For starters, it’s actually not a fruit, but a vegetable.  Usually one of the first edible plants ready for harvest in mid to late spring, rhubarb has large, triangular leaves and crisp, celery-like stalks (fun fact: food stylists actually dye celery with red coloring when they need a photo of rhubarb in the off-season!)  Owing to the number of anthocynins present, a pigment also found in cherries, raspberries and red cabbage, rhubarb can be crimson, speckled pink or light green.  And although scarlet-stalked rhubarb is generally more appealing to the eye, color has no effect either way on flavor, texture or aroma.

In addition to being somewhat bitter (rhubarb is rarely consumed raw), many people are actually hesitant to use rhubarb for fear that it’s poisonous.  And yes, the leaves — which are generally removed — contain potentially toxic oxalic acid.  But unless you plan to consume five pounds of leaves in one sitting, you can put your mind at rest about getting so much as a stomach ache from the tart fruit, so seize the season and eat up!

So how are local restaurants making the most of rhubarb?  There’s an exquisite, lattice-topped Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie being offered at Little Pie Company in Hell’s Kitchen.  But why not explore rhubarb’s savory side at the Mario Batali’s Spanish tapas spot, Casa Mono?   The tart red veggie is uniquely (and deliciously) paired with Fluke Crudo and a Spicy Cashew Puree.  And then there’s the modern Nordic restaurant, Acme, which toes the line between sweet and savory with a truly unique dessert — Goat Ice Cream with Rhubarb, Celery and Blue Spruce.

In Brooklyn, tangy rhubarb is the perfect foil for rich plates of charcuterie, both at Dressler, which tops Foie Gras Torchon with Rhubarb and Ginger Chutney, and Colonie, where a Duck Rillette appetizer is paired with Lacquered Rhubarb.  What to order for your aperitif?  The Rhubarb Ginger Daiquiri, naturally!  Rhubarb is currently being served four ways at Jean- Georges, as part of a seasonal dessert tasting.  Try Chilled Rhubarb Soup, a Lemon Grass-Rhubarb Creamsicle, Champagne Mango Orange Flower Yogurt with Almond Crumble and Spiced Rhubarb Compote, and an Alsatian Rhubarb Tart with Basil and Rhubarb Puree, all on one plate.  You’ll never dismiss rhubarb as a mere pie filling again!

If you’d rather dabble in the kitchen, you can purchase a bushel of bright red, leafless stalks at your local greenmarket or gourmet grocery.   Now what?  Essentially, it all comes down to stewing.  Add 1/2-3/4 cups of sugar for each pound of rhubarb, enough water to cover, a squeeze of lemon juice or a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired, and simmer until soft.  From here, you’ll have a compote that can be used in a number of ways.  Yes, you can fold in a pint of sliced strawberries and a pinch of cornstarch and make a pie.  But why stop there?  You can add pectin for a delicious rhubarb jam, or throw your fruit into a blender and puree for an all-purpose sauce (try drizzled over grilled meats, dolloped on ice cream, or frozen into popsicles).  But our preferred way to use rhubarb is to strain out all the juices (just use a spoon to push the compote through a fine mesh colander)  and combine the reserved liquid with champagne, vodka or gin for the ultimate spring cocktail.

Little Pie Company
424 W. 43rd Street, btwn. 9th and 10th Aves.
(212) 736-4780
www.littlepiecompany.com

Casa Mono
52 Irving Place, btwn. 17th and 18th Sts.
(212) 253-2773
www.casamononyc.com

Acme
9 Great Jones Street, btwn. between Shinbone Aly and Lafayette St.
(212) 203-2121
www.acmenyc.com

Dressler
149 Broadway, btwn. 6th St and Driggs Ave.
(718) 384-6343
www.dresslernyc.com

Colonie
127 Atlantic Avenue, btwn. Henry and Clinton Sts.
(718) 855-7500
www.colonienyc.com

Jean-Georges
1 Central Park West, at 61st St.
(212) 299-3900
www.jean-georgesrestaurant.com

Having grown up in Manhattan, trained at the French Culinary Institute, and worked at two of the top, high-end eateries in the city (Daniel and Masa),  it wasn’t a given that chef Hooni Kim would open a casual Korean joint.  In fact, he’d be more likely to open a fussy, upscale one.

“I’ve always been more of a New Yorker than anything else. But I realized that at the best restaurants, chefs puts themselves onto the plate,” he says.  “Once you eat their food, you should have an idea of who this person is, what they’re about and what their experiences are.  Daniel Boulud and Jean George both cook French food, but all I need to do is look at their plate to know which is which. The truth is, being Korean is such a huge part of who I am,” he adds.

