Brilliant Korea

Kimchee bok eum (G2, $16.95) requires no waitress assistance. Slices of pork are panfried with kimchi and hot bean sauce then served on a bed of creamy sliced tofu. The tofu's bland creaminess acts as a counterpoint to the spicy, slightly chewy pork and the tangy, slightly crunchy kimchi. Deelish.

A major part of any Korean meal (and a freebie to boot!) are namuls, little vegetable dishes meant to be eaten between bites of the main course. I liked all 12 that we were served at Nam Gang, but I particularly enjoyed spinach dressed simply with sesame oil, a dish of crunchy, extremely nutty sprouts, chunks of waxy potatoes in a spicy sauce, and an amazing dish of "spicy lettuces," assorted greens tossed with a startlingly assertive dressing. Bonus: Namul dishes are refilled as often as you like.

Between the food we ordered and the namul dishes, we could barely see the table — and still we managed to eat everything there. After the wreckage was cleared away, while we were sitting there stunned and stuffed, the waitress brought mugs of a cooling drink made from rice, sugar and malt. "It's for your digestion," she explained. It was that — and a balm for our exhausted taste buds as well.