ONDO Jersey City — Restaurant in Jersey City

I’m so happy Korean cuisine is being showcased in a welcoming and western manner. I had my birthday dinner here and was really pleased with everything. Location - I live 2 blocks away, so this was a great walking distance. I’ve always said that the JC waterfront is lacking variety in restaurants and Ondo is a wonderful addition to what I consider a pretty homogenous food group. Atmosphere - The restaurant is decorated delicately with notable ficus trees, light wood, and dark booth seating alongside chairs. Patrons are seated considerably apart, allowing for efficient seating and service. It is not too loud or dark. Food - I was skeptical that Korean food would be brutalized by any attempt to westernize it. I was pleased with what was plated. I ordered mul-hweh, mushroom truffle rice, bo-ssam, branzino, and the rib-eye. Cocktails were delicious. I will preface by saying this is not traditional Korean food, and any expectation that it would replicate it would leave you disappointed. Fluke is a very common fish used in Korean sashimi; it was sliced thin and was incredibly fresh. However, I felt that the fish was not the centerpiece of that dish and the size and flavor of the radish overpowered the best part of the dish - the fluke. The mushroom rice, in my opinion, did not resemble any Korean dish. It is more like a risotto with diced picked daikon radish (those accompanied with Korean fried chicken if you’re not familiar). Bo-ssam; I have so much to say - their 무생채 was DELICIOUS. If this was made in-house, I beg you to put more traditional pieces into your menu. I really missed the fatty pieces of traditional Bo-ssam. The pork was a bit meaty while tender and very little fat to meat ratio. It was good, but I still prefer the traditional Bo-ssam. Ssam arrangement was generous with good sized and good quality vegetables. Branzino, I was a bit disappointed. It was cooked remarkably, but lacked salt and was not enjoyable without the wild rice. While the wild rice was much more flavorful, it was too rich … some may say it was 느끼해 … and didn’t compliment the delicate and mild fish well. Lastly, the rib-eye. We were told it will be brought out medium-rare, but it was well-done instead. We didn’t bring this up as the steak was rather thin and was packed with flavor. A server came out to explain the dish to a native Korean :) and my Caucasian boyfriend. I thought it was slightly humorous, but still really thoughtful nonetheless if it had been to those unaware of how ssam is traditionally eaten. In any case, while the food was not much Korean nor held Korean flavors, it was still VERY good food. Service - oh my, how I love a restaurant with good service, and I give this restaurant 10/10 for impeccable service. I hope this aspect never changes.

I hope everyone gives this place a try, Korean or not, familiar with Korean food or not. It really deserves as much hype as any of its restaurant counterparts. Portions are small, but reflected in the price and I encourage ordering dishes to share. Lastly, I probably wouldn’t bring my Korean dad here unless he was to just enjoy the ambiance. I can picture him laughing saying, “이게 한국 음식이야?” (You call this Korean food?) Korean people (especially older ones) can be extremely critical of their food if it is not done the way they know. And for that kind of food, I recommend going to Fort Lee lol As for me, I think this could be a great introduction to some Korean concepts for those that may not be eager to visit a true...

Korean food is having a moment in NYC and, apparently, Jersey City is too. Having visited ONDO recently on a Friday night, I was pleasantly surprised by its serene location on the waterfront and its chic, warm interior with the wood-and-leather comfort of a steakhouse. The music was appropriately non-invasive, the space buzzy but not deafening. So far so good.

We ordered a nice sampling of starters: Fried chicken, dumplings, the minari pancake, the ddukbokee. I'd say these hit 50-50; nothing bad, but for my tastes the ddukbokee wasn't spicy enough and the dumplings were only perfectly adequate. No regrets, just more of a home cooking vibe.

For my main, I went with the Galbi-jjim, basically a braided beef short rib dish with veggies. I very much enjoyed it, but at $38, I did think the vegetable portion could've been more generous to round out the dish. Our group was happy with their choices (the spicy pork and the fish rice bowl), though again I did get the sense the food fell closer to home cooking than overly elevated.

Drinks: I did a cocktail (ONDO Fashioned) and a spirit drink, while the rest of my group kept it to beer, wine, and simple mixed drinks. The cocktail I got was good, but missed some of the flourishes one expects of a signature cocktail (namely nicer glassware and nicer ice). But that aside, perfectly good.

My big sticking point is with the service. For most of our meal, it was fairly average to average+, perhaps a little mismatched for the location x price x vibe calculus, but nothing to think too much of. However something very odd happened at the end of our meal: We were asked if we wanted anything else (after spending ~$300+) and only one person wanted anything, a simple tea. Five minutes later, the waiter came back and said they needed the table for a reservation... even though we'd only been at the table for 90 minutes at that point.

Did we not order enough for dessert to allow us to keep our table after spending $75+ each? Was there a FOH flub on managing our time? I don't know, but it certainly soured me after an otherwise good meal that could've been great with better service.

In the end, I put ONDO as tasty Korean home cooking masquerading as fine dining that either needs to adjust its pricing/value or improve its service/presentation to not find itself in a gray zone between...

There aren't that many restaurants where I literally go out of my way to go share with my friends to make sure they check it out - but this restaurant did it. From their modern, upscale ambiance, fast friendly service, and delicious food. They set the bar high for upscale Korean-fusion restaurants out there.

You can tell each dish they served from apps to desserts, has been thoughtfully prepared and curated with lots of TLC.

DRINKS -ONDO Fashion 7/10 | presentation is great but my boyfriend didn't know it was on the rocks (wasn't mentioned on the menu). But he said it still was good and finished it.

-Sherry Cobbler 9/10 | for someone who can only take one shot, this was a great drink because I could barely taste the alcohol and has a solid fruity flavor.

FOOD -Mul-Hweh - 8/10 | honestly did not know what I was expecting when I got this, but the waiter recommended it and I'm so glad he did. First bite might feel cold but the soup absolutely pairs well with the fluke wrapped in cucumber.

-Uni Egg Custard - 9/10 | this dish was truly a warm dish as listed on their menu, perfect temperature execution. Mixing it the uni, seaweed foam, and quiona puffs gave a soft texture with great flavors.

-Bulgogi Perilla Pasta - 6.5/10 | compared to the other dishes I had, this dish ranked lower due to lack of taste. The pasta noodles didn't have much flavor, but eating it with the truffles and bulgogi helped a bit.

-Galbi-Jjim - 10/10 | by far my favorite dish. The chestnut puree compliments the soft beef short rib. Texture, immaculate. I was honestly really sad once I finished eating it. When comparing the spice level with kimchi, I'd say this is much less spicer than that.

DESSERTS Napoleon - 8/10 | nice crunch, easy to bite off and creamy texture. Easy to eat but the figs on top might've been a little too much. Without it tastes better.

Green Tea Yuzu Cake - 6/10 | This will be a hit for the yuzu fans out there! I, personally, am not the biggest yuzu fan so the yuzu flavor did feel like it overpowered the green tea. But had a really nice texture, felt super satisfying when I cut the cake while eating it.

Overall it was an amazing experience and really excited to see what's to come for this restaurant. It's also close to home so best be sure that I'll definitely will be...