Kim’s wide range of influences are on full display at his two, widely popular and praised restaurants,  Danji in Hell’s Kitchen, which serves modern Korean tapas like Bulgogi Beef Sliders and Kimchi Paella, and the recently opened Hanjan in Flatiron, which elevates family-style dishes from the Korean countryside.  Think Spicy Octopus Stir Fry and Korean Ramyun, a 12-hour broth of pork, chicken and fish bones. “The older Koreans come in and say oooh… this is 1970’s or 80’s food,” Kim laughs.  “And they’re right. Because the rural areas haven’t changed much.”

We also spoke with the chef about his gluten allergy (who knew?), switching from medical school to culinary, and whether or not gochujang is poised to become the new sriracha.

When did you realize you wanted to become a chef?
I fantasized about being a chef when I read Daniel Boulud’s “Letter’s to a Young Chef.”  But this was 10 years ago, and I was in medical school at that time.  I wound up taking a one year sabbatical to go to culinary school, and applied for a job at Daniel shortly after and got it.  That’s when I knew that cooking was going to become my career.

What were some of your most formative food memories growing up?
I grew up in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  And what Manhattan kids do in high school was go out to eat.  You don’t go to the mall, you go to restaurants.  So I was able to try a lot of different cuisines at a young age.  Also, my parents would send me to Korea every summer so I wouldn’t forget the language and culture.  And the best part was tasting the food.  Unlike many cuisines, you can’t get anything similar to what you eat in Korea outside of Korea.  The most important ingredients never make it out of the country.

What would you say are some of the flavors, methods or techniques that really define Korean food?
It’s all about the “jangs” or fermented products.  The most popular is ganjang, which is soy sauce, and there’s doenjang; Korean miso.  Gochujang is red chili paste.  These are the heart and soul of everything Korean.  Every dish has at least one of these elements in it, which becomes the foundation of the dish.

Do you think gochujang is poised to become the new sriracha?
The truth is, all of the gochujang’s that make it to this country are processed.  So most chefs and home cooks have only tasted a supermarket gochujang, which is entirely different than what they make in Korea.  In Korea, every market sells their own version of gochujang, which is what makes dishes so particular to the villages and restaurants they come from.  For example, a restaurant in Seoul will use gochuchang from that village.  And that will distinguish the flavor of their dishes.  So because of that, I have doubts of gochujang becoming mainstream here.  Also, it has the tendency to really bully every other characteristic of a dish.  Sriracha is just a condiment, a supporting ingredient.  But if you add gochujang to a dish, the dish is about gochujang.  Everything else is just secondary.

So are you getting the ingredients you use for the restaurant directly from Korea?
Yes.  We get exactly five ingredients: Korean miso, soy sauce, gochujang, red pepper flakes and sesame oil.  With those five ingredients, you can cook 95% of any Korean dish.  All you need to do is add vegetables or rice or whatever.  So it’s not really recipes that distinguish our restaurant, but the fact that we use those five ingredients.  Coupled with our technique, of course.

How do Danji and Hanjan each represent different sides of you as a chef?
I think Danji is definitely the more New Yorker-Korean side of me.  Small plates, many courses, it’s how New Yorkers like to eat.  And all the techniques are my own.  I never learned how to cook proper Korean food and I don’t know how other Koreans cook their food.  But based on my knowledge and experience with cooking in NY, this is how I would cook and serve Korean food.

As far as Hanjan goes, I think the best Korean food is in the countryside.  The best chefs in Korea are not restaurant chefs.  Korea doesn’t have a real history of restaurants like in France or Italy.  They didn’t really have any until the economy boom in the 1970’s.  So traditionally, the best chefs are the mothers and grandmothers that cook for their families, or throw a huge parties for the village.  There were no recipes, they weren’t making money.  They were just doing this out of love.  And that’s what I wanted to mimic with Hanjan.  It is not modern Korean food or even metropolitan city food, like they have in Seoul.  It’s country food.  

Why do you think it’s taken Korean cuisine so long to catch on in NYC?  Chefs have been playing with Japanese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian flavors forever.  Why has Korean food been relegated to Koreatown up until now?
I compare Korean food to Japanese food.  30 years ago, Japanese wasn’t really respected in New York.  But what led to the boom was a lot of Japanese chefs coming from Japan and cooking authentic food with a lot of pride.  They were chef-owners.  All of the restaurants in K-Town are businesses.  I don’t know a single chef on 32nd street.  As far as I know, they change every 6 months.  It has never been about the chefs.  It’s difficult for a cuisine to elevate and become respected when there are so many inconsistencies; a lack of pride that goes into cooking.  So because of that, I think people have viewed Korean food as just a cheap brand of Asian food, like how Thai has been sullied by bad Pad Thai.  I’m a chef-owner, and my cooking is based on pride and passion.  It’s not just about the money.

