Gui Steakhouse – NYC Times Square — Restaurant in New York

I visited this steakhouse during Restaurant Week, with high expectations. I was particularly curious to see how a steakhouse would incorporate Korean elements.

Being on the second floor, it required taking an elevator, which was a bit inconvenient, but I viewed it as part of the experience. The interior design was absolutely beautiful. It masterfully blended traditional Korean aesthetics with a mid century modern feel. I also liked that it was a semi open kitchen where I could see what the chefs were doing. However, contrasting with the elegant decor, the atmosphere was surprisingly loud. The music felt out of place, with heavy beats (even Rihanna's “Please Don't Stop the Music” played, and similar songs, which was surprising). I think even if it's not classic/overly calm music, something more subdued would have been a better fit.

For food, we started with complimentary bread that was both adorable and delicious, especially warm. The butter wasn't particularly memorable.

For appetizers, we ordered the Hwe Muchim and the Mari Spicy Tuna Tartar. The Hwe Muchim featured incredibly fresh, thinly sliced raw yellowtail. The refreshing, yuzu like flavor came from the sauce underneath. When eaten with the papaya salad, it was bright and delicious; I felt it was a triumph of good ingredients. The Mari Spicy Tuna Tartar was tasty and had a charming kick of spice. I felt it was a familiar taste, but my friend, who tried it for the first time, found it incredibly new and different.

For our mains, we chose the Prime Rib Special and the Today’s Market Fish. Taking the first bite of the Prime Rib Special was genuinely surprising. The texture was like 장조림 (Korean braised beef), yet the meat was incredibly tender, which was both unique and impressive. This truly made me understand why they call it a Korean style steakhouse. It came with a soy based sauce and a white horseradish sauce. I preferred the latter, finding its spicy and almost cheesy taste incredibly delicious, while my friend preferred the former. The mashed potatoes served on the side were also truly amazing; they seemed to have cheese and were just so good. My only complaint was the presence of sinew, which was a bit annoying. Despite that, it was extremely delicious and I highly recommend it. Having been to many steakhouses in New York, this one truly left an impression. The fish was also delicious on its own; it was savory and perfectly grilled. However, when eaten with its accompanying sauce, I felt its charm significantly diminished, almost as if its inherent savory taste was lost. The sauce itself tasted good when eaten separately. The snow pea shoots beneath the fish were also savory and delicious.

Dessert was a bit of a disappointment, perhaps because I'm not a big dessert person to begin with. The cake was just a tasty chocolate cake with some added texture, nothing particularly special. The Paris Jeju seemed to have a somewhat soggy bread like texture, which greatly reduced its appeal for me. While both were edible, they weren't memorable, and I think a sorbet or something fresh to cleanse the palate would have been a better option.

The service was excellent. Everyone was friendly and professional. I was amazed to find my napkin refolded and my water glass constantly refilled whenever I stepped away or finished, leaving no need to ask. They also cleared crumbs from the table after we ate. I appreciated that they maintained the classic mannerisms of a traditional steakhouse.

However, I was surprisingly disappointed by the restroom's cleanliness. There were many water marks on the seating area, and the trash can was full and wouldn't close. It was good that there was a separate hand washing area outside the stalls.

While it's expensive, preventing frequent visits, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a unique steakhouse experience in New York. I would love to return and try more dishes...

I made a reservation for 3 on OpenTable to celebrate a belated birthday for my friend and her partner. I wanted something new and under-the-radar, so after a bit of research I landed on GUI, a fairly new Korean-inspired steakhouse conveniently located right off the 49th St station.

The staff reached out ahead of time to ask about allergies and even confirmed again in person when I arrived, which was a great first impression and definitely a green flag.

It was a rainy Sunday, and since they open at 4 PM, I showed up a bit early (20 mins early) to grab a drink at the bar during happy hour. The bartenders were friendly and quick with a menu, and my Arnold Palmer was refreshing. I had my eye on the oysters but learned there’s a 6-piece minimum (fair enough). The space itself is beautiful and I especially loved the traditional Korean mother-of-pearl decor touches that made it feel both modern and elevated.

