Hot Pot Pupus

Million restaurant, a Korean dining institution for 25 years, may not sound like the place for pupus. Yakiniku, sure, but quick bites of goodness to share with friends? Sure. After all, what is Yakiniku other than self-prepared pupus?

The appetizers begin as soon as you order. Each meal comes with a meal-in-itself collection of sides like potato salad, seaweed salad, kim chee raw crab, cuttlefish and bean sprouts. If this isn’t enough pupus for you, the menu runs the gamut from the familiar to the exotic. The crispy Fried Man Doo ($5), Cold Tofu ($5), Kim Chee Pancakes ($15), and the Fish Jun (a pan-fried egg-battered Mahimahi for $12) are easily recognizable as chopstick-friendly starter dishes and quite tasty. But how many places offer Frozen Sliced Raw Beef ($12) and Steamed Sliced Pig Feet ($17)? Don’t worry, you don’t need to be Andrew Zimmern to enjoy these traditional and tasty treats.

The Rice Cake with Spicy Sauce ($12) is a big-plate dish just right for sharing. But be careful, it is spicy. And I mean SPICY! The mochi-style rice bathing in Go Chu Jang (a traditional chili paste sauce) is tender and bursting with flavor. Did I mention it was HOT?

Another self-creating pupu option is the Hot Stone Pots, which run from $9 to $13. Million offers nine varieties of this popular rice dish, and I can tell you from experience, these things are good. The combination of meat — you can chose from chicken, short ribs, spicy shrimp or beef — vegetables, egg and rice results in a moist and fun-to-eat dish that is perfect for center table sharing. The best part, of course, is the crispy rice on the bottom of the bowl that adds a nice textural change to the otherwise soft bowl of goodness.

Remember, pupus don’t have to be finger foods from a segregated section of the menu. Appetizers are about fun and sharing no matter their size, presentation or method of delivery.

Million Restaurant

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