dining out
AUSTIN CHO 1.0
NOT CHO MAMA NACHOS
KAJUN FRIES
62
FALL 2017 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE
Chonut — labeled as “100 percent
ridiculousness” — because Cho
swaps the potato roll in the Austin
Ramen Cho with a glazed doughnut,
and adds bacon and cheese.
Apologies to all those Chonut fans,
because my favorite creation is the
Reuben Lee. Slices of brisket —
smoked for 12 hours — are sand-
wiched between
buttered, grilled
AT A GLANCE
• MOST ENTREES
rye bread, topped
UNDER $15
with smoked kim-
• DELIVERY
chi, barbecue sauce • TAKEOUT
• BYO
and a zingy
• CLOSED MONDAY
remoulade, and
AND TUESDAY
held together with
• FAMILY FRIENDLY
molten mozzarella
• HANDICAPPED
ACCESSIBLE
and a sprinkle of
chopped scallions.
I may never eat a regular Reuben
sandwich again without wishing
for Cho’s version.
If you don’t want kimchi, the
Pulled Pork Sammie has hickory
smoked chunks of pork shoulder,
with Fatboy Bourbon Chipotle sauce
and Korean slaw. I ordered it on a
ramen bun, a clever version of a
hamburger bun made with ramen
noodles that are crunchy on the
outside, and soft on the inside.
Kimchi Smoke is BYO, with good
noshing appetizers that pair especially
well with beer. Not Cho Mama
Nachos are a Korean riff on the
traditional Mexican plate, with
smoky chili, melted Cheddar cheese
and scallions on top of fried corn
tortilla chips. Kajun fries are twice
fried, thinly cut potatoes, sprinkled
with a barbecue rub mixture, and
served with a bourbon chipotle
sauce. The tangy seasoning was
addictive, though I wished the fries
were crispier.
And don’t miss the Korean BBQ
chicken wings — hickory smoked,
finger-licking sticky from a sweet and
spicy Gochu glaze, and crunchy from
a scattering of sesame seeds. The
wings rest on a bed of Korean slaw, a
not-to-be-ignored blend of shredded
cabbage, carrots and scallions in a
tangy soy sesame vinaigrette. ■