Jungsik — Restaurant in New York

We came for our anniversary dinner and had high expectations and excitement despite previous friends who had a poorer experience here. We were also greatly disappointed with similar complaints.

First, the pros: Arrival to restaurant was nice. Quiet, open-spaced area, cobblestone made it seem like a nice pocket of NYC away from the busy-ness of NYC. However, went downhill quickly after that. The restaurant was empty when we arrived - we were seated in the middle of an empty restaurant which was strange but figured staff must have made prearrangements. Not too bothered until another party arrived and was sat at the table next to us and requested a swap to the corner table then back again to their original table. lt like the guests should be asked for their table preference to possibly avoid this because they took their water glasses and almost spilled it on us. The tables were quite close to one another that led to a poor intimate experience given we can hear the other tables’ conversations and has to practically yell to hear each other.

The waiter - similar to previous friends’ experience, it felt like a marketing moment when he was asking if we wanted to include the add ons from the getgo and what our food allergies and preferences were despite us giving our preferences already on Tock. It made it seem like they did not review our reservation at all.

Dishes: We tried the non-alcohol pairing, a first for us, and they were all very interesting flavors. We were impressed with all the distinct flavors, how they could taste like any red or white wine but had zero alcohol content, and how knowledgeable the wine connoisseur were. However we're unsure if the flavors complement the dishes, although that just may be our palette.

First dish - It was a 5 course appetizer amuse bouche. They were all very seasoned and a nice balance of fat, acid, salt. The most memorable is the century egg dish.

Second dish - I think it was langostine. The sauce was a tad fatty but worked well with heat and a freshnsss.

Third dish - Octopus with chili sauce. It had a great crust and was tender, but the sauce was a tad heavy

Fourth dish - Wagyu with dumplings- closest dish to what an a more authentic Korean experience if that makes sense. Broth was homey and the dumplings were flavorful.

Fifth dish was an add on- Uni with puff rice - we were supposed to mix it together as a take on bibimbap. It was definitely an experience. The uni was fresh and we loved the puff rice but I don't think we'd order it again considering the price.

Sixth dish I think it was trout but it felt like they reused the same sauce as the second dish. However it was perfectly cooked and tasty but no wow factor

Seventh dish Hand roll with rice and with wagyu steak and soba noodles. Overall tasty but the ice cold soba definitely shocks you from the hot steak and I don't know if I liked that hot-cold balance

Eighth dish Granite - refreshing as always

Ninth dish We got to pick a carrot from their bin their take of carrot cake and it came with chocolate ice cream. Cute presentation but I was hoping for more a spin on traditional Korean desserts.

Tenth dish Corn ice cream - had a nice light corn flavor. It was very light so nothing to be worried about if you don't like corn.

Eleventh dish Small walnut w/ red bean cake - cute finishing bite and tasted good.

Twelfth dish Petit four - candy, macaron, small cake which were a little too sweet.

Overall the flavors were fine, but the lack of ingredients inherent of Korean cuisine made us scratch our heads of the tasting menu’s story. Some memorable service was the waitress happily taking anniversary photos for us and also recognizing that I used my left hand to cut instead of my right and she would fix the untensils for me if she was the one bringing it out. However besides that the lack of intimacy, the poor first impression, and the minimal memorable dishes leaves a lot to be desired especially for a...

SEPTEMBER 2019 SEASONAL Tasting Menu Banchan Foie Gras Mousse: Green Apple Gelee | Toasted Brioche Striped Jack Tartlet | Fresh Lemon | Soy Steamed Egg (계란 찜) | Dashi Truffle Sauce Joomokbap (주목 밥) Wrapped In Gamtae Seaweed Topped w/Korean Wagyu Beef Tartare) w/Gochujang Sauce And Wild Sesame Ssam Bouquet w/Comte Cheese And Anchovy Aioli Scallop (가리비) | Dongchimi Beurre Blanc | Steelhead Trout Roe Myeong Ran BiBim Bap (명란 비빔밥) | Salted Cod Roe | Gamtae Seaweed Urchin (성게) | Seaweed Rice | Crispy Quinoa Black Cod (은대구) | Red Pepper Soy | Shishito Pepper Duck (오리) | Grilled Peach | Black Garlic Purée Bread & Butter (브레드 & 버터) | Yogurt Mousse | Fig | Huckleberry Compote | Lavender Honey Ice Cream

DESSRT Tasting Menu: Summer Cocktail: Lime-Mezcal Sorbet | Pineapple Granite | Lime Cream | Pineapple Salsa Fig Tart: Black Mission Figs | Honey Cream | Fig Compote | Huckleberry Jam | Pinot Noir Sorbet Baby Banana: Dulcey Ganache | French Coffee Ice Cream | Baileys Cake NY-Seoul VER.2: Brown Rice Choux | Pecan Praline | Vanilla Ice Cream Soy-Balhyo (발효): Soy Cookie Topped | Soy Jam | Balhyo Cream | Oat Sorbet |Soy Gavotte Petit Four: Yakgwa | Bonbon au Chocolat | Perilla Macaron

