Mom and Pop Sushi & Other Adventures

52nd Sushi (52-21 Roosevelt in Woodside) is one of our favorite quick take out places in the neighborhood. A Korean-run sushi spot, it serves up cheap but impeccable sushi rolls and a few Korean dishes like Hwe Dup Bab and Bulgoki. A hidden gem located on a lonely, sometimes sketchy stretch under the elevated 7 train tracks, it's wedged among bodegas, dollar stores, and a liquor store (that conveniently carries a great selection of Korean soju and sake). From the beginning for us, it took on the nickname of "Mom and Pop," as it's a tiny family-owned place run by, well, a mom, a pop . . . and a son. Although the whole family is extremely friendly, the son, in his early '20's, is the only one who speaks English well and is usually the one to make the sushi. He always does an excellent job. (As a sidenote, the language barrier is a frequent dilemma around here when ordering on the phone for delivery or take out at many places in the 'hood). If we call and get mom, a comical conversation ensues that Margaret Cho would be proud of. The other day we called to compliment Mom and Pop on the sushi we ordered (the special 52nd Roll, which is a tempura shrimp and crab salad roll, and Rainbow Roll, both pictured above) and it went something like this:

Mom: Hey-aayyye?

RR: Yes, we just ordered some sushi from you . . .

Mom: No, no closed

RR:  No, we just ordered . . .

Mom: No mo' sushi, we close

RR:  No, we already ate sushi that we ordered there tonight and wanted to tell you we really   liked it - it was very fresh and good

Mom: Wha-a order?

RR:  52nd and Rainbow - they were very good

Mom: Ah! ok

I guess it's been a Korean (or Korean-Japanese fusion?) kind of week, because after ordering the sushi rolls several nights ago, last night we ended up going back to Mom and Pop for some Bulgoki and short ribs, (both pictured below). I was somewhat disappointed with the Bulgoki this time. It was a bit dry and wasn't as rich in garlic and spices as usual, but it still delivered a satisfying last-minute meal. The bento box version comes with salad, assorted pickled veggies, shumai, dumplings, California rolls, unagi (eel) sushi, seaweed salad, rice and miso soup. All this for only $12! What a steal. If only it were completed by Kimchi, then I would be in heaven. Maybe I'll suggest that to them - it's that type of place where they would probably throw it in upon request. The non-bento box version comes with rice, salad and soup and I believe is only about $8.

Beef short ribs from Mom and Pop

Mom and Pop's Bulgoki Box

As an aside, it's unfortunate that in a neighborhood with a sizable Korean population, there aren't more decent Korean options. For my Korean fix, I prefer to go to Midtown for restaurants in Koreatown (or Little Korea) where I'm never disappointed.

To continue the Korean (and Asian) theme, we also recently went to one of our absolute all-time favorite places anywhere - Spa Castle, a resort-like 5-story Korean spa located in College Point, Queens. You take the 7 subway line to the end (Flushing) and then a quick, free shuttle bus ride to get there. I was so mad that we forgot to bring the camera to capture the tasty Korean food we ate there in between sauna visits -- RR got the hot beef stew and I got the cold buckwheat noodles. As always, we ordered a bottle of Korean soju (a usually rice-based beverage similar to vodka and served neat) to compliment the meal. For dessert, we both went "green" - I had a honeydew bubble tea and RR, pistachio ice cream. Usually the Korean restaurant option is dominated by Koreans, with the rest of the spa crowd choosing the more typical hamburgers and french fries type of fare. For the life of me, I don't understand why, when you have the choice, you wouldn't go for the full experience. Korean food when done well is so comforting and satisfying and lends itself well to a spa atmosphere, especially the fortifying comfort food options. I love all the different small dishes of odds and ends you get as a starter, which is fun.

We did end up taking some pictures (below) on RR's Blackberry of our traditional pre-spa stop, Paris Baguette in Flushing, where we nourish ourselves with coffee and pastries before we embark on the taxing day ahead. This time, the red bean sugar donut was so fresh, I wanted to eat ten more. It's hard to restrain myself from taking one of each different kind of pastry just to try them out. Sometimes it's hit or miss. I ended up with two more choices beyond the donut - a somewhat mediocre tapioca stick donut and a soft and flavorful mango roll. RR chose a pineapple pastry and a walnut danish sprinkled with black sesame.

top left: red bean donut; top right: mango roll; bottom front: pineapple pastry

Paris Baguette pastry line-up

More pictures of Paris Baguette - it's a serve-yourself set-up. Those are cheescakes in the front.

To top off the experience, post-spa, before we jumped back on the 7 train, we were so thirsty we grabbed a few tapioca bubble tea slushies from the conveniently-located chain Quickly the "New Generation Asian Fusion Cafe." Lychee was the best, mango a close second, but green apple was too artificial. They sure hit the spot.