Namhansansung — Restaurant in Palisades Park

It was hot & humid in NJ today, not the ideal weather for hot porridge. Nonetheless, porridge is comfort food. It is a healing food. Everyone needs healing and comforting once in a while. Today was definitely a day for porridge for me.

There is this place in NJ. It is a hole in the wall next to a pool hall. You will find very few signs in English. Very few people know that this place exists or what it serves. Let me tell you it serves porridge, not some ordinary porridge, no Siree Bob, this is not any ordinary porridge. This is porridge made from Korean herbal soup and scorched rice (there are nations that go crazy for scorched rice). In the porridge is black mushrooms, abalone, chicken (or duck) AND Scorched Rice.

Please allow me to tell you one more time, this is no ordinary porridge. You have to order this porridge atleast 90 minutes in advance. The tab just for the porridge can be as much as $239. Yes $200 plus for porridge, and you have to order (and pay) atleast 90 minutes in advance.

Heat and humidity notwithstanding, I needed the porridge. After finishing work, I drove to this place, Namhan Sansung (500 10th St Palisades Park, NJ). I walked in maybe 30 minutes before closing time and realized that I had not placed the order. I had completely forgotten to place the order for the porridge.

Please do not make this mistake. Please order in advance. This is not some ordinary porridge.

So, I settled for the next best thing at this joint, soy sauce marinated raw crabs. There is a spicy version too, but just the regular version is spicy enough. These crabs have zero smell and infinite creamy goodness. The crabs come cut along the center, you just squeeze out the meat on the rice, sprinkle the soy marinade and eat it. Repeat the process and you will be amazed how soon...

We preordered two days ago for dine-in, then decided to order for to go right after we tried one bite of the Chicken Mushroom Nooroongji soup. We were lucky to get it right away, but we should make an order at least 60 minutes ahead. It looks like quite expensive, but it is enough for a group of 3-4 women, or 2-3 men.

Mushroom Noorongji was $100, and the Chicken Nooroongji was $70. Very healthy food! They served one Jeon (Korean pancake), and 4 different types of Banchan when ordered the soup which were so so good too!

Staff were okay, but they had a little bit odor when we entered the restaurant, but it was not bothering us much.

I recommend this place, and we might revisit here in the...

Caution: Order the chicken porridge 90 minutes ahead. We tried both chicken porridge and soy sauce marinated crab, but the chicken stole the show. Crab cuisine was not that delicious so I don't recommend to try it that much. Undoubtedly, this is the go-to place for chicken porridge.

A noteworthy tip: bring your own drinks, including water, as the served water has an unpleasant smell that might be off-putting for those unaccustomed to tap water.

While they don't serve alcohol, it's BYOB, allowing you to bring your preferred beverages.

The servers weren't very accommodating, deducting one star, but that's the only flaw I'd like...