Chung Moo Rollrice & Dongas

KOREA

The menus say "riceroll," the awning says "rollrice." Either way, these kimbap are very good, and served in such a wonderful little shop in Flushing. You will see many patrons coming in and grabbing pre-made rolls, but don't let this fool you, as they are constantly making fresh ones for takeout. When they run out, someone will scurry to make a few more.

A good place to start is with the choong moo roll ($7, below) which is served in two parts. A tray of plain rice rolls is served beside a dish of spicy squid and spicy pickled radish, the latter of which is burst-in-your-mouth fresh and delicious. I am not sure if there is a correct way to eat these together, but I just put a little of each part in my mouth sometimes, and other times picked at them individually. The spicy parts are quite spicy, so the rice becomes a nice calm relief when necessary.

Another roll that is more mainstream is the kimchee beef roll ($6, below), served thinly sliced and good with a dash of soy sauce. This dish is pretty mild, but the beef is tasty and the vegetables very fresh and crisp.

One of my favorite aspects of this friendly place is the wonderful Korean grandmother (you WISH she was yours!) that does the cooking, always with a smile. She is obviously concerned with the pleasure of her customers, and takes great pride in the place.

The shining star of the restaurant is definitely the bi-bim nang-myun ($9.50, below), a cold dish of spicy buckwheat noodles. The paste is mildly spicy, very chewy, and very slippery, but what makes this version stand apart from others is it is heavily on the side of sesame. The paste tastes like it, and it has seeds topping it as well. Normally this dish runs very red, but this one is deep brown.

The crunch of fresh cucumber combined with these thin noodles makes for a really pleasant combination, so mix everything really well before eating, despite the fact that you will have to ruin the lovely beauty.

A closer look at the noodles and deep brown paste.

There is not a ton of room in this place, maybe six two-person tables line the wall and back, so there could be a little pressure from other customers who need seats when you are done. The theme seems to be quick street food though, so it doesn't feel bad to eat swiftly and run, it's not really the type of place to linger...

FLUSHING Queens
39-04 Union Street