level diners all work together to create a calming environment...that is quickly interrupted by an unintentionally abrupt instruction to remove your shoes. The shoe-less-ness is actually an added element of relaxation at Hangawi, but the stern command could definitely be softened.  Don't let it deter you from proceeding inside; accept it as part of the whole experience and be assured that the rest of your meal will be calm and enjoyable: made even moreso by the pleasant, friendly, and efficient waitstaff.

Hangawi: Delicious as Ever

I hadn't been to Hangawi in years, and I convinced myself that I was going to be adventurous and not order my old favorite: the bean curd with spicy kimchi. I didn't, but for the record- it is SO GOOD: exquisite spicy kimchi and tofu that practically melts in your mouth.

Hangawi was exactly as I remember it: serene and other-worldly. They were even out of the sweet corn and spinach porridge which I've never had the opportunity to taste...because they are mysteriously always out of it. Not merely deja-vu, I suspect it doesn't actually exist and they simply haven't gotten around to reprinting the menus. No matter, instead I enjoyed the smooth, sweet, pudding-like pumpkin porridge.

I did manage to prevent myself from ordering my "regular" and I was not disappointed. The food was possibly more fantastic than I remembered. The combo pancakes were each unique and divine. One leek, one kabocha pumpkin, and one spicy kimchi mushroom: they were like Asian-inspired latkes and it was hard to pick a favorite. The vegetable dumplings were huge and delicious, although we were surprised that both appetizers came with the same dipping sauce.

The vegetarian stone bowl rice came out sizzling and was finalized tableside with chili paste. The cauldron in which it is served keeps the contents practically cooking while you eat, and the crispy rice kernels around the edges and bottom are the best. I should note that it was also served with a generous bowl of the best miso soup I've ever had. Next time I'd like to try the avocado stone bowl, but I will be sure to add the chili paste!

The unexpected standout of the day was the last minute choice of the crispy mushrooms in sweet and sour sauce (pictured). Besides the simple fact that every aspect of the generous portion was just completely yummy, it was also (oddly) the closest thing I've had to Asian sesame chicken. Don't get me wrong; it didn't taste chickeny and they certainly aren't trying to duplicate the meat dish. The melange of flavors and textures simply evoked sesame chicken to me, so I think it would make a great dish for omnis.

As always, best (and complimentary) kimchi ever: especially the spicy.

I've always had very pleasant service at Hangawi, but I've heard a lot of people complain that they don't fill your water glass often enough (!). To those people I suggest that you solve that problem by treating yourself to the takara plum wine if you like sweet and the soju mojito if you like tart. The wine smells and tastes fruity and delicious; the mojito is crisp and refreshing.

We were so full that we chose not to stuff ourselves with dessert just for the sake of dessert. Ok, my companion made the call and I begrudgingly complied, already plotting to pick up some kettle corn from the Bryant Park Holiday Market (which I did). But from past experience I would recommend the mochi (make sure they have the ones rolled in coconut because otherwise they will look naked), cheesecake, blueberry coconut cake, or ice cream.

Yes, Hangawi is a little pricey. But, you are paying for an entire experience and it's worth it.

(My one complaint is that when we entered, a rather curt & abrupt woman began repeatedly yelling directions at us in regard to where we should put our shoes. Note to this high-strung woman: We see the cubbies (it's not rocket science); you're ruining the atmosphere and practically chasing people away!)