OhChae, Korean Fusion Cuisine — Restaurant in New Albany

This is a really stunning surprise in small town New Albany. "Authentic" is really overused as a buzzword to mean that a restaurant is aesthetically similar to its root culture, or that the recipes are made using "traditional" styles or ingredients of cooking that make the food seem exotic and rare.

That is NOT what you'll find at OhChae. Instead, you'll find a native Korean owner cooking the recipes she loves, using local ingredients and down-to-earth modern cooking styles, and serving in her natural style.

What do I mean by "natural style"? Well, every entre comes with four sides, but those sides are always chef's choice; kimchee is a given, and sometimes she'll have more than one style available. I was by myself the most recent time I visited, and she gave me 4 different styles of kimchee and 3 other side dishes (I felt like I was being spoiled ❤️). She'll often ask how you like the various sides, and make fresh recommendations as she learns your tastes, so it really feels like being waited on by a doting auntie. Only thing to keep in mind is that the side dishes come in SMALL SERVINGS, so don't be afraid ask for a full order of a side item if you really like it (I may do this with the honeyed rice cakes next time).

As to the price, what can I say? Downtown New Albany has been fancying itself rather prestigious in recent years (which I guess it KINDA is?), and I've gotten used to having to pay quite a lot for my meals. OhChae's really surprised me by being.... reasonable. Not cheap, not pricey - simply a fair price for the ingredients and labor with no extra "prestige tax" added on. It's so reasonable that I have to argue with myself not to go dining there thrice a paycheck.

Atmosphere: OhChae's operates out of "Mesa" (basically a local rent-a-kitchen), so the decor is pretty simple - mostly decorated with cookbooks and cooking utensils that the building's owners are selling. (Do you have a problem with that? I don't.)

If there's ANY criticism to be made, I guess it'd have to be that the hours are - admittedly - a bit unusual. They close in the middle of the week, and are not open after lunch on Friday and Saturday (Mesa hosts other groups at those times, so it's fair), so it's not always a place you can just visit on a whim. But HONESTLY, it's worth it to get in when you can. Taste her cooking, and you'll wish you had a second stomach to...

Dead restaurant that says reservations only on the door. Very unwelcoming, in my opinion. The menu online did look amazing, but I walked away to avoid the argument about not having a reservation in an empty building. Maybe I'm wrong. I wish it was more clear I would of loved to try some sushi. Edit** I'll be the first one to admit I'm wrong. This place is amazing. The service is next to none and the food is deliciously different. I highly recommend trying the spicy squid it's not like anything I've had before. Flavored and cooked perfectly with just the right amount of spice. I changed my 1 star to 5 stars after the owner responded so very politely to my review of feeling like it was reservations only. This is not the case at all and I will be back for more!! Thank you for your kindness and welcoming service this place is absolutely a one of a kind experience. If your looking for something different and delicious you've found it. I haven't been to a restaurant that so much appreciates their customers and treat them like they should in a very long time. After actually being here and experiencing the service/food I wish i could give then 100 stars. So sorry for my initial review and thank you for being one of the best...

I can’t gush enough about this place!! It’s a gem. I’m a hard person to please lol, but these ladies have checked every box to make me a hardcore fan. 👏🏻

Service — Our chef/server was a delight. She kept us educated on all the dishes and even gave tips for how to pair the food together. Every interaction was positive and we felt so welcomed. 🥰

Food — My. God. Everything was spectacular!! To go with the main dishes, several complimentary side dishes (like kimchi) were served and were meant to pair with the meal. We got the spicy chicken bulgogi and spicy rice cakes. 🌶️ SO SO GOOD, so much flavour and the food tasted clean (if you know, you know — a lot of food has junk in it that makes your body weep but THIS was clean food that left my body feeling satisfied and painless).

Cleanliness — Spotless. Literally everywhere is clean and the kitchen (which is open to view) shone. The bathrooms were the same and women’s products were even provided for free 🥹

Overall Atmosphere — Very airy and the seating was comfortable. Really great Korean music was playing and made the experience a lot more immersive.

All in all, love love love OhChae and can’t wait to go...