Hannah hits K-Town
I got sent to Koreatown on a mission and I hope I fulfilled it?
In a (semi-recent) episode of Succession, Logan Roy stalks down Koreatown’s 32nd Street, having left an impromptu meeting with his children in a karaoke bar. The kids were being particularly antagonistic, and he’s pissed. He strides quickly and grumbles an almost-Shakespearean soliloquy: “This city, eh? The rats are as big as skunks. They hardly care to run anymore.”
My first reaction to watching this scene was being struck by how EXTREMELY reminiscent it was of my own journey down Korea Way a few days prior. I had been sent to write a roundup of the best food in K-Town. Just like a younger, longer, penniless Logan, I was grumpy, as I often am before eating. So I was just huffing and puffing my way down the street, looking similarly annoyed, when I, too, spied a rat. What are the odds? (Okay, the scene was perhaps less metaphoric, but just as emotionally resonant, I swear.)
Anyway, my journey ended a lot happier than Logan’s: I ended my walk at one of the 16 delicious eateries I ended up profiling. You’ll have to click here for the full list, but I decided to double-dip and write up a few more personal details about why four of the spots I hit stood out to me. Here they are:
Baekjeong (1 E 2nd St.)
You can’t get a reservation at this KBBQ place for a party of less than six, but they move people in and out like they’re on fire, so you don’t really need to stress it as long as you’re down to hang around K-Town for thirty minutes. When you enter, they’ve already set up a whole bunch of tiny plates at your place—we thought that they had maybe forgotten to clear the past customers’ food—but it was actually just all the sides.
So much about this meal was great; my favorite thing about the experience was watching the servers effortlessly time grilling meat on at least ten grills at once. That, or spying the large teapot they were using to pour egg into the divots on the side of each grill, so that it would cook as the grills heated up.
Seoul Salon (28 W 33rd St.)
This place opened at the end of March, and launched its own soju brand, Won Soju, a week later. We ate here the night after Won Soju dropped.
After having done so much research about soju, I wanted to try it. The waiter advised us that one 375mL bottle was good for “one to ten people,” which seemed ludicrous until the bottle arrived and we realized how powerful soju is. I think I only got through a single shot glass of the stuff. I still have half the bottle left over in my fridge, if anyone wants to come over and have a taste.
Grace Street Coffee and Tea (17 W 32nd St.)
Grace Street Coffee and Tea serves a whole bunch of flashy stuff, but the burnt basque cheesecake, their specialty, is actually phenomenal. What sets it apart is the center, which is gooey and custardy, and oozes out when you cut into the cake. (For what it’s worth, I liked this cheesecake a lot more than the bouncy cheesecake from Keki one street over.)
Woorijip (12 W 32nd St.)
Woorijip is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been before. It’s this long, open space, filled with racks and racks of individually-wrapped to-go meals. My favorite thing about Woorijip is that when they bring out a new batch of food, they hang up a note next to the stack of containers saying the exact time that the food was prepared. If it’s been a while since they cooked the dish, the price actually drops; and there’s also a time posted after which they plan to throw the food away. Nothing here is above $10, so it’s a great place to go if you want to explore Korean cuisine on a budget.
Okay, but that’s not all I’ve been up to recently. Here’s a random selection of other things I’ve loved these past few weeks:
Xing Fu Tang (133 2nd Ave.)
My friend Michelle took me to Xing Fu Tang, a Taiwanese bubble tea shop with a location on 2nd Ave and St. Marks Place. The boba is made to order, and you can watch the chefs (baristas?) swirl around the brown sugar mixture and create the little beads, which is very charming. I got a chai bubble tea and it DID change my mind about bubble tea, which I am not generally drawn to. This place also has a fortune box, where you open a tiny drawer and get a fortune. Mine just told me I had “Medium Average Luck.” Felt right.
China North Dumpling (27 Essex St.)
This tiny dumpling shop is one of those ridiculously-cheap places where you need to blink to believe your eyes when you see the prices. $4 for 12 pork and chive dumplings is preposterous. We also got a slice of the sesame pancake with veggies—it was fluffy like focaccia, and stuffed with surprisingly-satisfying bok choy. Big shout out to Emily for this recommendation.
Alright, that’s it. I’m now working on an exciting new series about the oldest and bestest restaurants in Park Slope. Send any and all recs if you’re a Slopester yourself…
Sending love,
Hannah
Love your writing !!!!
Pleasantly surprised by the pan-East Asian cuisine available in K-Town