This is, undoubtedly, one of my most favorite pics on FTC!!! I think anyone who likes food and likes dining out hopefully has at least one of these moments in their life!
Lovely review. As far as really liking but not being super crazy about the APL ribs, doesn’t sound like blasphemy to me. I sort of dream about them, but you mentioned elsewhere in your review that the place isn’t avant garde. I think that’s esp true of the ribs; they’re just f@cking delicious, but they’re also f@cking expensive, so…
Thanks for the kind words! To be honest, I went in thinking the same way but came out with a different perspective. If split between 4 people, it’s $47.5 per person and comes with a massive amount of meat, a rice (let’s say $12/person), and unlimited refills for the sides (let’s say $4/person). Ergo, the meat by itself is $31.5 per person which I think isn’t too bad? What’s your take on it?
I agree that it’s definitely a better value than the total price would suggest, esp since I don’t think the menu description gives an accurate sense of how much food you get.
I don’t recall tasting horseradish in the rice (just mentioning that b/c I would’ve welcomed that to cut through all the fat). And I was also underwhelmed by the butter + honey, too (for the same reason you were).
We only did it with butter lettuce and they gladly gave us more when we asked. Didn’t have a chance to try with the other sides since we were so dang full…
Interesting bit regarding the pricing of the ribs from Texas Monthly.
"Chang says he bases his prices on how much a place in Koreatown would charge. “If you bought as much beef as we’re serving, it’s actually a little bit more at a top-end barbecue restaurant in K-Town,” "
This is probably true. I just had dinner at Chosun and one order of prime galbi was $57 while choice grade was $47 (I’m not sure what grade of beef Marjordomo uses). And the portion is probably less than 1/5th of the APL ribs.
Also, the short rib, which feeds four to six, is $190. Chang doesn’t want guests to feel ripped off.
“Plate short ribs are incredibly expensive,” Chang says. “It’s probably going to have to go up, but we want to keep it $190. That’s a serious commitment, man. I don’t want anyone to feel like, well, fuck, I didn’t get enough or it’s too expensive.”
Credit to dc for keeping that commitment so far. Comparing the current menu with the opening night menu almost everything has gone up except the ribs.
I got some friends to go in on an order of eight pounds of Benton’s bacon. The stuff is way smokier than any other bacon I’ve had. It’s smokier than the smokiest tasso I’ve had. I think two slices will be plenty for a three-pound cabbage.
The “new” (at least to me) Pork and Spicy Pineapple Bing Topping was wonderful last night. It’s obviously a riff on al pastor and was great. Finally managed to get the Duck with Crispy rice which was another highlight.
