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A Korean & Noodle House Just Opened In The Third Ward

Third Ward-ians know this space (316 N. Milwaukee St.) as the former home of Coquette Café – most recently Fool's Errand. Close to two years after Fool's closing, there's a new tenant up and running – Sinabro, Korean & Noodle House. The name Sinabro is from the Korean phrase that means "slowly but surely without noticing."

Photo courtesy of Sinabro

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I don't have a ton of info about this restaurant  yet, but I can talk about the menu. Starters ($7-$16) include four kinds of dumplings, deep-fried or steamed; bokki (fried rice cakes) in a sweet and spicy sauce or a black bean sauce. There are also deep-fried back ribs, spicy scallion chicken and chili shrimp. Ramen and udon ($17-$20) is yet another section and it lists  kimchi ramen, dumpling rice cake ramen, shrimp and softshell crab ramen, spicy JJambbong ramen (seafood broth with shrimp, mussels, and squid), chicken ramen, stir-fried udon noodles with choice of beef or tofu, spicy stir-fried squid udon and fried rtofu vegetable udon. And among the Sinabro specials ($18-$25) are crispy chicken in sweet-spicy teriyaki sauce, spicy scallion pork bulgogi, spicy beef bulgogi, stonepot bibimbap, kimchi beef fried rice, soft tofu stew and Seoul beef stew. Beverages include wines and beers, eight different cocktails, dessert cocktails and mocktails.

Hours: Lunch Mon-Sat 11:30 a.M.-2:30 p.M. Dinner Sun-Thurs 4:30-9 p.M.; Fri-Sat 4:30-10 p.M.

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Filipino Pancit: A Noodle Dish Among The World's Best Stir-fries

Pancit, a term which actually encompasses a variety of noodle dishes in Filipino cuisine, is not only a staple at local feasts and gatherings, but it has also been recognized as one of the world's best stir-fries. The word 'pancit' is derived from the Hokkien phrase "pian i sit," which means "something conveniently cooked," usually referring to noodles.

This dish's roots can be traced back to the Chinese merchants who settled in the Philippines many centuries ago. The beautiful blend of Chinese cooking techniques with Filipino flavors, using locally available ingredients, gave rise to pancit. Over time, it evolved into a unique dish that typifies the fusion nature of Filipino cuisine – a delicious testament to cultural exchange through food.

The base of any pancit dish is noodles, and there are various types with different thicknesses and lengths used in Filipino cooking. Some of the most popular pancit variations include Pancit Canton (stir-fried egg noodles), Pancit Bihon (thin rice noodles), and Pancit Malabon (thick rice noodles tinted orange with annatto seeds).

Pancit is typically stir-fried with a combination of meats such as chicken, pork, or shrimp and an assortment of vegetables like carrots, cabbage, snow peas, and celery. The aromatic blend comes from the garlic, onions, and sometimes bell peppers that are sautéed together. Soy sauce or fish sauce provides the salty depth of flavor while a squeeze of calamansi – a small tangy citrus fruit similar to lime or lemon – adds zestiness.

The philosophy behind pancit goes beyond its ingredients; it represents unity and abundance. Tradition holds that noodles should not be cut, as they symbolize long life and good health. Thus, preparation involves careful stirring and tossing rather than chopping up the noodle strands – this is where its recognition as one of the best stir-fries comes from. Any Pancit dish exemplifies not just great skill in stir-frying but also an understanding of balance between components.

Serving pancit at celebrations – be it birthdays for long life connotations or on festive occasions like Christmas – reflects its status as more than just comfort food; it's a dish imbued with positive symbolism.

As Filipinos continue to share their culture worldwide, pancit maintains its place not only at their own tables but also in international culinary circles as an exemplary stir-fried noodle dish. With each bite comes flavors steeped in history and tradition, making it clear why this delightful mix has been named one of the best stir-fries across the globe.

Survey: Some Prefer Rice, Others Noodles To End Hot Pot Meal

It's a common dilemma for diners in Japan enjoying the delights of a delicious hot pot meal in the winter. 

So, a group of reader-monitors were asked a "this or that" question: "Which do you prefer to add to a hot pot dish to finish it off, rice or noodles?"

The broth of a communal hot pot is abundantly flavored by the many ingredients it contains. Respondents spoke of their enthusiasm for relishing the mouthwatering broth until the last drop.

They also provided tips on a number of ways to use hot pot leftovers when they don't finish off the meal with rice or noodles.

