Northwest Mall has seen better years, as the Macy's wing has no Macy's, and the Antique Center of Texas (Hey look, cool old stuff for sale in a mall) anchors the other wing. However, the place still thrives as a bazaar of interesting one-off stores, offices and clubs, and the food court has several good places at which to eat.

The standout food stall, with a steady stream of lunchtime customers, is Sesame Hut. It serves typical mall Chinese fare, and the employees will ask you to sample their spicy chicken, but what Sesame Hut is famous for -- especially to guests from the gleaming HISD headquarters across the street -- is the Bulgoki Korean Beef.

You wouldn't expect much for $5.99, but what you'll get is a surprisingly large amount of faintly sweet yet tangy beef with onions. It's not low-grade chewy beef, but rather tender beef that will leave you completely satisfied. The fried rice that comes with it isn't of the same exceptional quality, but that won't matter, because bulgoki is the reason to come to Sesame Hut.

Also, pay attention to the onion rings on top. They fall into a middle ground between classic fried onion rings and tempura, and are very good. However, if you decide to carry out your bulgoki from the mall, be sure to eat the onion rings before you go; otherwise they'll get soggy on the trip back to your office or home.

Access to Sesame Hut is easier than it looks. Just turn into the entrance of Northwest Mall across 18th Street from HISD, and park at the front entrance of the mall. Don't worry, there's plenty of parking. The Sesame Hut is just inside the entrance, and you'll be out of there in no time with the best $5.99 Korean beef you've ever had.