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The Weekly Eater
There are two prerequisites for a journalism career. Before even attempting to string a sentence together one must be a great snoop and a blabbermouth. Secret’s out about
duck at ChosunNo wonder people seem to hate the media so much. We just can't keep secrets. I'm often chided for calling attention to favorite hidden restaurants, therefore ruining them for those who showed up first and believed they had locked in the property rights. "I can't get a table anymore," they cry.
Wah, wah, wah. I don't have much sympathy for whiners. Still, I try to be consoling.
"Just go on a Tuesday. Or wait six weeks. The crowds will disappear. You know Hawaii people and restaurants. Short attention span."
My advice works every time.
CHOSUN KOREAN
RESTAURANTFood
Atmosphere
Service
ValueAddress: 725 Kapiolani Blvd. C-126
Now comes Chosun Korean Restaurant. I didn't want to tell anybody about this one. It could be my secret if I could ... sniff ... just come up with another restaurant ... sob ... before this review had to run.Alas, I must now share the secret of Chosun's Clay Pot Roast Duck, so addictive and seductive I think about it constantly. This is new. I usually eat so much, so often that I don't think about or crave specific foods.
This duck thing could be really hazardous to my health because Chosun is right down the street from the news building. Luckily, there are limitations. First, the duck takes four hours to roast in its clay pot. Then, because of the size of the pots and configuration of the oven, the restaurant maxes out at 10 ducks per day.
Such a rare bird commands a premium. At $39.95, that's up there, but no more than any nice dinner for two, with a little bit left over if you're not a pig. The dinner comes complete with an assortment of kim chee vegetables, including water kim chee served in a bowl with ice.
THE duck is stuffed with mochi rice and such fall classics as chestnuts, chopped figs, dates, raisins and herbs. Slivers of deer horn, an alleged aphrodisiac, are also included and though not edible, may explain my ardor for this duck. All the flavor is drawn from the ingredients and the clay pot shaped from Korean earth.
The duck is roasted standing up in its pot. Grease drains to the bottom, so the final product doesn't seem as greasy as with other cooking methods.
The duck arrives with small servings of salt and sesame seeds to use to your taste.
For lunch, Chosun serves Shredded Duck in Cold or Hot Noodle Soup ($4.95), Duck Jun ($7.95) or Kim Chee Fried Rice with Duck ($6.95). A spicy Duck Soup ($7.95) is a perfect thought for rainy days ahead.
A Korean Duck Stew ($29.95 whole/$15.95 half) is also offered. But boiled duck is about as exciting as canned tuna.
For the sake of the big picture, I ordered the stew one night, but stared longingly at the couple at the next table with the Clay Pot Duck. That gave me a craving that lasted the weekend. Home-roasted chicken provided little solace.
Reserve your duck at least four hours ahead of meal time. This may cause a problem because most of the staff doesn't speak English, but if you can get through, the result will be worth the trouble.
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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
-- excellent;
To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to nkam@starbulletin.com