"When my three daughters were very young, they would fight over who would break an egg into the rice for finishing off a hot pot," said a 55-year-old man from Osaka Prefecture. "All that is now a heartwarming memory."

"I would cook sukiyaki with my friends from time to time when I was a poor student," wrote a 76-year-old man from Saitama Prefecture. "We would scramble for the scanty meat in it. We would add 'udon' noodles to finish the dish off, and we felt full. That was a sweet time."

Both of those who prefer rice or noodles contributed episodes of their fond memories.

"We add noodles 100 percent of the time at our home," said a 64-year-old man from Saitama Prefecture. "My daughter once went to a friend's home and was treated to a hot pot, which was finished off with rice. She said she felt like as if she had encountered a different culture."

The notion of the preferred finish is not necessarily shared within a single household.

"'We prefer rice as the finish, right?' I muttered to myself over the survey form, and my husband said, 'Oh no, it's noodles,'" said a 68-year-old woman from Shizuoka Prefecture. "I have always finished off hot pot dishes with rice during the 45 years of our marriage. I was so taken aback."

While those who chose rice outnumbered those in the noodles corner in the "this or that" question, many of the respondents said their choice is not consistent.

"It's so convenient that cold rice can be consumed as a finisher," said a 52-year-old woman from Osaka Prefecture. "When no cold rice is available, I use noodles."

A 73-year-old man from Aichi Prefecture said: "I think it's one of the pleasures of a hot pot that different things can be added to it as the finale, depending on the type of the hot pot you are eating and the mood you are in."

When the respondents were asked precisely what hot pot dishes they often eat, it turned out, curiously enough, that the ranking of the commonest answers seldom differed between those who preferred either rice or noodles.

Many noodle fans said in their free-text answers that they like a hot pot of crabs, if not of other types, to be finished off with rice.

"The best thing I have ever eaten is the gruel of rice that was added to finish off a crab hot pot in a tourist home in the Tango region (of northern Kyoto Prefecture)," said a 53-year-old woman from Osaka Prefecture. "That dish will appear in the revolving lantern of memories that I will be seeing when I die."

Some rice aficionados, on the contrary, said they like certain hot pot dishes to be finished off with noodles.

For example, a 68-year-old woman from Chiba Prefecture said: "A hot pot of giblets should still be finished off with noodles, no matter what."

Both rice and noodles may be used at a time.

"I enjoy it both ways at a Korean barbecue restaurant I often visit, where we first add noodles and eat them before we mix rice into the pot," said a 19-year-old woman from Mie Prefecture.

What comes at the end is loved so much that one 54-year-old woman from Gunma Prefecture said: "Perhaps we cook hot pot dishes for the pleasure of eating at the finish."

However, quite a number of respondents said that they seldom, or never, finish off a hot pot dish with rice or noodles.

"I prefer rice at the finish, but I am abstaining from carbohydrates because of a health problem. It's so sad!!!" said a 79-year-old man from Kyoto Prefecture, who used a triple exclamation mark to underscore his feelings.

Some choose not to finish off a hot pot dish within the day.

"I almost never fail to add onion and curry powder to cook original curry on the following day," said a 74-year-old man from Tokyo. "That tastes terrific."

A 15-year-old female teenager from Ehime Prefecture said: "Frozen udon noodles are chewy and remain good when they are cold again, so I (soak them in a hot pot broth and) put them in my lunch box. They taste excellent because they absorb lots of flavor."

One 81-year-old woman from Nara Prefecture said she uses the broth of an "oden" hot pot to "cook potatoes and eggs with to make a potato salad. It's good with cucumber and onion added."

"My mother would always use the leftover oden broth to boil dried daikon strips in," said a 61-year-old man from Nara Prefecture.

Sukiyaki is often remade into a beef bowl or "nikujaga" simmered meat and potatoes, but there are still other ways to enjoy it for a second time.

"At my parents' home, we would add eggs into sukiyaki for breakfast on the following day," said a 55-year-old woman from Hyogo Prefecture. "That would make fried eggs with a salty-sweet flavor. They would go excellently with rice."

"An acquaintance of mine said they would never fail to use sukiyaki leftovers to fry croquettes with," said a 71-year-old man from Kanagawa Prefecture.

There are so many ways to enjoy hot pot broth and leftovers, either with rice or noodles at the finish or in other ways.

"The broth is, anyway, so richly flavored," said a 70-year-old man from Chiba Prefecture. "Come to think of it, it could taste good in any dish it is remade into."

I am really awe-stricken by the greatness of hot pot dishes.

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