An earlier version of this post appeared in part in my other blog. It occurred to me only tonight, while enjoying some Korean fried chicken along with a bowl of ramyun at Aria, that the tubular pasta used in ddukbokki emphatically are, in fact just big, fat rice noodles and worthy of Full Noodle Frontity's stage.

The shop itself is a joy, though tiny. There's barely room for two four-top tables and a two-top of sorts, so Aria does mostly a takeout business, like its predecessor establishment. It's not only the very definition of a hole-in-the-wall, it's also literally a mom-and-pop enterprise, with a beaming mom doing the cooking and polite, mellow pop taking the orders and manning the cash register. I returned tonight to sample the snack bar's real raison d'être, KFC (which means Korean fried chicken hereabouts). With a side of spicy-sweet dipping sauce and the accompanying pickled daikon, it was as good as has been bruited about but that's a matter for another blog. I ordered it with a bowl of ramyun ("Korean ramen" on the menu). This turned out to be underwhelming, little more than a bowl of instant noodles (most likely Nong Shim brand) gussied up with some fresh onion tops and perhaps some ancillary spicing. But not to worry; with ddukbokki designated a noodle dish by (my) decree, Aria Korean American Snack Bar has noble noodles to recommend it.
Where slurped: Aria Korean American Snack Bar, 932 Larkin St., San Francisco
Hello, I want to say thanks for writing this precious article about my parents restaurant. I told my mother that you've enjoyed Dukboggi very much, and she said that next time you should try out Dukboggi with noodle also known as Raboggi. This is actually secret menu at Aria. Please tell Papa Dan to make Dukboggi with ramen :) Again, thanks for sharing your love for Dukboggi.
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