First time we’ve seen “massive portions” in a review in a long while but that’s just what Old City Korean restaurant Meju delivers albeit at a too hectic pace.

The poor timing is unfortunate, because many of Meju’s offerings are so tasty you’ll want to linger over their singes of spice and thought-provoking twangs. The hae mul pa jun—savory pancakes with shrimp, calamari and scallions folded into the batter—makes you rethink what you know about breakfast. Stir-fried with onions and mushrooms, pork bulgogi benefits from a honeyed lacquer, while galbi (Korean-style short ribs) are tender and so flavorful I leave nothing but a pile of gnawed bones.

Philadelphia Seoul [Philadelphia Weekly]

Mac & Cheese squeaks into Meju Korean Restaurant shortly before closing and is impressed with the food and the friendliness.

Meju [Mac & Cheese]

Mac & Cheese hasn’t been able to get enough sushi recently and tries South Street’s Gaja Gaja.

If you’re on South Street and are looking for lighter fare than the cheese steaks that scent the street, Gaja Gaja’s sushi and Korean-esque food might be your ticket.

Gaja Gaja [Mac & Cheese]

The New York Times recently poured out 1000+ words on Korean fried chicken but as MenuPages points out you don’t have to go to New York to try this trendy food as there is a Bon Chon Chicken on Cheltenham Avenue. We might be more likely to get to New York but if you’re up for the trek the address is 468 W Cheltenham Ave.

Korean Fried Chicken In Philadelphia [MenuPages Blog]
Bon Chon Chicken [Official Site] in Korean

Foodie Victor Fiorillo gets an authentic experience at Pojangmacha, the Korean restaurant just outside the city limits in Upper Darby.

Seoul, Upper Darby [Philadelphia Magazine]

Feed Me Philly checks out Miran Restaurant on Chestnut Street and comes out less impressed than Craig LaBan did.

Bibim Bap!

Craig LaBan finds Miran, at 2034 Chestnut, brings good Korean food into Center City.

Miran tunes its menu, however, to the perfect heat volume for its crowd, a steadily bustling mix of hip young Asian students from nearby Penn and Drexel and non-Asians who have sought out this nook because they want an authentic taste.

And Miran’s chef, Yong San Huh, delivers a very solid repertoire of well-cooked standards. The huge savory pancakes, for example, are spot-on and a fabulous way to begin. Served on a hot iron platter, these moist rice-flour and egg pancakes are almost like Korean pizzas, crisped around the edges and laced with tender seafood, like shrimp and calamari, or turned to sunset orange with kimchi spice and crunchy long scallions.

I also loved the big steamer basket with mixed dumplings. The two pork dumplings – one turned pink with chiles, the other greened with sauteed chives – were my favorites. The veggie dumplings were tasty, although too mushy inside.

Two Bells – Very Good

Miran [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Elisa Ludwig tests out Pojangmacha, a Korean restaurant in Upper Darby housed in what was once a White Castle.

The specialty of the house is gamjatang, a spicy, make-you-sniffle stew of potatoes and pork in a crimson chili-paste broth strewn with long strands of scallion, served with a burner and finished on the table. The pork in question is spine, so eating the stew is a process of disentangling the tiny sculpted bones from the shreds of meat. The quartered potatoes, meanwhile, absorb the simmering bone marrow and take on an unctuous, buttery texture. A few spoonfuls followed by sips of sweet wine very quickly becomes an addictive little pattern that could have you there for hours at a sitting, thanking your lucky chopsticks that this wagon isn’t going anywhere.

Pojangmacha [City Paper]

A rundown of some recent Uwishunu food posts.

• Who Says You Can’t Barbeque in Winter? Not the folk at Kim’s a Korean BBQ way up in North Philly.
• Jazz Institution Reopens Its Doors – Ortliebs is back with much of the same vibe even if a newly redone kitchen.
• Not Your Average Almond Croissant – Metropolitan Bakery does an almond croissant up right.
• Broke on 10th? Heung Fa beats Wawa – Yep, get stuffed for less than $3.50.
• On a Dining Mission – Checking out Mission Grill at 19th and Arch Streets.

Messy & Picky head out to try Giwa, the new Korean fast-fooderie at 1608 Sansom Street.

Messy gives it three stars while Picky says 2 and a half. Their final word, “Good Korean food in a fast-foody atmosphere.”

Giwa [Messy & Picky]
Giwa [Official Site]