Tygershark Masters Nouveau Korean Comfort Food

Ditching its stigma as sustenance for the aged or infirm, porridge is making a quiet comeback, and you can add Doug Hwang’s Tygershark to the list of venues serving drool-worthy gruel. Diners descend upon the airy Prospect Heights canteen to sample velvety chicken congee gathered around a puddle of dark brown mole. Pooled on top of the bird-studded rice porridge, the nutty sauce is supercharged by lashings of chile oil; across the surface lies a mosaic of peanuts, sesame seeds, dried chile peppers, and torn cilantro. It’s a nod to the south from executive chef and expat Texan Eduardo Sandoval, who uses fruity guajillo and chipotle meco chiles, as well as the Korean hot pepper powder gochugaru, to make his earthy and complex condiment. But Tygershark goes well beyond the bowl. In their multipurpose coffee shop, boutique, and restaurant, Hwang and Sandoval offer a splashy nouveau take on Korean comfort food. — Zachary Feldman

Korean Food With Surfer ’Tude at Tygershark in Prospect Heights