Camera in the Kitchen: Mandoo Bar

Women in white coats move deftly in the window of the Koreatown section of 32nd Street forming tray after tray of fresh mandoo--Korean dumplings--at the aptly named Mandoo Bar. The main attraction are obviously the mandoo--theirs have thick doughy wrappers and the typical variety of meat and vegetable fillings, spiced up by the occasional inclusion of kimchi, the fiery Korean radish. We were partial to the goon mandoo, pan-fried dumplings filled with pork and vegetables, and the vegetable mool mandoo, boiled vegetable dumplings filled with a fresh mix of vegetables in a dark green wrapper, but the kimchee mandoo wrap themselves around kimchee, tofu, pork, and vegetables, for a spicier dumpling. 8-12 pieces range between $6 - $10, and the menu also offers traditional Korean rice dishes, like dolsot bi bim bob, a combination of rice, vegetables, and beef, and an egg cracked atop in a sizzling stone pot. Mandoo soup, a clear, but rich beef broth filled with a generous number of pork dumplings, is comforting and perfect for a colder day. Though the Korean restaurant options are plentiful on 32nd street, Mandoo Bar is another tasty choice for a casual meal that's kind to your wallet.

Mandoo Bar is located at 2 W. 32nd St. between 5th Avenue & Broadway. 212-279-3075.