Cheap Eats 2011: Spring Restaurant

Spring Restaurant in Pal-do Oriental Food Market is a bitch to find. There’s a barely noticeable sign and nothing pointing you to the meat counter at the back of the store, where you head up the largely hidden stairs to the restaurant. Your reward, on arrival, is delicious, market-fresh Korean food. The tasty japchae (sesame-oil-fried noodles with strips of marinated beef and veggies, $9.95) feeds two with complimentary banchan, which is small plates of kimchi, pickled daikon and more. Spring Restaurant is decorated with paper-on-plywood photos of menu items, staffed by people who speak little English and full of hearty fare like the gamjatang ($8.95), a spicy pork and potato stew that’s simmering when served. There’s no beer or wine, so don’t wonder why the woman smiled as an answer to your request and never brought you anything.