From artisanal jangs to honey butter chips: Former Maum chef Michael Kim talks Korean food at Jagalchi
I knew Jagalchi would be popular, but I didn’t expect that on a Tuesday at 2 p.m. there would be a 10-minute line to enter the giant new Korean food complex in Daly City.
I had been to Jagalchi as part of a preview event, but I was back to meet up with Michael Kim, who was the chef at the former Michelin-starred restaurant Maum in Palo Alto. He’s opening his own Menlo Park restaurant Yeobo, Darling next month.
When I finally was able to enter Jagalchi, it looked completely different from what I had remembered. The bakery was completely wiped out. The snack selection was sparse. The checkout lines appeared endless. It was chaos for Korean food.
Kim and I spent the next two hours at Jagalchi walking around – and bumping into people – and talking about the various food products. This week’s food feature summarizes his thoughts on the market and products he found particularly compelling.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
Here’s what a highly acclaimed Korean chef would buy from Jagalchi, the Bay Area’s newest Korean food complex
I asked chef Michael Kim – previously of the former Michelin-starred Palo Alto restaurant Maum – to come with me to Jagalchi and give his opinions on how the new Korean food hub compares to nearby Korean supermarkets and stores in Korea, as well as what products he personally would pick up.
A Taiwanese dumpling chain is coming to Santa Clara, a Mountain View bakery prepares to reopen and a robotic food truck’s brick-and-mortar restaurant opens soon
- Bafang Dumpling, a dumpling franchise with more than a thousand locations in Taiwan, is opening its first Bay Area restaurant later this year in Santa Clara.
- Maison Alyzée will reopen Saturday, according to CEO Laurent Pellet. The downtown Mountain View patisserie and cafe suffered from fire damage last month.
- Georgian restaurant Bevri has permanently closed in Los Altos.
- San Bruno bakery and cafe Zörek is temporarily closed until further notice. “We decided to temporarily close Zörek because we had set a certain standard for our coffee program, and we felt it wasn’t fully being met,” co-owner Jordan Makableh wrote in an email. “Rather than letting our customers carry the burden of that, we chose to take full accountability and pause operations.”
- Baires Bakery & Cafe, serving Argentine pastries in Redwood City since October, announced its permanent closure on Instagram, citing a “prevailing challenging economic climate.”
- Japanese chain Marugame Udon, known for its noodles and tempura, is expanding to downtown Palo Alto on Monday.
- Redwood City Filipino restaurant Pamilya has has soft opened its new brick-and-mortar spot.
- Udon Mugizo will open its fourth location Monday in San Mateo.
- OLHSO Korean BBQ and Seafood House will soft open Monday in San Mateo.
- Mountain View Vietnamese restaurant Pho To Chau 999 opened its second location April 6 in Santa Clara.
- La Viga in Redwood City is celebrating its 13-year anniversary with food and drink specials Friday to Sunday and tequila and mezcal tastings Friday and Saturday.
- Harajuku Foodie Fest, which claims to be “the Bay’s cutest and tastiest marketplace,” will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Sunnyvale.
- Taste wines from more than 25 wineries at downtown Campbell’s Spring Wine Walk Thursday from 6-9 p.m.
- Menlo Park’s Springline will host a “Hop into Spring” event Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with live music, a petting zoo, face painting, carnival games and food and drinks from vendors like Barebottle Brewery, il Mercato di Che Fico, Little Sky Bakery and Burma Love.
Beer-battered artichoke hearts at Moss Beach Distillery
Contrary to the name, Moss Beach Distillery in Half Moon Bay is not a distillery – it’s a restaurant and bar serving classic American fare like clam chowder, chicken wings, seafood and sandwiches. I came just to sip on a drink and enjoy the oceanfront view, but it turned out that the table where the hostess sat me required I order food as well. And honestly, I’m glad because the beer-battered artichoke hearts ($15.75) were incredible.
I’ve had a variety of fried artichoke dishes at multiple restaurants, and I often am disappointed. I’ve had it where the artichokes are cut so small that each piece is majority batter and very little artichoke, and sometimes the tough exterior of the artichokes isn’t properly cut off, resulting in very fibrous, chewy and unpleasant bites.
I was pleasantly surprised that the artichokes at Moss Beach Distillery had neither problem. Looking similar to chicken nuggets, these artichokes were meaty, tender and evenly coated in a light and crispy batter. The housemade buttermilk ranch dressing was nicely tangy and added a bit of acidity to the fried dish.
Moss Beach Distillery was originally established as a speakeasy called Frank’s in 1927 and is a designated California Point of Historical Interest. Some say Moss Beach Distillery is haunted by “The Blue Lady,” a former Frank’s customer, but I did not see any evidence of that.
Moss Beach Distillery, 140 Beach Way, Moss Beach; 650-728-5595, Instagram: @mossbeachdistillery. Open daily from noon to 7:30 p.m.
Half Moon Bay’s Sweet55 coming to Palo Alto
A behind-the-scenes look at the chocolate shop
FROM THE FOODIST
When you support local journalism, you support the Foodist
The Peninsula Foodist is proud to be a sister publication of Palo Alto Online, and as an independent and local news organization, we rely on reader support to bring you 100% original content focusing on the places where you live and work — and of course — eat out. Your support is needed now more than ever. Help sustain local journalism and the Peninsula Foodist by becoming a member. > SUPPORT US TODAY
About the Peninsula Foodist
We cover the dynamic, under-the-radar food scene around the Peninsula through articles, interviews and eating excursions. Pass along tips, comments and recipes to PeninsulaFoodist@PaloAltoOnline.com.
Are you looking to reach locals interested in food and dining on the Peninsula? Learn about advertising in the
Peninsula Foodist newsletter.
Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved.
*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|*
Our mailing address is:
*|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|*
You can update your preferences and manage your groups, or if you really never want to hear from us again, including other emails from us you may have signed up for, you can totally unsubscribe from this list.
View this email in your browser
