Miga brings Korean food to Center City Philadelphia and Craig LaBan wonders, what took so long.

Like many Korean restaurants, Miga’s menu is huge, with both strengths and weaknesses. The place has many of the standards down pat, including the huge pajun pancakes, their crisp outsides and soft interiors laced with everything from seafood to tangy kimchi or beef and hot peppers. There is an excellent version of jap chae, the springy, clear, sweet potato noodles in lightly sweet dark sauce that, in the veggie rendition, came with the fantastic crunch of exotic, coral-like rehydrated mushrooms. The dduk bokki, tubular rice flour dumplings that resemble soft gnocchi, came in a vivid orange sauce tinged with red pepper powder that, in combination with the dumplings’ pleasantly sticky chew, stoked Miga’s hottest glow.

Two Bells – Very Good

Miga [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Miga [Official Site]

Adam Erace manages to incorporate “whorebath” into his largely positive review of Miga, the smokeless Korean barbecue on 15th Street.

The menu describes belly as “unseasoned,” which you should read as “bland.” But it’s okay, really, as the salt-and-peppered sesame oil and intensely savory Korean bean paste take care of that. You’re meant to dip each piece of pork before bundling them in frilly red leaf lettuce cups with sliced garlic and chilies. Dip, wrap. Dip, wrap. United, the ingredients in this leafy Korean burrito brought real balance. Fresh and rich flavors, working in tandem, totally worth the wait.

Miga

David Snyder visits Center City’s Korean barbecue, Miga and finds that authentic and accessible are not mutually exclusive.

[T]he tofu kimchi pork bokum was my favorite dish. Acidic kimchi served as the perfect foil for savory steamed pork belly, and since each element is prepped separately before being stir-fried together, both retain their identities. The huge wedges of soft tofu capping the mound, though, played just as important a role, softening the intense flavors and providing a wonderful textural contrast.

You and Miga [City Paper]
Miga [Official Site]

The Blockley Pourhouse has opened at 38th and Ludlow and Meal Ticket has the pics. [Meal Ticket]

The Korean BBQ spot, Miga has opened on 15th Street. But no table-top barbecue or liquor license yet. [Meal Ticket]

Tomorrow, across the street from Miga, Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man opens.

The Beer Lass twitters that South Philly’s Sticks & Stones is less than two weeks away. [@BeerLass]

Media is getting Ariano Cafe, a quaint little Neapolitan pizza spot from Anthony Bellapigna who owns Fellini’s. [Restaurant Club]

Sycamore isn’t just a tree, it’s a new BYOB in Lansdowne. [Meal Ticket]

Daniel Stern’s Rae-placement is now set for November high above the city in 2 Liberty Place. It’s also not going to be Rae but rather R2L. [The Insider]

Gayle a top-50 American cuisine restaurant according to OpenTable diners. [OpenTable via Illadelph]

Today the Kleinsider reports that the empty storefront that was ¡Pasión! is going to become Miga, a Korean barbecue and Japanese restaurant. They’re aiming to open by mid-May. The prospect of Korean barbecue got us thinking we had to make it a point get to Miran, the Korean barbecue on Chestnut Street. 

Japanese/Korean BBQ to replace ¡Pasión! space [The Insider]
Miran [Foobooz]