If you’re on Long Island, you’re within easy reach of some really good Korean food in the Queens area.  But if you’re a bit further out on the Island in Nassau or Suffolk county, the options are extremely limited.

But today, you can shout HOORAY!

A new Korean cuisine restaurant opened up recently east of Queens in the New Hyde Park / Mineola / Jericho / Roslyn / Port Washington area (Exit 36 or 37 Long Island Expressway).

Imperial Seoul

3365 Hillside Avenue

New Hyde Park, NY 11040

516-741-2340

The restaurant is located just a little bit down the street from the H-Mart korean grocery story, so you can get your Korean food fix completely in one trip.

The menu is standard fare and the restaurant is clean and modern since it is basically new construction.  There are three private rooms and a sushi bar (yes, they serve Japanese food like most asian restaurants these days).

You can check out Yelp for some reviews, but overall it is a welcome addition to the Long Island restaurant options.  No more fighting Queens traffic or parking.  The serving size for my dish was generous (see photo above).  Banchan was plentiful.  Everything was tasty indeed.

FiveGuys is no longer the only new greasy burger joint in town.

If you drive just 10 minutes down from Livingston Mall on Columbia Turnpike, you’ll find a bunch of new strip mall development happening.  One of them houses the latest Smash Burger restaurant.

We decided to check it out this Saturday night – seems like everyone had the same idea.  Lines the length of the store from counter to door.  Loud and crowded, we waited a good 15 minutes to order, and then got seating and waited another 7-8 minutes for our food to be delivered.

Yelp.com reviews and others give it a so-so rating.  We do the same. . . 

The decor was clean and new.  Price is about $5-7 for most burgers — you’ll have to shell out another 2 bucks for fries and about another 2 bucks for sodas.

Smashburger at Florham Park, NJ

187 Columbia Turnpike
Florham Park, NJ 07932

Here’s some of the first impressions of the food itself:

• SALTY - overwhelming over anything else.  Every item has TONS of salt.  The burger meat itself was salty.
• GREASY - part of the experience you’re paying for – unhealthy comfort food, but wow, even the buns are shiny from the grease.  By the end of our meal, some of the remaining sweet potato fries weren’t crisp, they were just gloppy sponges of grease.
• PUNY - when fries are an add-on, you expect a decent portion.  They were puny.  Plus the way the “dishes” are made, which is basically wire baskets with a piece of wax paper covering the bottom, fries get lost and fall out or touch the table under it.  Something just seems…eewy to eat food that is touching the table that other people just eat off of back-to-back.  Especially, when the competition, Five Guys is known for their huge portions of overflowing crispy fries.

Here’s one thing to note, that might help inform why such an experience where the concept seems great, but in terms of execution, they are just a little off — apparently, the same operator for this location also runs Markers Restaurant, an upscale casual American Grille, located in Jersey City, NJ as well as other franchise concepts including Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Cinnabon, Seattle’s Best Coffee, and Carvel Ice Cream.  You can see lack of focus within the food spectrum — some of that lack of focus spills over in execution here.

The big question is would we go back?  Probably, but only if we’re in the area – definitely not a planned event.

QUESTION: What’s your opinion of Smashburger? (and which location are you talking about?  Please let your comment below!

One where you wish you never had to tell in the first place.

But it is also one so shocking that I am still, well…in shock.

Take a look at this video I took on the spot and see for yourself. WOW. That’s all I have to say. . .

UPDATE: Actually, I’m not speechless anymore about this experience gone bad at Raul’s Empanadas Town on Morris Street, Morristown NJ. Here’s a link to the Yelp post that shares more of the details.

QUESTION: WHAT’S THE WORST DINING EXPERIENCE YOU’VE EVER HAD?

Toasty homemade chips and salsa to start! Steak and enchiladas!  Kids meals $5 each from a selection of about 5 or 6 different options!  Most entrees were $11-12.  ”Combos” were $12-14. And other meat dishes were were mostly $15 (steak, chicken, fajitas, etc).  Serving portions were average size.  The meal took a tad longer than we expected to come out and the rice was pretty dry.  The meals at Don Jose was mostly above average, satisfying, but not knock your socks off fantastico if you were to judge the food solely by itself.

BYOB.  FYI Godfather’s which is 2 doors down has a seafood bar & grill where you can buy a 6-pack of coronas for $13.

The reason why you’d go to Don Jose’s restaurant is for the dining experience.  Don Jose’s staff was friendly. . . decor definitely let you forget you were in a strip mall. . . the live roving 2-man guitar/strings musicians made the night festive.  For your birthday they bring out a big ol’ sombrero and everyone in the house joins in to clap and sing.  It was a Kodak Moment.

But some small things to note: We were asked to move our party to another table 10 minutes into sitting down for our meal – we were told it would help them out to accommodate a larger group by combing our table with others for the larger group.  The waiter promised us “we’ll give you an extra special dessert complimentary on us” if we could help them out.  We moved, wasn’t a big deal to us at the time, but they never followed through on the promised “comp”ing of desserts.  We were even chanrged for the birthday flan + ice cream that was eagerly sent with the song and clapping during our meal.  Is it a deal breaker? No?  But it’s one of those small annoying things that just leaves a bad taste in your mouth as you leave the restaurant.

But other than that little annoying instance, we’d go back at some point soon.

Here’s a tip worth taking advantage of: Printable coupons for 10% off, $5 off or $10 off meals at Don Jose