Golden Hof - Korean Bar & Grill — Restaurant in New York

Absolutely obsessed with Golden HOF — this place is a total standout and easily one of the best meals I’ve had in NYC in a long time. From the moment we walked in, everything felt just right. The energy was warm and vibrant, the service was beyond attentive (huge shoutout to the staff — friendly, knowledgeable, and totally on point), and the food… don’t even get me started.

We kicked things off with the Korean Fried Chicken Wings, which were perfectly crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, and seasoned to absolute perfection. They strike that perfect balance of savory and slightly sweet, and they honestly set the tone for the rest of the meal.

Next up were the Buldak Dumplings — tender chicken and pork dumplings swimming in a fiery, deeply flavorful hot sauce, topped with a generous dusting of truffle pecorino. These were insane. Rich, spicy, elegant, and completely addictive. I would come back for these alone.

The Jjajang Disco Fries were the kind of dish that makes you pause mid-bite to say, “Okay, this is ridiculous.” Crispy fries drenched in black bean pork gravy, melted mozzarella, and pickled jalapeños — it’s indulgent, comforting, and totally unique. A Korean take on loaded fries, but elevated and reimagined in the best way.

We also had the Rosé Rigatoni, which I didn’t expect to love as much as I did. The housemade rigatoni was tender and toothsome, the sauce was velvety and rich — a creamy tomato-gochujang garlic blend with the savory lift of aonori (seaweed flakes). It was so comforting but still had complexity and depth.

Every dish felt considered and intentional, both in flavor and presentation. The drinks were also on point — balanced, creative, and really well matched to the food. And the service? Attentive without hovering, super friendly, and made the whole experience feel special from start to finish.

Golden HOF is doing something special. It’s a perfect mash-up of Korean flavors, NYC comfort food, and thoughtful creativity. I already can’t wait to go back — this place deserves all the hype....

I am wavering between 3 & 4 stars. The good: it's a big space, lots of room, the lighting is good, and the service was great. We were checked on frequently, and everyone aimed to please. I thought the selection of beers was excellent and the prices were reasonable given we were in midtown Manhattan at a slightly upscale (but still casual) restaurant. The food was...ok, a little overpriced, but again, given the location, I think all in all, reasonable. I looked up some dishes that were recommended by other reviewers, and ordered accordingly.The wings had great texture and flavor, and you got 6 huge drums and one sort of smallish flat--so I felt the serving size was good. Same with the kimchi and mushroom dumplings. Were these innovative dumplings? Not really. But they were huge, tasty, and vegetarian friendly (I wanted more vegetable options on the menu. The market veggies seemed like a scam, along with the expensive salads). I do wonder about the serving size, 7 dumplings--it's a prime number, so not equally sharable between 2, 3, or 4 guests! Kind of a weird choice. The cheesecake soft-serve was as delicious as reported, but do not order if you don't like savory desserts. Finally, I will save the biggest fail for last--I truly did not dig the ddokkboki. First of all, it was waaayyy too salty for my taste (and I love salt). Also, I just missed the sweet-and-spicy gochujang sauce of the traditional ddokkboki preparation. This sauce, besides being too salty, just wasn't special. Some kind of ground meat and cheese--which was delivering on the description, but did nothing for me. I probably wouldn't have ordered it if it weren't for a few reviewers saying it was good (although others also said it was a miss). I guess it's a controversial dish. Would I go again? Yes--but I'm not in any hurry. For some restaurants, the minute I leave, I'm anxious to go back right away. I sadly cannot say the same of Golden Hof. It definitely has potential, though! I would like to see the entrees lean more Korean and less Western...

I’ve been a fan of Golden Diner, so I was excited to check out Chef Sam Yoo’s new spot in Midtown. We stopped by Golden HOF after a long day of walking/shopping, and it was exactly the kind of relaxed, cozy place to post up and unwind after the day.

From the outside it looks small, but inside it opens up a lot bigger with wooden interiors, dim lantern lighting, and a calm/comfortable feel. Upstairs is the gastropub, and there’s a more upscale steakhouse downstairs. We learned that the art on the walls is all by different Korean American artists from across the country, which was a cool touch — (you could scan QR codes to learn more about each piece).

We ordered the green pepper Szechuan fried chicken… and I never had anything like it. That mala, tangy, sour flavor really stood out. I would order it again. The disco gravy fries were rich and satisfying, especially since we were hungry and needing carbs after the long day. Cocktail menu was really cute, the NYK martini was somehow both light/strong but well-balanced — the kimchi brine was mellow and unique, but I’d ask for extra brine next time to get even more of the dirty martini kick.

The real highlight, which was a surprise for me: the cornflakes cheesecake soft serve. Creamy, cold, just sweet enough, with caramel and crunchy flakes. Would come back, literally,...