Once my friends arrived, things got a little less smooth. Even though our reservation was for 4 PM, we weren’t seated until around 4:30 PM. The staff seemed a bit disorganized—there were a few broken plates downstairs and a lot of movement without clear communication. Once seated, we were asked about water (tap/sparkling/bottled) twice by different servers, and it became clear that there wasn’t a dedicated waiter for our table. I also had to ask three times for a Sprite or ginger ale before it finally came out- small details, but noticeable when you’re trying to enjoy a nice dinner.

We ordered a good mix of dishes: crab cake, porterhouse, tomahawk, wagyu kimchi fried rice, carrots, eggplant tempura, and a side of chimichurri. The standout for me was the porterhouse which was tender, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The tomahawk looked impressive but didn’t quite deliver in flavor or texture compared to the porterhouse.

I had also noted in the reservation that part of the steak should be cooked medium since the birthday girl is pregnant, and while I appreciated them accommodating that, it ended up way overcooked… tough and dry, unfortunately.

Sides and apps were mostly wins: the crab cake, kimchi fried rice, and carrots were delicious, while I’d skip the chimichurri next time… the in-house steak sauce with salt and pepper was more than enough.

For dessert, we tried the earl grey ice cream and the dragon fruit sorbet. The sorbet had an added coconut and lemongrass twist, which sounded interesting but gave off a strange aftertaste that none of us loved. The crumb and wafer at the bottom, though, were a nice touch.

One small letdown: since it was a birthday dinner, I noted it on the reservation (and they even printed it on our menus), but no candle came with dessert. The waiter realized afterward and offered to bring one, but by then, we’d already finished…a small miss, but a miss nonetheless.

Overall, GUI has great potential as the food was solid and the ambiance stunning, but the service still feels like it’s finding its rhythm. I’d come back for the porterhouse and fried rice alone, but I hope by then, the team’s a bit more coordinated to match the level of the food...

I like beef, but I don't naturally gravitate to thick slabs of dead cow, so take this review with a grain of salt (bae)--I don't frequent steakhouses much. That said, I do know that NYC doesn't have a single non-American-style steakhouse, so Gui's decisively Korean version of this cuisine style is a refreshing change. Let me be clear:

This is a Korean steakhouse. Not Korean BBQ. Korean. Steakhouse. It serves all the big slabs of cow people know and love, but with Korean flavors and enhancements.

We started with some apps to whet our apps. The A5 Wagyu Katsu Sando with caviar was delicate, rich and delicious. The Mala Gambas was literally a Szechuan mala version of the classic tapas dish, complete with Szechuan peppercorns--genius and delicious, though the accompanying sourdough toast was too stale. The Hwe Muchim was refreshing and complex, definitely many people's favorite of the bunch. And the bright, beautiful Mandoo were perfectly crispy and juicy, fancy without losing any of their Korean comfort-ness.

For slabs of cow, we got the USDA Prime Rib, which was huge and perfectly seared. The accompanying horseradish sauce, which Gui makes in-house, was one of the best I've had. We also ordered Bearnaise with makgeolli, Chimichurri with wasabi, Bordelaise with black garlic, and Choron sauce with gochujang sauces. When they arrived in their cute little white gravy dishes, I led our group of friends in creating a tasting palette on our plates--which our server said no one else had ever done.

While all the sauces were exceptional (and uniquely Korean) in their own way, the chimichurri with wasabi was easily my favorite. I now require all chimichurris to be made with mustard. I want my sauce to burrrrrn!

We also added other mains: The Thick Cut Galbi was flavorful and moist, and the Olive Jeju Flounder was tender and moist. The Kimchi Wagyu Fried Rice was solid though unremarkable. And the Sunchoke side was perfectly cooked (and also unique), while the Roasted Brussel Sprouts should satisfy steak traditionalists.

For sweet munchies, we got the perfectly flaky and creamy Paris-Jeju, a traditional brest made with jejsu sejak, kumquat and white chocolate. But my favorite was definitely the Baked Alaska, a perfect structure of egg white filled with tangy yuzu mousse, almond, citrus, and pink peppercorn.

Gui's second floor, Times Sq-adjacent location might turn off some people, but I encourage you to brave the aggro Elmos and Ernies to give this place a try. If you love steak and you love Korean food, you'll wonder how you lived this long without combining them Luckily,...