A quest to show off NYC Foods to out of town friends. We explore LIC Beer Project and Doma Korean Fusion in Queens.
Whenever we travel to a different country, the first thing we research is their traditional foods, then we find out where to get the best version of them. In Italy we’ve eaten the freshest pasta, in the Netherlands the stew. In Paris we ate meringue puffs and in Spain the finest paella.
In Greece, our friends showed us traditional grilled branzino and touted their favorite moussaka, but when they came to NYC for “NYC food” we were a little stumped.
NYC is a proud melting pot. Sure, by all means we could show them the best “American food” – the iconic burger and fries. Maybe a slice of NYC pizza was obvious. But “New York City food” is all about the eclectic cultures and tastes. They wanted us to take them out for a “typical NYC night” so we called up our favorite local foodie friends and we all ended up together, starting the night off with a beer.
LIC Beer Project
Something so “American” which we’ve lost sight of over the last 10 years is how unbelievably American our craft beer scene is. I guess I just assumed beer was taking off on some level in several places around the world. But through travel, I learned that isn’t the case due to various laws – like in Thailand – and access to ingredients and facilities.
America’s craft beer boom, the rise of the microbrewies and continuously creative flavor combinations are something heard round the world.
LIC Beer Project popped up in the Long Island City section of Queens, and took over a beaten down old garage and flipped it into a hip cement and steel brewing facility and tasting room. There are long communal high top tables, old barrels to rest your beer on if you prefer to stand, and plenty of board games and of course, cornhole. But the real star is the beer. Their hazy style beers are some of the best you can find in all of NYC. I’ve been to a lot of local breweries, but the beers are never as flavorful and potent as they ones at LIC Beer Project.
My favorites:
- Ardent Core (Farmhouse Ale) – A Belgian style golden ale with a floral, spice and lemon character. The result is super crisp and dry.
- Coded Tiles (Pale Ale) – A refreshingly hoppy pale ale, with flavors of pineapple, grapefruit and mild earthy dank pine. The result is bitter and dry.
Now that we were all nice and tipsy, it was time to feast. Since our Greek friends weren’t too well versed.
Doma Korean Fusion
The restaurant pays homage in their name to the vital kitchen instrument that all their meals use; Doma means “cutting board” in Korean. Doma specializes in Korean comfort food known as Bunsik and this place shares their most traditional home cooked meals with their customers.
When you first sit down, a beautiful array of Korean accompaniments are delivered to your table along with rice-infused warm water.
Food (A Korean Feast!)
- La Galbi – a Korean style short rib that comes out of the kitchen sizzling. The meat is so tender it falls off the bone and the flavor is salty, sweet, caramelized, deep and rich. Served over onions and perfect paired with rice and a kimchi pancake.
- Soft Tofu Stew – a traditional spicy stew with onions, peppers, squash, egg and tofu, which breaks apart and thickens the soup while you eat it. Served with rice.
- Kimchi Pancake – similar to a scallion pancake but with kimchi.
Rice Water
How many times has a food write written about the water served at a meal? Well, I find myself telling so many people about the water served at Doma, which seems ridiculous. Essentially when they make large pots of rice, some rice sticks to the bottom and sides of the pot. As the pot stays heated, the stuck-on rice browns, they fill the pot with water and the water becoming infused with the taste of an earthy rice. It was so calming on my stomach, in between spicy bites of food. It felt so hydrating and natural to drink. If they give you ice water – be sure to ask for the good stuff: rice water.
Doma also offers an eclectic list of ramen, dumplings and bulgogi.
Maybe this wasn’t an all American feast, but it was certainly a typical NYC evening. It was an introduction to the diverse culinary Mecca that is New York. Over the table I’ve created the closest bonds, meeting new friends and eating the foods of their cultures. My favorite part about curious fellow foodie friends is hearing how their family’s version tastes “a little different” because “Grandma adds” this and that.
Check out more of my favorite NYC spots, or more specifically my favorite spots in Queens.