There are so many reasons to love Manhattan and one of them is the exciting and always vibrant K-town. The block on 32nd Street between Broadway and Madison Avenue has been serving excellent Korean food since the late 1970s. In recent years, however, K-town has expanded both below and above 32nd Street with great Korean restaurants popping up from 31st to 36th Street.
The best Korean restaurants in NYC are not just limited to Koreatown and you can follow the link to see our picks for the best Korean fine dining restaurants. But let’s focus on the wonderous quarter-mile radius around 32nd Street, which happens to be one of the most hopping places in Manhattan today. During the pandemic, many of the restaurants in K-town began offering outdoor seating options that range from traditional homestyle to creative and upscale.
Here are the best places in New York’s Koreatown where you can enjoy marinated galbi from about $39.95 to $49.95 per serving, hearty kimchi tofu stew, or have fun singing at a Karaoke bar with Korean fried chicken and beer.
Pro Tip: Most of the Korean restaurants in K-town offer amazing lunch specials on weekdays.
The Kunjip | Korean BBQ NYC
If you want to try an authentic born-in-NYC K-town original, The Kunjip is the place to go. One of the older Manhattan Korean restaurants, it has been popular since it opened in 2004. Famous for its authentic Korean homestyle food as well as its long lines out the door, Kunjip moved across the street in 2014 to a space that’s twice as large as the original and changed its name to ‘The Kunjip’.
Kunjip means ‘large house’ in Korean and refers to the oldest uncle’s home where the entire extended family would gather on Korean holidays. A play on words, the Korean pronunciation of ‘the’ means ‘more’, so The Kunjip means ‘even larger house’.
The Kunjip is known for its reasonable prices, fresh and delicious banchan, as well as its hearty Korean casseroles/hot pots. Gamja Jungol (spicy pork bone, potato and vegetables casserole) and Haemul Jungol (spicy assorted seafood, vegetables and noodle casserole) are the dishes to order if you are in the mood to try Korea’s favorite soul food.
Marinated Galbi for Dinner – $40.95
The Kunjip | Korean BBQ NYC
32 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001
(212) 564-8238
Jongro BBQ
Jongro BBQ is another well-known chain restaurant in Korea that debuted its Manhattan branch in 2015. Since then, Jongro BBQ has been one of K-town’s most popular Korean BBQ places. The 1970s decor and the snacks from that era are displayed and will take you right back to the 1970s in Seoul.
They get their meat delivered daily, butcher all their meat in-house and also marinade each order separately so that they keep the freshness of the meat. Their meat combo menus are all fail-proof and you will find yourself enjoying every bite.
Marinated Galbi for Dinner – $40.99
Jongro BBQ
22 W 32nd St 2nd floor, New York, NY 10001
(212) 473-2233
Dons Bogam & Wine Bar (Original)
Dons Bogam was one of the first high-end Korean BBQ restaurants in Manhattan. They were pioneers for making the Korean BBQ experience on par with other fine dining restaurants in Manhattan. They also offer a top-notch venting system and a Korean-style transparent floor seating experience that is not commonly found in the US.
Dons Bogam offers American Kobe beef marinated galbi which will cost you $94.95 per serving (they also serve regular beef galbi as well which is $46.95 per serving). Their impressive wine list with their minimalistic elegant interior will enhance your Korean BBQ dining experience to another level.
Marinated Galbi for Dinner – $46.95
Dons Bogam & Wine Bar (Original)
17 E 32nd St, New York, NY 10016
(212) 683-2200
Rib No. 7
A new upscale restaurant opened this year in Koreatown and it hits all the right notes. This Korean BBQ restaurant specializes in a marinated galbi called oodae galbi, which is a special short rib popular in Korea but still rare in the US. Derived from the 7th rib of the rack, the meat is cut and cooked tableside.
The next time you need a cool place to impress a guest or you’re just in the mood for a platter of high-quality BBQ short ribs or pork belly, head to W 33rd Street for dinner at Rib No. 7.
Marinated Oodae Galbi – $46
Rib No. 7 Korean BBQ
32 W 33rd Street, New York, NY 10001
(212) 381-0802
Yoon Haeundae Galbi
This is another one that I couldn’t wait to go to. I visited its original restaurant, Haeundae Amso Galbi Jib, in Busan in the spring of 2016 and it lived up to its reputation of being the best galbi in Busan. It opened in 1964 and still remains the most sought out galbi destination in Busan.
The founder’s grandson opened up Yoon Haeundae Galbi in Manhattan in 2018 and he continues his grandfather’s legacy and Busan’s spirit at his stylish NYC restaurant. When I visited this new location and tried their galbi, it brought me right back to the place that started it all. The chef uses the same unique meat tenderizing method that is used at the original restaurant. It makes the toughest beef so tender and juicy that you don’t have to go to Busan for this one-of-a-kind Korean BBQ experience.
But Yoon Haeundae has more to offer than just its namesake dish; please try the potato noodle with your galbi. You can thank me later! The noodle is cooked on the edge of the grill which is soaked in galbi juice marinade. It’s the perfect complementary side and you’ll only find this at Yoon Haeundae Galbi.
