Woorijip kimbap
A few weeks ago I wrote about trying kimbap at E-Mo Kimbap, and I wanted to revisit the Woorjip kimbap and see how the two stacked up against each other. Before going on, I have to say that I am not sure why kimbap taste good, maybe it is because they pack a variety of ingredients into one single roll? Or maybe it is the presence of rice (and who does not love rice??) It is filling, but not satifying in a way that an eel roll would be or slabs of crispy bacon. Oh stop looking at me like that, you do it too, slabs of bacon is happiness. All that said, kimbap is great for lunch because it fills you up right.
At Woorjip, the kimbap is pre-made and you just pick it up and go. They offer varieties like kimchi, tuna, and beef. There are some others but you get the point. I picked the beef version, which has beef, cucumbers, carrots, egg, and those yellow pickle things they always have at Japanese restaurants. What are those things called?! My main issue with the kimbap is that the beef flavor gets lost in the shuffle. This problem occurs at E-Mo as well. I think mostly this is because beef is not a good variety to get. The second minor issue is that this is not fresh, which means the rice is not as soft and yum as rice at E-Mo. The redeeming factor of Woorjip's kimbap is that their kimbap seems slightly larger and you get more bang for your buck.
While I was in line to pay for the kimbap, this thing called out to me. What was this thing? It was like love. No, it was like an infatuation. No wait, it was a rainbow rice cake. See the difference between love and rainbow rice cakes is that only the latter can lie to you about tasting good. Just look at that thing! It has three colors. Three pretty colors that just scream, "my food coloring is tricking your brain!!!" But I did not listen, I picked it up.
The rainbow rice cake was all looks, no substance. Think of it as a Sex and the City episode. (Oh who am I kidding, I will see the movie too. There, I said it.) The problem was that it did not taste like anything. It was dense and thick and sticky and... boring. The kimbap left me happy and satisfied, but the rainbow rice cake just reminded me to be cautious of traditional Asian desserts. WHY???? Anyway, if you go to Woorjip, stick to the kimbap and life will be good.
Woorijip
12 W 32nd St.
New York, NY 10001
212-244-1115
The rainbow rice cake looked like a sandwich at firstXD,( or maybe I just need glasses)
BTW, the yellow Japanese pickle things are called daikon -:0)
Anna
May 29, 2008 6:57 pm
They're actually called mu, according to a Korean friend. Sadly, I just recently learned that they're FDA-declared as carcinogenic. :( Of course that doesn't stop me from eating kimbap, but y'know...a little guilt.
Pammeh
May 30, 2008 1:35 am
Cheap sushi!
jenny
May 30, 2008 1:36 am
the yellow things are pickled daikon(mu) and called danmooji in korean and takuan in japanese.
i strangely crave rainbow cake once in a while. it tastes good with sugar, but i guess everything does.
bionicgrrl
May 30, 2008 2:11 am
I could have warned you about the rainbow rice cake. I made that same mistake once, Brownie declined a taste taste. The little Korean girl sitting next to us watched me eat it and talked smack about me to her mom (I've learned what Korean smack sounds like, thanks to my Flushing roots.)
Blondie
May 30, 2008 9:10 am
Actually, the yellow pickled things are called takuan (in both Korean and Japanese). It *is* made of mu, but takuan is the official name.
I'm always disappointed by the rainbow rice cake/dduk because it tastes like nothing... and yet I never learn my lesson and I get it all the time. I think it's just a nostalgia factor. Or THE COLORS. TOTALLY the colors...
Emily
May 30, 2008 9:53 am
"May 30th"
hahahahahahahahaha
barb
May 30, 2008 9:58 am
Oh yea, SATC for me too! =)
This is required
May 30, 2008 10:49 am
YUMMY KIMBAP!! Too bad I brought my lunch today (as a I'm on a damn budget thing) or I'd hop on a 5 minute train ride to ktown and get me some kimbap! I mean who can complain about a $5 lunch?
wonders
May 30, 2008 11:03 am
I like Woorjip, sad the prices went up & they restructured the store, so I can't find my fave items. BUT, try the kimchi rice, PERFECT side dish to the super yummy kimbap. I love your pictures and like your writing......totally get a kick out of it.
Marina
May 30, 2008 12:47 pm
The rice cake looks like cotton candy.
Janice
May 30, 2008 1:05 pm
First off - Props for great photos and writing, as always!
Second, just wanted to make some clarifications, about those 'yellow things' in the KimBap. In Korean they are called DanMuJi. Roughly translated it means 'Sweet Pickled Mu.' Mu is the Korean word for what the Japanese and thus Americans refer to as Daikon.
As others have pointed out the Japanese refer to DanMuJi, as Takuan. This word is purely Japanese though many Koreans (especially older ones alive during the Japanese Occupation) are familiar with the word and use it among many other Japanese culinary terms interchangeably with Korean.
pabo
May 30, 2008 2:39 pm
I think I once bought a rice cake from Woorijip too (not pretty rainbow colored though!) and...yeah, it tasted of nothing. IT MADE ME SAD.
Spicy tuna is my face kimbap filling! I LOVE E-MO! Do not love Woorijip's as much. But I haven't eaten theirs in a while (like...more than a year).
Robyn
May 30, 2008 9:03 pm
E-mo's is way better! Kimbap has to be fresh. Now I'm craving some. Too bad I don't live anywhere near K town.
Rice cake tastes of...sweet rice. I love it, even the relatively boring rainbow rice cake. It's all about the slightly chewy, soft texture. It's good breakfast food.
H
May 31, 2008 12:06 am
that rainbow ricecake is called "moo-dun-duk". which means what you think it means. and i personally love it. its a very subtle taste, but a taste that frankly is my ratatouille.
jae
June 1, 2008 4:45 am
A quick wikipedia search tells me daikon = radish. Also can the person who said it's carcinogenic please provide a source?
Li
January 8, 2011 10:32 pm