How do you divide your time between the two restaurants?
It’s based on whoever needs me more.  I’m still in the process of learning how to run two restaurants without being in the kitchen every day.  I have two chefs that I try to teach a little bit, but for the most part, I’m really very careful not to step on their toes.

Describe your ultimate meal at both of the restaurants.
Danji: Tofu, Yellowtail Sashimi, Spicy K.F.C Wings, Bulgogi Sliders, Bossan, and the Poached Sablefish.  I think that’s enough for two or three people to share.

Hanjan: Our Kimchi Pork and Tofu, the Scallion Pancake with Squid, the Rice Cakes, the Fresh Killed Chicken Skin Skewers, and the Brisket Fried Rice.

What might we be surprised to find in your fridge at home?
I actually have a gluten allergy.  So I always have gluten free bread and sharp cheddar cheese, and that’s what I snack on when I get home.  I eat soy and gochuchang every day, so at home,  I crave cheese and butter.

How does having a gluten allergy factor into what you cook at the restaurant?
Korean soy sauce has no gluten, and we don’t use flour in our chicken wings, we use corn and potato starch.  They actually make the chicken wings crisper than flour.  There are a lot of options and yes, I probably use them more than someone that isn’t on a gluten free diet.  But we do have our sliders and scallion pancakes, and I taste them once in a while.  As long as I keep it to a taste, I just get a little red for a couple of days!

What’s hotter than the Cronut? Our gourmet gossip below!

In this great dining city of ours, barely a day passes without news of an exciting new restaurant opening, a devastating closing, a shocking chef shuffle, or in the case of Dominique Ansel Bakery’s seriously buzzed about Cronut (a donut/croissant hybrid)  a groundbreaking, must-try dish.

So in this new segment, we’ll keep you apprised of the industry’s most noteworthy bits and bites, from celeb chef Elizabeth Falkner’s reappearance on the Upper East Side to the hopeful return of al fresco brunch in Brooklyn!

Blue Ribbon Beer Garden Opens for Business: Ever since debuting their first Soho restaurant in 1992, brothers Bruce and Eric Bromberg have steadily grown their Blue Ribbon empire.  And now they have a beer garden to add to their esteemed collection of New American eateries, sleek sushi bars, and cozy bakeries. Located on the second floor terrace of the Thompson Hotel on the Lower East Side, Blue Ribbon Beer Garden serves both local and large format beers, a selection of bar snacks like boiled peanuts, smoked almonds and pork rinds, and affordable plates of barbecue (a protein, beans, coleslaw and cornbread for $15).  The only thing more exciting?  The Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken restaurant opening in the East Village later this year!

Pit Master Aaron Franklin is bringing the beef to Hill Country.

Brooklyn Brunch Ban Revisited: Sitting at a sidewalk table during Sunday brunch while leisurely sipping Bloody Mary’s is practically a part of the Brooklyn fabric.  Which is why it came as a shock when a bill passed last April, banning outside seating before noon on weekends (it was argued that brunch prevented worshippers from safely getting to church. Yes, really!).  Thankfully, the hotly contested bill is going back before the city council on June 13th, and expected to be repealed.  Hopefully, it will end Brooklyn’s “War on Brunch” once and for all, and (now that temps are hovering in the upper 70′s), not a moment too soon!

Barbecue Bash at Hill Country: In other ‘cue news, Aaron Franklin (owner of the seriously popular Franklin Barbecue in Austin),  plans to make a pit stop at Hill Country in Flatiron.  $50 tickets to the June 6th pop-up include all-you-can eat brisket, sausage and ribs, and all-you-can drink Lone Star and Shiner beer.  And just in time for grill season, Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor, Daniel Vaughn, will be on hand to answer any and all questions related to slow-smoked meat.

Falkner left Krescendo, and she’s taking her tasty pies with her.

Elizabeth Falkner to Helm Corvo Bianco: Just weeks after announcing her departure from Krescendo in Brooklyn, Elizabeth Falkner has signed on as executive chef at the upcoming Corvo Bianco on the Upper East Side.  The San Francisco based-celebrity (formerly of Orson and Citizen Cake, as well as food competition shows like The Next Iron Chef) will expand well beyond pizza and pasta at the new coastal Italian spot.  Look for seasonal dishes, like Fava Bean and Strawberry Salad with watercress and ricotta salata.  Sounds delicious, but lets hope she continues to offer her award-winning Finocchio Flower Power pie.

