Cho Dang Gol — Restaurant in New York

Cho Dang Gol is one of those places where the food, service, and atmosphere all come together to create an experience that feels like stepping into a piece of Korean food culture. The room is warm and bustling, filled with people eager to get a table, and even with the constant crowd, the staff manage to stay kind, attentive, and efficient. Service is thoughtful without being overbearing they’ll make sure you’re comfortable, check in just enough, and let the food speak for itself.

The 쭈꾸미불고기 Baby Octopus & Beef Bulgogi is a dish that shows the depth of Korea’s coastal cooking. Baby octopus has been a staple in southern port towns for centuries, often stir-fried with gochujang for its fiery, smoky kick. Here, it’s paired with marinated bulgogi beef one of Korea’s most iconic dishes, originally dating back to the Goguryeo dynasty when beef was grilled over open flames as maekjeok. The combination is genius chewy rice cakes soak up the spicy-sweet sauce, mushrooms add earthiness, and vegetables bring balance. Every bite is layered, bold, and distinctly Korean.

The 불고기전골 Beef Bulgogi Hot Pot carries a different kind of history. Jeongol hot pots were once a dish for the Korean royal court, a symbol of abundance, served with beef, mushrooms, and vegetables arranged neatly in broth. It arrives bubbling on a gas burner at your table, staying hot and evolving in flavor as you eat. The broth starts light but becomes richer with each passing minute as the beef releases its juices, the mushrooms deepen the flavor, and the udon noodles soak up every drop. It’s a dish meant to be shared, carrying the communal spirit that has always been at the heart of Korean dining.

Even the smaller details matter here. The banchan little side dishes that are an essential part of Korean meals arrive fresh, varied, and constantly replenished, from crunchy spicy radish to nutty lotus root and savory braised mushrooms. The tofu, made fresh daily, has a delicate, silky texture that sets it apart from anything mass-produced. These touches reflect Korean food philosophy that even the “small” dishes carry meaning and are crafted with care.

Cho Dang Gol is uncompromisingly authentic. The flavors aren’t softened or Westernized they lean fully into the heat of gochugaru chili, the savoriness of soy and garlic, the nuttiness of sesame, and the slow-cooked depth of proper broth. Coupled with attentive service and an atmosphere that feels both cozy and lively, the experience is the closest you’ll get to being welcomed into a Korean home kitchen in the middle...

I had heard a lot about this place from my friend so was excited to try it. We came 15 minutes before opening on a Sunday for lunch and there was already a line forming. The space is packed with seats but they were filled pretty much immediately after opening, and I could see that everyone was racing to order first. They certainly have their operation down to a T.

The menu had a lot of interesting dishes that I haven't seen before. In order to properly compare with what I've had at restaurants in America in the past, I ordered the seafood tofu soup. We also got the seafood pancake. I thought the banchan were very good and authentic.

The seafood pancake ($18) was a bit disappointing. It didn't have the chewy texture that I've come to expect. The amount of seafood was pretty small and the shrimps in particular were very tiny. It felt a bit greasy as well. Overall I wouldn't get this again as I felt that it was a lot of dough and not enough seafood -- for that price, I would expect more seafood.

For the seafood tofu soup ($16.99), I enjoyed trying the mix of the different textures of tofu that they make in-house. I liked the texture of the tofu an I generally liked the seafood that was in the soup, particularly the baby octopus. However, I thought was a bit sweet and not very rich and deep. I do prefer the BCD soup for its intense and strong flavors. The soup at CDG was pretty mild in all aspects of flavor and definitely not my favorite tofu soup I've had. I also had the mushroom rice ($4) which seemed like mostly rehydrated shiitake on top of rice (the mushroom selection in the menu photo looked much more diverse and plentiful). It was good but nothing I couldn't make at home.

If I came back, I would definitely want to try the oyster maesaengi soup or one of the other options that you probably can't find anywhere else in the area, maybe even the US. I think the key is to come here before it opens so you don't have to wait too long, and also to order something that you wouldn't be able to get elsewhere. I don't think the more typical dishes we ordered were outstanding. I'm sure there's a reason for the long lines and hordes of Korean customers, and I suspect it's because of the special dishes you can't find...

This restaurant is very small but I guess that’s how every store is in NY 🙄. They said the wait is 30 mins. We were willing to wait and see what this hype is about until they kicked us out. YES. WE GOT KICKED OUT. It was cold and windy (30 degrees) and they said “you have to wait outside”. Ha. Yea it’s ok. You can shove it up to your you know what with your nothing special Korean food. We just went next door restaurant Han Bat and enjoyed Korean food without waiting in a warm restaurant. ——————————————————————————— Update: I finally tried their food because I felt very challenged lol. We went there exactly at noon thinking we wouldn’t have to wait if we get there right when they open but we quickly realized we were wrong as hell. The restaurant was already full and the wait time is 30-40 mins as per the hostess. I went ahead and joined the wait list oh btw, download the app! When you get your confirmation text, there will be a link to download the app to check the status, estimated wait time, etc just so you can join their wait list next time on the app. Anyway, we waited 40 mins and they sat us on a table that was divided into 2 tables. 2 other customers joined our table later. The waitress came and took their orders but not ours. When she came to us, I pointed out that we came before those customers then I started ordering. When I finished saying what I wanted, I didn’t hear any response so I looked up and what do I see? She’s GONE. YES. SHE TOOK OFF WITHOUT TAKING OUR ORDERS. RUDE. Someone else came and took our orders. We got the chicken bites as an appetizer and they really should change this dish’s name to chicken fat bites. It was PURE CHICKEN FAT battered and fried. Honestly, I wasn’t too impressed about the other dishes we ordered either. I did like their eggplant rice though. Will I ever go back? No. HELL TO THE NO. They changed my POV about the whole Michelin guide thing. I thought only the best was getting those stars? I don’t see how this restaurant got it. Our very first restaurant with a Michelin star experience...