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| Dolsot Bibimbap is filling Korean comfort food with rice, vegetables, ground meat, fried egg and a mildly spicy sauce (gochujang) prepared in a hot stone bowl. Above, a meatless version served at Dok Ka Bi Restaurant in Leonia. |
By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor
Palisades Park, Fort Lee and Leonia are three neighboring towns with a wide selection of Korean restaurants for fans of the colorful and often spicy cuisine.
On Thursday, I met a friend for lunch in Leonia, which has only a handful of places to choose from.
At my first choice, Miga, we opened the door a little after 1 p.m., only to find a line, and were told the wait for a table was 10 to 15 minutes.
But my friend didn't want to wait.
We strolled down Broad Avenue to Dok Ka Bi Restaurant, which replaced the Leonia Cafe, for a filling lunch with four free side dishes, a small bowl of soup, iced tea and ice cream for dessert.
Big menu
Palisades Park, Fort Lee and Leonia are three neighboring towns with a wide selection of Korean restaurants for fans of the colorful and often spicy cuisine.
On Thursday, I met a friend for lunch in Leonia, which has only a handful of places to choose from.
At my first choice, Miga, we opened the door a little after 1 p.m., only to find a line, and were told the wait for a table was 10 to 15 minutes.
But my friend didn't want to wait.
We strolled down Broad Avenue to Dok Ka Bi Restaurant, which replaced the Leonia Cafe, for a filling lunch with four free side dishes, a small bowl of soup, iced tea and ice cream for dessert.
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| Excellent cabbage kimchi is one of four free side dishes served at Dok Ka Bi, above and below. |
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| Made from acorn powder, this seasoned gelatin is easier to eat with a spoon than with chopsticks. |
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| Crunchy turnip pickles, above, and bean sprouts, below. |
Big menu
The restaurant has an extensive menu, but we didn't see any lunch specials.
I chose one of my favorite Korean dishes, meatless Dolsot Bibimbap, a rice-based mixture of seasoned vegetables topped with a fried egg, and served with gochujang, a red-pepper paste, on the side, allowing you to make it spicy or not ($11.99).
Unfortunately, the restaurant doesn't serve brown rice or Mixed 7 Grain, a combination of brown rices and beans.
My friend had a Bulgogi Box with kimbap (seaweed-rice-vegetable-and-egg rolls) and fried dumplings ($14.99).
We were served excellent cabbage kimchi, three other free side dishes, iced tea and a small bowl of hot soup.
When we finished the kimchi and bean sprouts, a waiter brought us more. I enjoyed all of my food, and was pleasantly full.
Before we got the check, the server brought us two small bowls of what looked like strawberry ice cream, but I turned mine down (I'm on a diet).
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| Hot soup. |
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The Bulgogi Box includes slices of marinated beef, upper right; kimbap, upper left, and salad.
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| Judging by the 10-to-15-minute wait for a table on Thursday afternoon, Miga is the most popular Korean restaurant in Leonia (344 Broad Ave., near Fort Lee Road). |
Dok Ka Bi Restaurant, 374 Broad Ave., Leonia; 201-947-5799. Two hours of free parking on street and in municipal lot.
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