Chris Consentino Pens Offal Cookbook: It’s a good week for high-profile San Francisco chefs.  Chris Consentino, chef at Incanto and a vocal supporter of the nose-to-tail movement, recently inked a cookbook deal with Clarkson Potter.  And considering his penchant for off-cuts, it comes as no surprise that it will feature 150 all-offal recipes.  Look for the book to drop in spring of 2015, artfully illustrating the culinary joys of tripe, liver, intestine, kidney, tongue and spleen.  Sounds like the ultimate future Father’s Day present!

The rent is too damn high for Lure Fishbar.

Lure Fishbar Shutterwatch: While much buzz has surrounded their newest restaurant, El Toro Blanco, a recent spate of press has centered on Josh Capon and John McDonald’s original and beloved Soho hotspot, Lure Fishbar.  It seems an exorbitant rent-hike has threatened to put the seafood eatery out of business, and McDonald recently released this statement: “We want the opportunity to pay market rent based on comps/deals. If we cannot match it, that is the way the market works.  And while losing Lure would be a very undesirable outcome, we would have to accept it, having been given a fair shot.”  Say it ain’t so!  We’ll follow this one closely. Stay tuned…

Chuko Expands in Prospect Heights: In happier news, Brooklyn’s top ramen spot Chuko, overseen by Morimoto alums Jamison Blankenship and David Koon, is branching out this fall.  The new BarChuko (located only steps away from their original Vanderbilt Avenue eatery) is being styled as a “neighborhood izakaya,” featuring drink-friendly bites like Steamed Buns, Spicy Pickles, Chicken Wings, and Yakitori.  We are so there.

Ever attempt Korean at home?  Maybe it’s time you should.  After all, Korean cooking is booming around the country, so we thought we’d put a seasonal twist on the Korean classic, Bibimbap.

Translated to “mixed rice,” the traditional dish bibimbap is great eaten hot, cold literally any time of day.  We’ve topped ours with a fried egg, tender spring asparagus (more common additions include julienned cucumber, zucchini, daikon radish and mushrooms) and strips of bulgogi – or marinated, grilled beef.  Add a dollop of kimchi or gochujang (fermented chili pepper paste) at the end for Korea’s signature kick.

Beef and Asparagus Bibimbap
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 lb New York strip steak, trimmed
3 tbs toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbs + 2 tsp sesame oil
2 green onions, finely chopped
3 tbs light brown sugar, divided
1 tbs black rice vinegar
1 tbs garlic, minced
1 tbs fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika
4 tbs Korean red pepper paste (gochujang)
1 lb slender asparagus
2 tbs olive oil plus more for brushing
4 large eggs
4 cups steamed white rice
Kimchi, for serving

Directions:
Place steak in freezer for 1/2 hour to make slicing easier.  Meanwhile, make marinade, paste mixture, and sesame salt.

To make the marinade:
 Combine 1 tbs. toasted sesame seeds, soy, 2 tbs. sesame oil, green onions, 2 tbs. brown sugar, black rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in medium bowl.  Once steak is somewhat firm, remove from freezer and slice crosswise into 1/8 thick slices.  Add to marinade and let sit at room temperature for at least 1/2 hour.

To make the Korean hot pepper paste:
 Combine 1 tbs sesame seeds, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbs toasted sesame seeds, and 1 tbs brown sugar.  Set aside.

To make the sesame salt:
 Combine remaining 1 tbs sesame seeds, 3/4 t sea salt, and paprika in spice grinder or mortar and pestle.  Combine until somewhat smooth.  Set aside.

To make the bibimbop: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add asparagus and sauté until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.  Remove to plate and toss with the remaining sesame oil, sesame seeds and brown sugar.

Brush grill pan or skillet with vegetable oil.  Working in batches, grill steak until just browned, about 1 minute per side.  Set aside.

Crack eggs onto skillet.  Cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes.

Divide warm rice among bowls.  Top with asparagus, beef, and a fried egg, and sprinkle with sesame salt.  Serve with Korean hot pepper paste mixture and kimchi.

This clever kitchen gadget literally plucks the yolk out of the bowl. No need to separate beforehand.  Just crack the whole egg into the bowl, squeeze the silicone chamber on the Pluck, then release and it sucks the yolk right up into the chamber.  To get rid of the yolk, just squeeze again over the garbage can or sink and get ready to do it all over again.  When you’re through, wash it out by hand or even by dishwasher.  It’s great for making meringues, cakes, cookies, or whatever else you plan on baking this summer.  Pluck away!

Yolk Separator $12.99