HOJOKBAN NYC — Attraction in New York

I actually had high expectations from this restaurant since social media have been promoting this restaurant with tons of videos, but I got to say the service was horrible. The hostess was not friendly to begin with. She had a very disrespectful attitude towards people who did not make reservations. At least, that's how we felt. It's basically impossible to make any reservations on resy, with no availability! We got there at opening time 5pm because of this reason, people have already lined up outside. But wow, the hostess really did manage to make the people who did not make any reservations un welcome! Also, on another note, this restaurant does not serve any hot tea or hot water. I came with my mom and bf for a special occasion, and they really did not treat an older person with respect. My mom was not happy, and they had very limited banchan side dishes. Although I have to say that we ordered the galbi dish, that's prob the best dish to order. We also got perilla noodles and truffle potatoes, which I thought was just ok. 3 dishes came out to 150, basically. It also came out really quick, meaning they prob have all the food pre made, and its just heated up to serve, so its not fresh. The only thing that threw me off was the service for this place. Except for our waitress, she tried to accommodate. However, the rest from entering into the establishment to leaving, we felt rushed to leave, and the hostess was a joke. The atmosphere was typical loud and crowded, not enough room to breathe since all the tables were on top of each other, its a small restaurant basically crowded all the tables right next to each other. I'd be wary about catching covid here. All I can say is to go at your own risk. Also, you won't be greeted friendly if u don't have a reservation. Even if I wanted to go again, because of the experience I won't go again and dont recommend it. There are a lot of other restaurants that serve similar galbi jim dish and taste amazing with great service. This place is not all that was hyped to be...

Honest review of Hojokban Korean restaurant:

They use the moniker "Korean Soul food" and I would have to agree, every dish we had definitely touch my soul and will be remembered! Hojokban is located 128 Madison Ave #1F NYC with a beautiful interior that's very intimate and great for family or date night. The servers were very friendly and attentive. We started with the beef tartare seasoned with house soy and seaweed mayo with crispy lotus root chips! I would love to describe this dish but the best way I can describe it would be that each bite is like getting a warm hug from a loved one. Our next starter was Octopus TTeokbokki stir fried baby octopus, rice cake, and vegetables cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce. This dish was flavorful no matter what you bit into and a delight to eat. Our first entree that came out was their Instagram famous Hojok Galbi served with a small salad and tender short rib steak already cut into manageable pieces to share. The presentation was amazing, the short ribs cooked to perfection. The next entree was Spicy BBQ Galbi stir fried beef finger ribs with a spicy soy garlic sauce topped with mozzarella cheese! Boy oh boy let me tell you that sauce was amazing and paired with this dish like they were meant to be. Our next entree was the Perilla oil cold buckwheat noodles tossed with wild perilla oil and a house blend soy sauce topped with scallion, red onion and chili pepper! This dish was a refreshing dish that was a great change of pace from the meats. Our final dish was Rose Dak Galbi, tender chicken and assorted vegetables stir fried in a sizzling wok coated in a rich and creamy rose sauce. This dish was top tier with one of the best sauces of the night coating those juicy chucks of chicken. I will have to say there wasn't anything I didn't like! Everything was a treat to share and experience with friends! One last thing....the prices you pay her pale in comparison to the high quality taste you get for the...

Possibly one of my top favorite restaurants of 2025. I’ve been seeing reels about Hojokban in Seoul, so I was really excited to check out their NYC location.

From starters to entrées to desserts, every single dish hit the spot. Their korean-inspired desserts really stood out.

＊Beef Tartare $19 ** This almost tasted like ahi tuna—light, fresh, and seasoned with soy sauce. The seaweed mayo at the bottom was addictive, and the lotus root chips were so good I’d buy a whole bag if they sold them separately lol.

＊Hojok Galbi $56 * MUST GET! Their iconic short rib steak platter was incredibly tender, like a melt-in-your-mouth level. Pairing the meat with the salad reminded me of wrapping kbbq meat in lettuce. Pricey but worth every penny.

＊Ramyun Fried Rice $18 An innovative presentation to serve fried rice with shin cup ramyun. The fried rice was mixed with bits of shin ramyun and bacon. It was rich and spicy, with a kick from the chili oil. I’d say this is an elevated comfort food.

＊Soy Glazed Bossam $36 This one was a bit of a miss for me. The pork belly had a nice balance of savory and sweet from the soy glaze, but it wasn’t as tender as I hoped. The pickled radish was beautifully arranged like a rose, which was visually appealing.

＊Jeju Tangerine Tiramisu $12 ** I’ve been dreaming to visit Jeju Island, and this tiramisu transported me to Jeju with its creamy, orange-y flavor explosion. The orange cream was citrusy and the ladyfingers were soaked in tangerine juice, topped with crushed pistachio. Every bite was bursting with citrusy flavor.

＊Hotteok Ice Cream $11 ** Inspired by hotteok, this was a very cinnamon-forward ice cream topped with a monaka shell. The base consisted of brown sugar syrup, cinnamon crunch, pumpkin seeds, and peanuts. If you love cinnamon like me, this deeply spiced ice cream...