100 BEST ’19: WOK FIRED JJAJANG CLAMS at NOWON

I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2019…

Nowon just opened to the public less than a month before this posting. But they seem to already be firing on all cylinders. Jjajang refers to a Korean-Chinese dish usually made with noodles and a thick black bean sauce. Here that inspiration is put to a bowl of plump briny clams. The beans provide a hint of sweetness that is foiled by the addition of lemon and a decadent brown butter sauce. If the clams don’t get enough of the amazing sauce, there are scattered bits of chicken to absorb every last precious flavor. I can tell this is just the beginning for Nowon. Price: $22