comfort food – Tiana Feng

The White Brick Kitchen is nestled in the middle of Koreatown. It’s the perfect place to go to if you’re in the area and looking for something that is not bibimbap or pork bone soup. They serve American comfort food. The menu includes things like burgers, salads, fried chicken, mac n cheese, chilli and more.

On Foursquare their Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($17) was highly recommended so that’s what I went for. For my side I chose the mixed greens in a lemon vinaigrette. It also came with two scallion biscuits which were nice and moist. Nash loves green onions, so he was a huge fan.

The fried chicken, was probably the best fried chicken I have ever had. It was also literally half a chicken, so quite worth the hefty price tag. There was a honey mustard dipping sauce with it but I accidentally thought that was salad dressing. Silly me, but it still worked in the salad. It didn’t matter because the chicken batter was so delicious (and strangely creamy) that it didn’t need any dipping.

Nash ordered the Brisket Burger ($13) with a side of BBQ kettle chips. They reminded me a lot of my home-made potato chips. The brisket burger had some lovely pickles (which they brine in house). The burger itself was very light. Additional toppings were a bit expensive, but I had enough chicken to feed the both of us.

We’ll definitely be back soon for brunch where they have housemade beef bacon and deep fried eggs!

I’ve been having a rough week or so with exams stress and my Grammy passing away and what really got me through it was junk food. The strange thing about the “junk” I eat, is most of the time I actually get up and make it myself. French Onion Soup, chips, Hot and Spicy Instant Noodles. Occasionally on the list is a gourmet burger. No, not one from McDonalds, one made of certified hot and and juicy Angus beef.

Something I always wanted to know is what is it about foods that make us feel better? I’ve read it is because the certain foods we crave are familiar, but I’m Asian and I know “French Onion Soup” isn’t something I should typically be craving. Most things I crave are in the category of fatty foods that probably have lots of carbohydrates and sugars that stimulate the brain into making it feel better. Usually its the flavor and the salt that I want the most. At least I have been blessed with a fast metabolism, or else I’d be a blimp.

There is more than just the flavor that gives me happiness from compulsive eating. There is the joy in making the delicious junk yourself, as with my Microwave Potato chips (which I will give you all the recipe in a future post) or the French Onion Soup. It’s a release from the everyday stresses. For me it is really one of my only escapes. I go to school to study music business, and I come home to blog about it. Sadly, I lost a little of the joy in it a long the way. I hope that the Christmas break will help me rediscover my love for it again. When I’m cooking, I don’t think what’s going on in my life, otherwise I would get distracted and burn something. It’s a nice escape.

So what’s your comfort food? Mine narrows down to salt and flavor, and lot’s of it. Is yours the same? or is it chocolate or something really bizarre? I want to know!