Obligitory Bulgogi Cart Update

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Every few months I gravitate back to the Bulgogi Cart on 49th btw. 6+7th hoping that it will graduate from decent to excellent. Over the year and a half it’s been operating, I think we can all agree on certain conclusions.  1) Their kalbi is much better than their bulgogi.  2) Keeping your expectations low is a good thing.  Not amazing Korean food, but decent considering it’s from a cart.  3) They don’t give you nearly enough kimchee! 

I haven’t been in a few months, but a lunch’er emailed this report yesterday:

I don’t know if you have already been informed, but I walked over to the Bulgogi cart (49th and 6th) to get lunch today and noticed that the prices have increased! Most of the standard fare which was previously $6 has been increased to $7. So now a number 1 with double meat is $9! That is a bit steep for cart food in my opinion, but you gotta respect the effects of the economy.

But wait, there’s more…  

However, the upside is that there are some new menu items. There is now a combo meat and spicy chicken meal (I think it was $8) and a new udon soup dish for $5. I happened to walk over with exactly $6 and didn’t quite realize that the prices had changed because the photos on the side of the cart look the same. But they guy was very nice and I told him I would bring another dollar next time. You should check out the new menu items and report back to us!

That’s a bummer about the prices… I don’t know about the combo plates, because I never bother with the chicken (is that a mistake?) but the Udon soup isn’t new.  I tried that in January, and like it enough.  Although if it gets more expensive than $5, it won’t be worth it with Sapporo a block away.

The last two dishes I’ve tried from the cart was the tofu (I know, crazy right?) and the gyoza plate.

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The tofu was pretty disappointing. I found that gloopy sauce, with the peppers and onions and carrots, to be weird and not appetizing at all. Plus I always prefer my tofu to be fried.

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The gyoza were fine, but are probably just frozen, pre-packaged dumplings. I don’t mind the japchae, and what was true about the bulgogi cart a year ago is still true today: If you’re looking for cheap food from a cart, with korean flavors, this is really your only choice. (The bulgogi at Kim’s Aunt Kitchen cart on 46th btw. 5+6th tastes more like chinese food.)

It’s been a few months since I ate either of these dishes, and the bulgogi cart is known for switching things up quite a bit. Have the dishes changed since I’ve tried them? What does everybody else think?

8 Comments

  • this place has gone downhill they used to give you a ton of food and not just waste space inside with the package of kimchi and fruit. I’d say the meat is about 1/3 of what it used to be

  • i love the spicy chicken there, but i think the same “gloop” that they put on the tofu is on the chicken, so if you don’t like the tofu, then you probably won’t like the chicken… that said, the combo sounds interesting…

  • beat me to it, i saw this the other day too. went ahead and bought a probably final plate, and meh.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/flooznyc/2846900708/

    i guess that’s the way it goes.

  • That’s funny. I went there yesterday as well. The meal I had on Cathay Pacific Airlines was bigger than the shortribs I had. Tasty, but tiny..

  • Has anyone ever seen if they sell kimbap there?

  • Their udon is tasty but overpriced – the “vegetable” udon is listed at $5, but it contains virtually no vegetables, just the noodles and a little bit of tofu. They will also try to sell you the “large size,” which is a joke – the container is only slightly larger, it contains the same amount of noodles and (non)vegetables, and costs $2 more. I really do like their broth, but its not worth $7 for a container of broth and udon noodles.

  • I got the combo one today, bulgogi. I didn’t get kimchi!! Not going there again. Happy Well Being cart here I come.

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    so… my wife is korean and i LOVE korean food. the only time i visited this cart my anticipation was high but the results weren’t.

    to consider it decent (for midtown) is higher praise than this deserves.

    now that i’ve discovered this site (and the weather is nice), at least i’ll have an opportunity to venture farther afield and try some other bulgogi carts.

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