Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong

Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong Awards

South Korea’s premier BBQ restaurant sets itself apart from the others in Koreatown.
Openings: Lunch & Dinner daily

Features

  • Dress code: Casual
  • Reservations accepted
Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, New York, NY


Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong Restaurant Review:



About the restaurant & atmosphere: Transported first to Los Angeles from South Korea and now to New York City, popular Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong (meaning “butcher” in Korean) deserves its near-cult status with Korean BBQ elevated to the finest levels. The creator is Kang Ho Dong, a former wrestler turned restaurateur and comedian. The atmosphere is festive (many birthday celebrations) and upscale (clean, beautifully appointed tables), markedly different from the many Korean BBQ restaurants that line Koreatown.

Food & Drinks: Beef brisket, short ribs and pork of the caliber that you might find at a top steakhouse are served by attentive waitstaff who ensure that the meat is grilled properly (they cook it for you) and instruct about the appropriate combination of accompanying sauces, salts, egg, cheesy corn, kimchi and veggies. The meal kicks off with an assortment of banchan (side dishes and condiments) to eat on their own and combine with the meat to come. More fun arrives at the table with a snack called the lunch box (doshirak), a mix of rice, roast kimchi, fish cakes, black beans, anchovy, nori and soft-cooked egg, shaken up in a retro tin. While the spirit of choice is Korean soju, available in a variety of flavors and mixed in often Day-Glo-hued cocktails, a short list of wines has selections by the glass or bottle, including Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. If you have a large party, you can make a reservation, but the best strategy to avoid the seemingly ever-present lines is to come at lunchtime or after prime-time dinner --- that shouldn’t be a problem as the restaurant stays open until the wee hours of the morning.