Bulgogi Burger from NY Hot Dog and Coffee, 245 Bleeker Street, New York, NY 10014
NY Hot Dog and Coffee is a fast food restaurant that serves made to order burgers, hot dogs and ssams (think tacos). However, this place does not simply serve your run of the mill fast food. The restaurant itself was developed by a Korean hot dog fanatic who came up with idea of melding popular Korean flavors with American fast food staples. As a huge fan of Korean Barbecue and as one who will often crave a good hot dog or burger from time to time I was eager to give this place a shot. Note that I will stop into this restaurant randomly to provide reviews of its various fast food wares. On this day the restaurant was giving away a bulgogi burger (usually sold at 6.49) to the first 100 people at its door.
The NY Hot Dog and Coffee Bulgogi burger tasted like it has the potential to be something special but falls short in execution. The burger tasted slightly overcooked and the bulgogi flavoring that usually comes with marinating the meat tasted like it was slightly burned into the meat. My companion received a better cooked burger that tasted like like it absorbed the bulgogi sauce better than mine. That burger still fell short in overall taste. The flavor was too timid to be bulgogi. Biting into the burger you can barely taste the bulgogi which in my belief was because the burger meat was likely not marinated as long as it traditionally at a Korean BBQ spot . The burger itself is topped with cabbage, a pickle and surrounded by a plain sesame bun. The burger’s size was sufficient to consume for a quick meal and be satiated. Nevertheless, the burger falls short in flavor and borders on bland.
I do plan on visiting this location again to sample its other selections including its signature hot dogs and kimchi topped offerings. Perhaps they will fare better in taste.
Veal Schnitzel with austrian potato salad and lentil salad.
On this rainy afternoon in NY, I decided to journey out to DUMBO to visit the Schnitzel and Things Truck. Having sampled the trucks’ delightful cod and pork schnitzels with satisfying results I was eager to devour its latest and much anticipated special Veal Schnitzel or known under it’s traditional moniker as Wiener Schnitzel.
The special’s price was $10 for the platter placing a $1.00 premium above the price of the other available schnitzel platters. It is pricey for food off of a truck but the platter itself did not disappoint. I requested that the veal be paired with two of the truck’s tastier sides the lentil salad and the potato salad. I also opted for the special condiment they had on hand that went well with the lightly breaded veal.
In preparing the veal, the cooks pound the meat till its flat, then lightly bread the meat and fry it. You can tell from the overall texture of the meat that much prep work goes into getting the meat just right before frying.The veal schnitzel itself was easy to devour. The veal was quite tender and easy to eat. It did not have the tough chewy texture that you often find with prepared veal. There was no oily texture considering the fried nature of the food. The meat itself was flavorful and combined well the Kalamata olive condiment which tasted like a tapenade. The kalamata olive sauce added a subtle tang to the meat that was not overpowering or underwhelming but a perfect addition to the natural flavors of the veal.
The two condiments I chose are two of my favorites. The potato salad has a light vinegar flavor that combines well with the potato. It is not too vinegary but just right. The lentil salad also has some acidity in it but again not too overpowering.
All in all after waiting for the veal special since the opening of the truck several months ago I have to say it was worth the wait. Yes you will have to spend $10 for the platter but the meal is quite filling and you will not be disappointed with this well executed food.
