8282 — Restaurant in New York

I could never have expected how much we would enjoy this meal and in the end this may be the top Korean restaurant I've ever had.

The only bothersome aspect was right when we came in. We confirmed our reservation (7:30) and were even a few minutes early (7:25). The hostess/waitress responded "okay we will need to turn the table over at 9:15" when we walked in. There were so many empty tables and bar seats that I'm not sure why this comment was necessary and started off the experience a skosh negatively for no reason (when we left so many tables were left). I only say this to say that it didn't need to be emphasized this way.

Food we got: Tuna tartare: I'm honestly a little over how popular tartare/carpaccio has become but I somehow keep getting sucked into it. And this may be the best tuna tartare I've ever had. The cracker it is served on with the seasoning is unreal, salty/seaweedy/spicy? I don't like uni and somehow I didn't mind it here. The cream aspect of it was amazing. I could've had tons of these.

Grilled Octopus: I almost didn't order this because we eat octopus all the time. But this was top octopus dishes I've ever had easily. Why did a ricotta and pepper puré work? It shouldn't. And on the side is a red pepper vinaigrette that shouldn't work, either. But it's incredible. Each bite is better than the previous. TOP bite.

-L.A. IBERICO PORK GALBI: I love a good pork galbi. The kimchi this came with was nice and the portion was ample. Did I feel like it was that special? No but combined with the ssamjang it was a lovely flavoring. I didn't totally understand the broccolini and felt like that was drowned by the flavoring.

Perilla pasta: I am so not used to angel hair pasta, but loved its use here. I will say I don't think I liked this dish specifically because I don't like perilla. Overall, it was such a well done dish!

JJAJANG BORI-BAP: I would never think of barley as a favorite dish but this was unreal. I wish the scallops had never ended. So flavorful, yet so tender in flavor.

Ice cream w/ parmesan & honey: This flavor shouldn't work but it does. Stand by shreds of Parmesan & ice cream working together.

The vibe is super low-key. The tables are very close together, to the point at one point we bonded with the table next to us over the music. A word about the music: amazing. When "Low" by Flo Rida came on, I realized every song from my middle/high school playlist was being played. What came next included Green Day, Mr. Brightside, Panic! At the Disco, Hey There Delilah, All American Rejects, All Time Low, Usher, etc. Every song that came on felt more shocking than the previous in how much it fit the bill.

The space is small so I would still recommend a...

I originally didn’t intend to argue further — everyone has their own perspective. But your response includes misleading statements and a clear attempt to shift responsibility, which I feel compelled to address.

Reservation Time Our confirmed reservation was for 6:30 PM, and we arrived on time. Claiming you “held tables for us starting at 5:30 PM” despite a long waitlist gives the misleading impression that we were an hour late, which is simply not true. If your system allowed bookings at that time, that’s your business decision — it’s unreasonable to suggest that we caused a loss because of it.

Party Size and Minimum Spend Yes, only five guests arrived, and we communicated this to your staff upon arrival — which was acknowledged and accepted. During ordering, we were told the minimum spend was $80 per person, totaling $400 for five guests, and we fulfilled that. However, after the meal, we were suddenly asked to meet the minimum for six people ($480). If your policy was to charge based on the reserved number regardless of actual turnout, that should have been clearly communicated at the time of booking or ordering, not after the meal when customers have no recourse. That’s not just poor communication — it feels intentionally misleading.

Table Usage You mention we occupied three tables and base your charge on that. In reality, your staff initially offered us two very small 2-person tables. We politely requested to keep a third table for comfort, and your team agreed — even telling us it wasn’t too busy at that time. To later use that agreement to justify charging us for an extra person’s minimum is baffling. By that logic, a solo diner occupying a two-top should be charged for two people? Even charging a no-show fee would have been more understandable. But retroactively assigning a minimum spend based on seating arrangement feels like you’re just finding ways to increase the bill.

Tipping and Service Despite the confusion and our discomfort with the experience, we still paid the full bill and the automatic 20% tip, even though we felt the service fell short. We didn’t argue or cause a scene. We tried to be respectful throughout — and yet now we’re being accused of dishonesty and bad intent?

About Running a Business Yes, this is a business — and as customers, we respect that. But if your primary focus is on maximizing profit over providing a fair and transparent dining experience, then unfortunately I agree: it’s not a place I would return to. I expect professionalism and clarity from any team I respect.

Disagreements happen, but blaming your guests instead of acknowledging service gaps or communication failures is...

We had the most amazing time at 8282! This place deserves a star.

Every dish was genuinely incredible- we had the Miso Sea Bass, the Octopus, the Mushrooms, and the Bori-Bap, as well as both the ice cream and the pie for dessert. Standouts were the single best octopus we have ever had (a true can't miss), the mushrooms (such a heavy preparation of mushrooms without feeling overwhelming at all), and the kimchi chimichurri with the sea bass (the fish itself was prepared perfectly as well!). Every single dish was honestly of a similar caliber- absolutely delicious.

We also tried two rounds of signature cocktails, the Banana Milk, Yuja Pear Tequila Perilla, Tea Party, and the Yuzu Matcha Magic. All four were really quite good and very perfectly crafted. The banana milk was the most balanced presentation of Makgeolli I have ever had in New York, and a cocktail I would go back for. Our favorite was the Matcha Magic, which was so deliciously savory/earthy/salty while still having the perfect balance of sweetness. Another destination drink, even if the food wasn't amazing (which it was).

The ambience and location are perfect for a date night, meetup with a friend, or solo night- not too formal or too casual, very beautiful, over the top friendly. We also were going to a show at The Slipper Room and could literally see when the line died down- my number one recommendation for dinner and a show in the neighborhood for sure.

Finally, I have to talk about the service. It was perfect. Plenty of fine dining touches with none of the intrusiveness of being in a stuffy restaurant. The bartender, Kevin, was so incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, and also took time to talk to us about his extensive knowledge of cocktails and the industry in general. Our server, Brandon, was super willing to work with every guest’s pace and answer any questions. He was incredibly hospitable and knew every dish and drink by heart, he also was jumping behind bar, so clearly many of their staff are multi-talented! And much of our food was brought out by Cody, who was amazingly sweet and friendly, and explained every dish to us in just the right amount of depth. It's rare for a food runner to stick out, and as people who immediately forget what we ordered he actually made our experience! Top five front of house teams I have ever had the absolute privilege of being served by in the city. We loved them, we loved our dinner, and we can't wait to come back!

Thank...