AUGUST 2019 SIGNATURE Tasting Menu: Banchan Foie Gras Mousse | Green Apple Gelee | Toasted Brioche Striped Jack Tartlet | Fresh Lemon | Soy Steamed Egg (계란 찜) | Dashi Truffle Sauce Joomokbap (주목 밥) Wrapped In Gamtae Seaweed Topped | Korean Wagyu Beef Tartare) | Gochujang Sauce | Wild Sesame Ssam Bouquet | Comte Cheese | Anchovy Aioli Ostera Caviar (케비어) Spanish Tuna Belly | Crispy Quinoa Foie Gras Mandoo (푸아그라만두) Dumplings Filled With Foie Gras, Wagyu Beef, Kimchi And Caramelized Leeks Hidden Under A Thin Blanket Of Wagyu Beef. Gomtang (Traditional Korean Beef Bone Broth) Poured Tableside Octopus (문어) Spanish Octopus Braised In Dashima Then Pan Seared Crispy On Its Edges Served With Gochujang Aioli (Korean Fermented Chili Paste) Branzino (농어) Mediterranean Sea Bass Filet Lightly Smoked And Charcoal Finished With Allium Powder And Lemon Served With Washed Kimchi And Perilla Oil Tuna Kimbap (참치김밥) Crispy Bugak Seaweed Shell Filled With Truffled Rice, Marinated Spanish Tuna Belly, Avocado And Kimchi Served With Korean Honey Mustard Sauce Wagyu Galbi (갈비) American Wagyu Short Rib Marinated And Charcoal Finished Over Seasoned Rice With Ggakdugi (Korean Radish Kimchi), Mushrooms, Soybeans And Sesame Leaf Summer Cocktail (여름 칵테일) Lime-Mezcal Sorbet | Pineapple Granite | Lime Cream | Pineapple Salsa Baby Banana (바나나 케이크) (Chef Eunji Lee’s Signature Dish) Dulcey Ganache | French Coffee Ice Cream | Baileys Cake | Cocoa Powder | Coffee Ice Cream | Hazelnut Crumble Soy-Balhyo* (발효) Soy Cookie Topped | Soy Jam | Balhyo Cream | Oat Sorbet | Soy Gavotte Petit Fours Perilla Macaroon Yakgwa Dark Chocolate Bonbon | Strawberry Jam and Ganache | Black Pepper...

Kudos to those that tried Jungsik before it got promoted 3 ⭐️, but yeah I didn’t seize the chance. Yet I do not regret any penny spent on this dinner. You pay at the time of making a reservation, go to the restaurant to enjoy great service and spectacular food (unless you wanna go extra fancy for some add-ons), and you go home feeling like a happy kid.

The standouts of the dishes are octapus, yellowtail kimbap(I guess world’s most expensive handroll), and galbi, and

First it comes a round of nice amuse bouche. Their takes on starting banchan lol. Ohhh loved the egg custard and the tartares.

Mains:

🐟 Striped Jack Clean and elegant start — delicate raw fish paired with tangy white kimchi and a pop of luxurious Osietra caviar. Love the bright and umami sauce underneath.

🐙 Octopus Best octopus I have tried. Most tender octopus ever! Great with a smoky char, paired with bold gochujang aioli for a spicy-sweet punch. (Checking their Eater video made me extra appreciative about this course).

🦪 Scallop Super savory and umami black squid ink nurungji (crispy rice) topped with the melt in the mouth sliced scallop. The citrusy emulsion paired well with the flavor and the texture.

🐠 Arctic Char Ohhhh you gotta throw perilla oil somewhere in Korean dish and here it is. Rich and silky cured and dry-aged fish combined a nutty, herbaceous perilla emulsion sauce. That crispy skin?? Yummy.

🍣 Yellowtail Kimbap I can have 10 more of these if I had extra stomach space and 💰. Truffle rice wrapped in seaweed and topped with yellowtail, making the most expensive handroll I had in a while.

🥩 Galbi This one is pure comfort to the stomach. Perfectly grilled short rib with a savory, slightly nutty barley rice. Deep, umami, and satisfying.

Dessert:

🍓 Strawberry Don’t let the top ice part deceive you! The strawberries are underneath. The refreshing strawberry sorbet paired with oat-yuja (citron) shaved ice — fruity, creamy, and zingy.

🍘 Dolhareubang Super cute dessert shaped like Jeju’s stone guardians — filled with sweet black bean, sesame, and rice. Who does like that?

🍰 Hodugwaja Warm classical Korean walnut cake with smooth red bean paste is soft, nutty, and nostalgic. Besides that, there are send-away sweets like jelly, macaron, honey cake.

They gave you a printed menu after you eat (yeah spoiler alert) but i am so happy when an expensive restaurant is actually good and worth the money I spent. Sometimes in NYC it is hardly the case after a restaurant gained fame so I am really hoping they keep this up. (So I can bring my mom here later and not...