Marinated Galbi for Dinner – $46.00
Yoon Haeundae Galbi
8 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018
(212) 691-8078
Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong NYC
Kang Ho Dong Beakjeong is one of the most popular Korean BBQ franchises in Korea and it also became one of the most successful Korean BBQ franchises in the states. Kang Ho Dong is one of Korea’s most prominent comedians, well known for his devotion to Korean BBQ. Baekjeong means butcher in Korean. When you combine the two, you know they mean business about Korean BBQ.
Enjoy watching the meat cooking in the middle of the grill with the gyeran jjim, vegetables and corn cheese cooking at the edge of the grill simultaneously. You can enjoy those goodies with the meat and, bonus, they will refill these side items as much as you want.
The atmosphere is young and hip and you should definitely order their Korean School Lunch Box. The dish is served nostalgically in the kind of square tin container that every Korean student used until the 1970s. An over-easy egg, rice, vegetables and Korean hot pepper paste will be mixed perfectly by a server who will shake the tin box vigorously right by your table.
Marinated Galbi for Dinner – $42.99
Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong NYC
1 E 32nd St, New York, NY 10016
(212) 966-9839
Five Senses
Five Senses offers you great Korean traditional comfort food that will satisfy your late-night cravings. You may also see Korean celebrities hanging out there late at night when they visit NYC. Dol Pan Kimchi Bokum Bap (fried rice on a hot stone pan) is one of their signature dishes that you must try. This comes on a sizzling stone pan and mozzarella cheese around the kimchi fried rice and you will be amazed at how compatible cheese and kimchi are.
Marinated Galbi for Dinner (Cooked in the Kitchen) – $45.99
Five Senses
9 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001
(212) 441-0005
Cho Dang Gol
Cho Dang Gol is one of the best and healthiest Korean tofu houses in Manhattan. Their freshly home-made tofu goes well with everything on the menu. This is a place to go when you miss your mom’s cooking, which is the best kind of food in the world. My favorites are Spicy Kimchi Tofu Stew and Spicy Pork & Tofu. Honestly, you won’t be disappointed with any of their tofu dishes and you will leave the restaurant with a full and happy belly.
LA Galbi for Dinner (Cooked in the Kitchen) – $40.99
Cho Dang Gol
55 W 35th St, New York, NY 10001
(212) 695-8222
Gopchang Story BBQ – Manhattan
Gopchang Story BBQ started in Korea in 2004 and became one of the country’s most popular food franchises. When it opened in Manhattan in 2019, I was so excited. Gopchang is the small intestine of beef or pork and it is considered to be a delicacy in Korea. Their specialities are Gopchang (the small intestine of beef or pork) and Daechang (the large intestine of beef or pork) Gui (grilled in Korean).
I strongly recommend Combo Gui which has both the small and large intestines without a marinade. It does the franchise proud. I swear that the restaurant’s special Snow White Magic Powder (poured over Gopchang and Deachang as they are grilled), intensifies the rich flavor of Gopchang and Deachang. As the perfect finishing touch, fried rice in the same hot stone pot, incorporating the savory magic left behind by the Combo Gui, is an absolute must to end the restaurant dining experience at Gopchang Story BBQ.
Marinated Galbi for Dinner – $39.95
Gopchang Story BBQ – Manhattan
312 5th Ave 2nd floor, New York, NY 10001
(646) 371-9469
Turntable LP Bar & Karaoke
With an impressive collection of vintage records and players on the wall and the rustic interior, Turntable LP’s chill vibe is hard to beat as the place to hang out and drink late at night with friends. Their Korean fried chicken is sublime. The extraordinarily crispy exterior crunches with full flavor as you bite into the chicken’s tender, juicy interior.
All of their dishes are great anju (dishes consumed with alcohol). Don’t forget, this restaurant is also a Karaoke bar which means you can sing while you enjoy great food and drink. They even have a Beatles karaoke room which is decorated with the Beatles’ albums and an extensive music collection from 1964 to 1970. It is the perfect place to enjoy Chimaek (the abbreviation for chicken and maekju, the Korean word for beer).
They don’t serve galbi at Turntable LP Bar & Karaoke, but who cares? They serve the best Korean fried chicken in Manhattan!
Turntable LP Bar & Karaoke
34-36 W 32nd St 5th Floor, New York, NY 10001
(212) 594-4344
Antoya Modern Korean BBQ (Formerly Samwon Garden)
Antoya (formerly known as Samwon Garden) is a former Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient. It is a large restaurant that isn’t too noisy and you can always have a good reliable meal there. It’s not a surprise since its parent restaurant called Samwon Garden in Seoul’s Gangnam is also known as the first high-end, high-capacity Korean BBQ restaurant which opened in 1976 with the ability to simultaneously serve 1,200 people. In the 80s, the original Samwon Garden made an indelible impression on me for its galbi and the fact that they had so many koi fish in their pond.
When Samwon Garden opened up in Manhattan’s K-town, I couldn’t wait to eat there. Owner Tony Park recently changed the name of the NYC restaurant to Antoya after the birth of his son Antonio. Their gyeran jjim (Korean egg souffle) was a fabulous surprise for me. Offering five topping options (mushroom, bacon, smoked gouda cheese, spicy cod roe and truffle) the gyeran jjim is a must-eat when you are there.
Marinated Galbi for Dinner – $49.95
Antoya Modern Korean BBQ
37 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001
(212) 695-3131
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