Meju — Restaurant in New York

Meju was a memorable and amazing dining experience. When my husband told me about a Korean fermentation tasting menu, I was already sold - being Korean American and loving all the fermented things.

It was such an adventure! You walk into the little banchan shop (and buy cute things and kimchi), then get invited into a hidden door, down a beautiful hallway into Chef Hooni's sleek kitchen space with 8 counter seats. The space has the look of modern yet Korean touches - like the rice cooker in the corner and a giant celadon vase holding flowers.

Chef Hooni comes in and starts roasting seaweed over the fire. It evoked memories of my own mother doing this when I was a kid (before roasted seaweed was packaged and sold in stores everywhere, even Costco). He presents his journey in studying and learning fermentation and each step of the tasting menu showcases different jang (sauces) - doenjang, gochujang, and ganjang. He pairs the sauces with food and talks about how the more time something ferments, the flavors change. Each course was perfectly paired.

The ingredients are all so fresh and high quality. The presentation is sleek and modern, yet the food is true to traditional Korean style. It evokes memories of my own mom and grandma's cooking.

The dessert was brilliant - frozen shikhye with red bean and a touch of cinnamon. It combined shikhye, pat bingsoo, and sujeongwa into one delightful dessert.

The beverage pairing of wine and Korean spirits was lovely as well.

Set aside 3 hours - dinner is an involved, engaged experience. Honestly, I was so sad it was over and I didn't even realize so much...

A dining experience focused on fermented soy products with frequent informative speeches from the chef. The ambiance was pretty awesome. There is a speakeasy vibe as the restaurant is hidden in the back of a Korean side dish shop, accessible via a narrow corridor decorated with an impressive artwork on the ceiling. They played some traditional Korean music in the beginning, followed by Jazz throughout the meal.

While the food was mostly great, I thought the grilled pork was pretty bad, especially compared to its previous grilled beef course, which was amazing. The chef quite frequently talked about his experiences in Korea with soy and the time he spent with his mentor. Because each time he spoke, it was quite lengthy, after several courses, it became somewhat lecture-like.

I appreciated the dedication he has to his fermentation craft, and the food showed it. The raw fish course was especially memorable with its creativity and amazing flavors. Unfortunately, the rest of the menu was somewhat uninspired and predictable, albeit delicious. I would return for a different menu, but I would prefer shorter speeches from the...

Let me begin by saying that Chef Kim took me back to my childhood. My mother passed away 4 years ago. She rarely cooked with a recipe. As a kid, I would watch her cook and eventually helped in the kitchen and she developed in me a love for cooking. My wife and I really enjoyed our experience at Meju. The dishes here are not going to be laden with caviar or have bits of gold foil just for the opulence. The dishes here are crafted with love and simplicity with a strong homage to the Korean art of fermentation. Many foods I consumed took me right back to my childhood as they were elegant, elevated versions of what many would consider Korean home cooking. This was the first restaurant in a very long time that actually inspired me to "do" as well as eat. Leaving this restaurant I felt like a more mindful person and renewed interest in learning the fermentation processes for Korean cuisine which I have gotten away from. Also, Chef Kim wears Melin hats which I absolutely love because I can never find any other brand of hat that fits so well for my big head. Thank you and your team for making a night so...