NYC: Arirang on the Third Floor

It's over here, on the 3rd floor. See it?

Yes, over here! A slip of an entrance. A brief ride in an elevator that fits precisely three individuals. Or three flights up carpeted stairs, the somewhat menacing walls papered with life-size cartoon drawings of children.

Here is where you want to be when it is a frigid 5F degrees (!!! bring me back to Hawai'i !!!) outside and the offer for hot soup is more tempting than wd-50's tasting menu. Here the $10 bowls full of knife cut noodles and hand torn noodles are enormous. The menu is straightforward, five types of noodle soups, your pick of knife cut or hand torn noodles. Or even better, a mix of both.

I was there with Robyn and Diana last night. We shared two bowls, with leftovers. The Chicken Kar-Jeabe is my favourite, a concoction intensely chicken-y beyond words. It's a milky broth marked with shredded chicken, thin potato slices and green onions.

Here's a look at the dough flakes - slippery, silky bites, think thin wonton wrappers...
...and these would be the knife-cut noodles.

The Anchovy Kar-Jeabe was not as pungent as I was secretly hoping for, but satisfied soup cravings sufficiently. No matter what you order, every meal begins with kimchee. There's constantly refilled cup of cold tea and don't forget to make use of the spicy bean paste, stored in lidded black containers at each table. You've been warned, a little goes a long way.

Arirang
32 West 32nd Street, 3rd Floor
New York NY 10001
212-967-5088