Li Hua

171 Grand Street on Baxter
212/343.0090
about $25 for two, without drinks, without tip
♥ ♥

Perhaps the only Korean restaurant near Chinatown, Li Hua attracts a lunch crowd willing to pay $9 for a lunch box of bulgogi, fried zucchini, salad and rice. For us coming from an office in SoHo, $9 isn’t bad; it’s even better when food under $10 is not Chinese.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but now that we’re situated in Chinatown, we’ve pretty much exhausted our Chinese food options. Li Hua impressed me with their yuk gae jang and chap jae noodles. Their special ramen bowl is also comforting at less than $7. When I’m feeling hungry, their hot stone bibimbap is worth it.