18 Jun Chelsea Market: Mok Bar
Last month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Esther Choi of the recently opened Mok Bar in Chelsea market. With a competitive spirit and a hardworking attitude, Chef Esther is the type of person that will do whatever it takes to get things done. You can read the full article about her journey to restaurant ownership on Jones and B.
As for the food at Mok Bar, I do have to say I’ve never been a fan of Asian cuisine but after eating here my mind has definitely changed. When creating a dish, Chef Esther takes all of the senses into account by thinking about everything from the color to the texture to the flavor of the dish. In regards to color, Chef Esther points out that Korean dishes will typically have 5 colors. This principle helped to inspire the restaurant’s playful and delicious rainbow rice dish.
Another important thing to note about the menu, nothing contains MSG. MSG is an extremely popular ingredient in Asian cuisine but Chef Esther has made a very intentional decision not to include this ingredient in any of the dishes she makes. To her, clean eating is extremely important. Her main point of inspiration is her grandma and when she thinks about her grandma’s cooking, MSG is not a part of it.
After trying a handful of the dishes on the menu, it’s safe to say that the food here can get addicting. You can find a full breakdown of their menu on the Mok Bar site. If you ever find yourself wandering around Chelsea Market, this place is definitely worth a visit.
Nina
Posted at 03:31h, 11 AugustHi Justine,
You have a very nice blog here, especially with beautiful food pictures that you took whenever to go to a restaurant. I wonder what kind of camera you are using, as to use a dslr camera normally will annoy either your companion or maybe other guest in that place?
Justine
Posted at 07:35h, 12 AugustHi Nina,
Thank you so much, Nina!! For my camera, I mostly use my Nikon D90 with a 35mm prime lens. For this specific post, since I had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Esther (you can read the interview on Jones and B) the restaurant was kinda enough to set me up with a little space in the back to talk with her and to photograph so as not to disturb the other customers. When I am out for a casual meal with some friends, I still do bring the SLR and just try to take the photos I need quickly :).
They are starting to sell a few cameras that are a hybrid between an SLR and point and shoot. I have not tried this out yet but I know my friend has one from Sony and she loves it! They are compact and still very powerful.