Mista Oh - Korean food Flatiron — Restaurant in New York

I went to this Korean place a while back with a group of others. The staff here was very friendly even compared the most other Korean spots checking in on us and making us feel very welcome while the space is adequately big for large groups. From the service to the food, it almost feels like being in someone's home with the cooking almost reflecting this tasting a bit different than most other Korean places with the vegetable mixture in dishes being a bit different such as broccoli and otherwise as well as the spice level being noticeably less but they still packed in other flavors so it wasn't bland in the slightest. To drink, a couple of us split a bottle of Peach Makgeolli which was tasty.

From the appetizer section, we had a few. They had a particularly tasty version of Japchae/잡채 for $13.99 consisting of stir-fried glass noodles with mixed vegetables. This had a good amount of sesame oil so it was nice and fragrant with the mixed vegetables having a lot of bell pepper as expected along with some other things. The portion was decent as well.

There was also the less traditional Bulgogi Kimchi Fries/불고기감자튀김 for $15.99 listed as potato fries with kimchi, bulgogi, and cheese curds topped with spicy mayo. The fries had a good crisp and the kimchi added some good little sourness and saltiness with the bit of sweet bulgogi being a good touch. Said topping was primarily in the middle of the fries either for presentation or so that the fries don't become too soggy so I would recommend mixing it all before eating.

The rest of the people enjoyed the Seafood Pancake (or rather Haemul Pajeon/해물파전) for $19.99 listed as a Korean scallion savory pancake with assorted seafood. The assorted seafood of course had plenty of squid in it so I couldn't eat it because of my cephalopod allergy unfortunately but it looked nice and crisp and came with the usual dipping sauce.

My favorite main dish was the Mukeunji Samgyupsal Jjim/묵은지 삼겹살찜 for $28.99 consisting of aged kimchi with braised pork. It was maybe a little bit less spicy than this other places but I didn't mind as it was packed with flavor. The pork belly inside was very tender and the kimchi added some good heat along with some fermented sourness so of course I liked this a lot. I would recommend this heavily and the portion was large.

The other people's favorite of the main dishes was the Galbi Jjim/길비찜/매운갈비찜 for $34.99 with red wine & soy sauce braised beef short ribs. We specifically got the Maewoon/spicy version though I think they might have given us the original. The dish was a bit cheaper than usual but the beef inside was very tender and it wasn't as sweet as some other places. I do wish there was still the jujubes and other more traditional stuff inside but it's hard to complain at that price point for a dish that's usually in the $40 range and up.

There was also the Tteok Bokki (or rather tteokbokki/치즈떡볶이) for $18.99 listed as spicy rice cake with vegetables. This was the spiciest of the dishes though it was still less so than many other spots. The rice cakes had a good chew to them and the bit of cheese on top reminded me more of the rosé version which has been becoming more popular. This was nice as well.

Last was the Grilled Salmon/연어 for $24.99 listed as yuzu-soy miso glazed grilled salmon. This was the simplest prepared dish with two large tender pieces of fish that were well grilled. Honestly from presentation, this could have come from any new American restaurant even with the glaze as many spot add an Asian twist to salmon or cod. If you're looking for something lighter, I wound recommend this.

As someone who usually prefers stronger fermented flavors or spicier food, I was surprised how much I liked the food here. There might be other Korean places that I prefer for this reasoning but I would still go back partially due to the staff and partially for I might want more...

First review for '22 goes to this charming Korean restaurant which was a really good find. Was walking around the Madison Park area two Saturdays ago and was thinking where to go for late lunch which led us here.

First off, I was honestly also craving for Korean food that really cold day and luckily they also had the Winter Restaurant Week offerings in their menu. Given it was a Saturday, only the dinner menu applied for $59 and considering we were going to have appetizers, entree and dessert, we figured it should be worth the money. My husband and I went for japchae & fried dumplings for appetizers (both really good!) and for entrées, he got the Dolsot Bibimbap Bulgogi while I got the Osam Bulgogi which is spicy stir fried squid and pork belly. Both entrées really good and generous, I actually had so much left and enjoyed more of it the following day. By the way, the doenjang soup was also served prior to the appetizers, and it was perfectly comforting. Their banchan while not much variety were really good. We were pretty much full and couldn't have dessert anymore so we decided to just take it home. Hours after, we were pleasantly surprised that their chocolate cake and cheese cake were really good! I'd happily come back for the fantastic food.

Also worth highlighting that while the place is pretty small, it is super charming, loved the green wall/vertical garden which accentuates the place and service is quick, efficient and nice. Rest room is also pretty clean.

Excellent Restaurant Week deal. Would...

My friend made reservations via Seated for the five of us for a Saturday at 1. They have outdoor dining but we opted to sit inside since it was really hot that day. We were one of only a few tables dining at the time, so it was nice. I could see it getting packed for dinner though. Here is everything we ordered to share:

Bulgogi Kimchi Fries - this was hands down, everyone’s favorite. They use the good, crispy, battery fries and top it with bulgogi, cheese sauce, and scallions. I think it could have used a bit more cheese sauce but I also probably eat too much cheese

Japchae - too peppery (as in the spice). I could only get through a few bites

Seafood Pancake - pretty basic and I’m not sure I noticed the seafood in it to be honest

Kimchi Fried Rice - pretty good and the fried egg on top was a nice touch

LA Galbi - flavor was good but I think I recall it being a bit chewy

As for banchan, this included kimchi, potato salad, spicy fish cake, and broccoli. I wish there were more options like other Korean restaurants. But then again, this doesn’t seem like a typical Korean restaurant. It seems like it’s trying to be more trendy.

While I did love the Bulgogi fries, I’m not sure if I loved it enough...