Nowon Seaport — Restaurant in Boston

There’s something about a place that hits you the second you walk in, the smell of frying oil, a low thump of bass, and the faint chaos of people doing something they actually care about. Nowon has that. It’s got an edge, even in Boston’s polished Seaport, where everything else seems designed for people afraid to spill sauce on their shirts. But when we walked in, it wasn’t the scene you might expect. It was quiet, almost too quiet, and they sat us right by the front door, the kind of seat that makes you feel like part of the décor. I asked to move, and they handled it kindly. Once we settled, the room started to hum the way it should, laughter in the distance, the soft sizzle of the kitchen, the sense that something good was coming.

We went for The E.P., a five-course tasting that’s basically the story of Nowon told through food. It began with the ricotta toast, a perfect first act, rich but light, a bite that doesn’t knock you over the head but tells you the chef knows what he’s doing. Then came General Lee’s Chicken, and this is where things got serious. Tender, beautifully fried, a little spicy for me, but full of flavor. The vegetables added a crunch that gave the whole thing rhythm, and the peanuts made it sing. You could eat this at midnight, standing up, and still feel happy about your choices.

The Chopped Cheese Rice Cakes might be one of the most inventive dishes I’ve had in a while. It’s that perfect collision of the familiar and the strange, chewy Korean rice cakes swimming in a cheesy, beefy sauce that tastes like late-night comfort wrapped in skill. It’s the kind of dish that could fool you into thinking you were somewhere else, somewhere louder, like the North End after one too many beers.

Then came the Honey Garlic Butter Tots, crispy, fluffy, and borderline addictive. They’re the kind of side that shouldn’t be as good as it is. The seaweed sprinkle sets it apart, giving that salty, savory pop that wakes up your taste buds and makes you reach for another even when you know you’re full.

Finally, the Legendary Cheeseburger, and it earns the title. Half a burger each, which feels cruel until you realize it’s the perfect amount. The kimchi sauce ties the whole thing together, giving it a subtle tang that cuts through the richness. It’s not a fancy burger, it’s just a right one, beef cooked properly, cheese melted where it should be, and that saucy mess that gets on your fingers and makes you not care.

We paired it all with a strawberry soju infused Jinro bottle, my first real taste of Soju. We made a bit of an occasion out of it, a small celebratory shot, a quiet toast, and slow pours through the meal. It was sweet, dangerously easy to drink, and did what good alcohol should do, relax you, loosen the night, make the food a little brighter and the conversation a little slower.

By the end, I understood what Nowon is really about. It’s not trying to be perfect. It’s trying to be alive. A place where flavors have weight, where fusion isn’t a gimmick, and where a bottle of Soju can turn a Wednesday night into something that feels a little bit like a celebration. Forty-five dollars for five courses that swing between comfort and creativity is more than fair.

Nowon isn’t Boston fancy. It’s the kind of place that reminds you why you go out to eat in the first place, to taste something new, to talk too long, to walk out a little buzzed, a little full, and a little happier than when you came in. In a city that sometimes forgets how to loosen its collar,...

5 out of 5!

Friday night with friends, we were looking for a new spot none of us had tried. Nowon is a New York joint that’s recently expanded to Boston. We made a reservation and didn’t know what to expect.

Arriving, we discovered they have an outdoor patio, large bar, and a well-laid-out interior. Great place to go as a couple or with a group of friends. It’s night-appointed. Good lighting. Comfortable seats. The music and music videos playing on the back wall above the open kitchen added to the vibe.

The menu isn’t huge but has enough to choose from. We all opted to go for the pre-fixe, which they call “mix tapes.” They have two options. We went for the smaller option of 5 courses. It was more than enough food; we were all stuffed and struggling to finish the, spoiler, delicious tots by the end.

This is what we had:

Black sesame Caesar salad General’s fried chicken Rice cakes Cheese burger Honey butter tots

The salad was a good portion, topped with a blizzard of grated cheese; it was very tasty. But the other dishes were so incredible I actually forgot how good the salad was by the end.

It’s hard to say which I liked more: the fried chicken or the rice cakes. They were both incredible. The chicken were big chunks of tender battered chicken in a perfectly sweet and spicy sauce. The rice cakes, though! Prepared in a way I haven’t had anything before. They were in the most delicious sauce that almost tasted like a bolognese. Never have I had rice cakes side by side with fried chicken prepared in a way that made them more craveable than the chicken!

By the time the burger came we were already feeling full. But the burger was delicious. A great example of a smash burger. Cheesy, saucy, with pickles. It was just the right amount of messy. Then came the tots. Served in a delicious garlic butter honey sauce. They kept getting better. That I mean is by the time you make it half way through the large mound of tots you find the sauce pooled on the bottom on the bowl. It’s addicting and you can’t stop dipping them.

Our server was attentive. I saw her checking or progress without being invasive so that she could time the next course. She did a great job.

As for drinks they have a full bar. They also offer soju and have two type of soju flights. I opted for the “original” flight. No mistakes made. It was great!

Nowon is a great addition to the seaport. We will...

Super disappointing and confusing as to how this place is so popular. I don't go into Boston often, and I saw so many good reviews of this place and was excited to try it. I made reservations in advance and went out of my way to fit this restaurant into my plans for the day even though it wasn't a convenient location for us (thought about cancelling but they charge $20/person for that). We arrived early, around 3:30 for a 4pm reservation and the place was practically empty, which I guess makes sense for the time but I wish I hadn't bothered with reservations, and it made for a super lame vibe. They had an outdoor area but it has NO shade so we had to sit inside. We tried a couple of their newer cocktails recommended by the waitress, I don't even remember them, they were watery, flowery, and not very flavorful. Didn't bother getting another drink. For food we did the EP sampler, and every item was a major letdown. First, we were served the Caesar salad before being asked if we wanted the ricotta toast instead. I don't like anchovies but figured I could pick them out - there were SO MANY I could not get away from them and it made the whole dish fishy and I was trying not to gag looking at the crispy fish heads. Next we were served the general gaos chicken which tasted like your average chicken from a Chinese food takeout place, fine but nothing special. They started bringing things out so fast, it was annoying because we didn't have room on our table for everything and couldn't finish one thing before starting the next. They brought out the rice cakes and while I liked the sauce (like a creamy tomato meat sauce, would be good in pasta), the rice cakes themselves were SO CHEWY, there's no way that texture is how it's supposed to be. I had to spit it out because it was like chewing gum, I couldn't get it to dissolve. Finally they brought the burger and tater tots. The burger was good but reminded me of something you'd get at shake shack down the street, not worth the money. And the tots tasted frozen and like they were just thrown into a bowl of sweet and sour sauce which made some of them soggy.. I asked for aioli to dip them in because I basically needed to add more flavor since there was none. Overall I absolutely would not recommend this place and am scared to try other places in Boston after seeing how inaccurate the...