Bingsu .. no cousin of Bingo!

Tried this dessert this past weekend and how I regretted not having tasted it so far. Sometime back, I had carried it out and of course, it was a disaster. Never ever carry it out - even if you do, have it soon after.

Bingsu is a Korean dessert consisting of shaved ice, condensed milk, chopped fruits and red bean paste. The wikipedia page for the same is here. I had this at Shilla's Patisserie at Centerville, VA. It is served in large portion - two or three people can easily share it depending on appetite. Do check it out! As well as the Mango Souffle Cake pic below - so light, creamy and delicious.

While we are on Korean food, sharing a pic of the Vegetable Pancake and Mushroom Tofu Soup from Lighthouse Tofu next door. I can have this seven days a week - that should tell you how much I like it!! Enjoy!!

Korean Cuisine - Love it! Love it!

Sweet and Sour Chicken @ Kang Chon

I have recently been introduced to Korean cuisine. Few months back, my colleague took a bunch of us out to a Korean Tofu Soup place for lunch. To be honest, I was going without any expectations. End result, me and hubby kept going back for Tofu Soup as weekend lunch almost every weekend for the entire winter!!

The tiny utensils with delicious side-dishes (called "Banchan") are tangy and appetite-inducing. Interestingly, Korean and Indian culture are two cultures that use stainless steel utensil to serve food extensively. The side dishes are called Banchan and they include Kimchi (Napa Cabbage, Cucumber), Pickled Radish, Bean Sprouts and so on.

The soups are served in indigineous bowls that retain the heat for a good amount of time. The soup is so hot as it gets to your table that you break an egg into the soup, it will get cooked in matter of seconds! Getting to see the egg get cooked still gives me a kick like no other!! ;)

Apart from the soup, we like the Pancakes which come with vegetables, Shrimp or Seafood. As my friend suggested, I love to have it with some Kimchi for accompaniment. 

At the end of the soup meal, they give you the rice container from where they served the rice with hot green tea. Scrap the sides and enjoy the hot drink with crunchy rice remainings - it immediately cuts down the heat (taste) of the soup from your throat. Amazing how instantly it works.

Some of our favorite restaurants in Northern Virginia are (no, not getting paid to list them! :)):

• Lighthouse Tofu
• Woo Lae Oak
• Yechon
• Kang Chon

Korean Chinese Noodle Soup  @ Kang Chon

Tofu Soup with Banchan @ Lighthouse Tofu

Table full of Banchan's @ Yechon

Banchan's @ Lighthouse Tofu - love it all!