Kimganae — Restaurant in New York

I am a local who dines here frequently. I have eaten Korean food from Northen blvd to Soho. Here are my thoughts. The service and food is inconsistent. My favorite thing to order is the soondubu. It is always good but sometimes better. This irks me. The portion seems to have gotten just a little smaller in the last half year or so, and it also has gotten more oily. The broth tastes more or less the same but the amount of oil is notably different. Also, the ingredients are not consistent with there sometimes being mushrooms and/or cabbage. This is not consistent. The amount of clams is consistent but the head of the shrimp is recently off and I don’t like that. The joy of the dish is the shrimp! The changes that have been made need to be reversed. More veg, keep the head, scale back the oiliness. Next, kimbap is flawless. Each ingredient is balanced perfectly. The ratio does not need to be altered. Wonderful. 10/10. The radish kimchi is always good as well as the soup. Love that it comes with the meal. Makes the meal feel proper and hearty! Only issue is that sometimes that kimchi is too salty. Better when it is less salty. It is nice that hot tea is offered. Very culturally aware to the local palate. Nice. Dishes such as the kastu, janchi, gungjung, any of the curry options, cream tteokbokki, reg tteokbokki, udon and chicken are highly recommended by my friends and I. The soondubu should be on the list but the changes are an L. Ordered fried fish once, not bad just not as good as previously mentioned dishes. Also seems like they no longer serve corn. That sucks. Service is overall good. Very attentive and kind guys. The food is ready rather quickly made and brought out with care. Sometimes the weather is lovely and the place is pretty empty but customers must dine in. I have tried to attach a logistical justification to the reason but I can’t find a worthy one. Perhaps they don’t want to be responsible for customers who may get harassed by transients. That is a good reason but even when the neighborhood is chill this can be a issue. I see this a sign of laziness and I criticize it because the outdoor area is a incentive to eat here. It should be available. The music can be annoying but the kpop fits the aesthetic I suppose. Sometimes BTS songs are on repeat. The same songs. Over and over. It’s like listening to a 12 year olds playlist. I’m sure many customers like this but I wish the songs changed more. It depends on the day what is playing and if it’s the same 8 songs or not. Over all this point is understandable as it is what is popular. All that to say, the waiters frequently ask if the meal is good which is lovely. They have great personalities and I like that. Personally, I think they are good. Atmosphere is good. Very clean. Smells great! They clean well and bathroom is very neat. The tables are never sticky. Never grimy. Sometimes too cold but that could be remedied by offering the option of sitting outside! Cute interior. I especially like the set up and posters. Browns is nice for interior design. Casual but not like fast food. Makes the customer feel at ease. Overall I recommend. Love this place but just with that they would go back to the way they were abt a year ago. Bring your friends. The price is good and the food is yummy. I do hope improvements are made and the details in the comment are...

The service here unfortunately overshadows the food.

I havent been here in a while, but I dont plan on coming back. This happened maybe a year ago, but it still happens.

I was dining with friends, and we finished paying. We thought the service charge was the tip, so we just stuck with that as our 'tip' because the waiter's attitude was pretty rude. I akways tip, even for mediocre service, so we agreed that the service fee was enough.

However, as we were leaving, the waiter literally ran across the whole restaurant to chase us. My friends already left, but the waiter physically got in front of me and shoved his hand forward, saying 'tip isnt included.'

I was a bit confused, as i thought we did tip him. However, as i kept stepping to the side, he continued to block the door, and in an angrier tone, he told me i had to tip him. My friends were outside waiting, so i was getting frudtrated and just rummaged through my wallet for any bills. He let me leave once i handed him maybe 15-ish dollars, and that was that.

However, now that i am reflecting on this, this waiters behavior was innapropriate. Even if someone doesnt tip, youre not supposed to physically block them from leaving. It wouldve been fine if the waiter was more clear that tip wasnt incl in the bill, but he basically robbed me ??? 😭😭

I dont even know if the waiters actions were legal, as i was basically held for ransom.

I love their donkatsus, and i really want to eat it again, but unfortunately, ill never forget the time a waiter basically mugged me for a tip. Even if i wanted to order the food via delivery, i will probably always get flashbacks to this. I WILL, however, be going next door for donkatsu

I hope their service has changed or will change for the better, and maybe ill go in like 10 years. Im pretty sure my kidnapper is still there victimizing people bc i pass by the window a lot, so im too scared to dine in...

At the time of this review, this would be my 3rd visit to Kimganae, and each dine in visit has always been a delicious journey!

Kimganae is located at the heart of Flushing where some of the best Korean restaurants can be found, and this one is definitely on this list. Every visit, I’m always greeted with the friendly staff and service. Of course the space itself can get fairly packed due to its limited seating, but it’s certainly not a dealbreaker.

As for the food and prices, it’s fairly affordable depending on what you order, and the value of its meal and taste is worth the price! I always love their Light Western menu, and this time I decide to order the Kimganae Special which is a combo of their fish cutlet, Japanese pork cutlet, and hamburger steak.

If you’re like me who is a big fan of any of those three items, then you’ll definitely love the Kimganae Special! The gravy is thick and rich, and it goes really well with the rice and meats. The fish cutlet is well fried with a zesty tartar sauce on top. Overall, this combo entree is probably the best highlight of their Light Western menu, and I highly recommend it. For the price, it’s a tasty dish that fills you up!

My girlfriend orders the recommended Seafood Udon. The soup broth is what you expect with hints of shrimp, clam, and squid. The udon noodle is cooked just right. The seafood is somewhat overcooked especially the shrimp, yet enjoyable.

Overall, Kimganae is a very good Korean restaurant that has a great variety of dishes with decent portions, fair prices, and delicious tastes. It’s a restaurant worth...