thanks to brigham yen, i found out about the "grand tasting" of a soon-to-open korean restaurant in pasadena called 'cham'. i was especially curious because it would be filling the vacated location of seoul bros. - a restaurant i had really enjoyed and was sad it had to close.so i got on the guest list and went over on thursday to sample their creations. i ordered the spicy pork bulgogi ssam platter (awesome!), three different tofu pockets (arugula and red radish, marinated fresh crab, and spicy tuna with pea shoots)(amazing!), and a hibiscus flower lemonade (wha..? incredible!) to top it all off.
oh my - i haven't been that satisfied with a free meal in a long time.
the enviornment was welcoming and communal with a very friendly staff. the manager and owner personally introduced themselves and asked my opinions on the different food items. i gushed over the flavor combinations and the subtle balanced nuances of each item. i'm pretty sure i could eat about a thousand of those tofu pockets with their tasty fillings.
the total for my meal would have been aproaching $20, which seems to be a little on the expensive side, however i was stuffed and wouldn't have ordered quite so much had i been paying for it out of my own pocket. that being said, it doesn't strike me as a place to go for huge savings on lunch or dinner. i was impressed that the owners are planning to donate proceeds to overseas poverty development projects - if they push this aspect of their business they could really do well.
all in all, i can't wait until it actually opens in august and i can return once again with an empty belly ready to sample more korean treasures.
did anyone else in pasadena get a chance to go to the grand tasting?
