Oncheon NYC — Restaurant in New York

Oncheon is a restaurant that feels both modern and deeply rooted in tradition, offering an experience that goes beyond just eating. While best known for their Korean shabu shabu and the beautifully curated Chanhap Meal Boxes, I came here to try their sukiyaki set ,a Japanese classic prepared with an attention to detail that felt truly authentic.

Sukiyaki holds a special place in Japanese culinary history. It became popular in the late 19th century, right after Japan lifted its centuries-long ban on beef. Suddenly, thinly sliced meat cooked tableside in a shallow pot became a symbol of celebration, eaten on special occasions. Traditionally, beef and vegetables simmer in a sweet-savory broth made with soy sauce, sugar, and mirin, and diners dip the hot ingredients into a raw beaten egg before eating a practice that gives sukiyaki its signature silky finish.

Oncheon’s version embraces that heritage. The base sukiyaki set does not include meat, but it comes with an elegant spread of vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, and a box of banchan. The banchan set was a lovely surprise, combining Korean side dishes with a Japanese-inspired meal: refreshing sesame cucumber slices, smooth pumpkin mash, a spicy marinated rolled radish with gochujang, and a chilled citrus jelly for dessert that cleanses the palate.

Since meat is ordered separately, I added the kurobuta pork and tofu platter. Kurobuta pork, known as the “wagyu of pork,” cooked beautifully in the broth, tender, juicy, and rich. What stood out was the way Oncheon prepares the sukiyaki slices of meat and tofu are lightly grilled in the pot first, creating a smoky depth before the broth is poured in. This step elevates the dish, layering flavor into every bite. Of course, the traditional raw egg was served on the side, perfect for dipping each piece of beef or pork into its velvety richness.

To drink, they serve cold buckwheat tea, a refreshing and healthy touch that feels perfect on a warm day. It’s light, nutty, and cooling, complementing the richness of the sukiyaki without overwhelming the palate.

The restaurant itself has great vibes warm, modern, and calming. It’s a place that invites you to slow down and savor. I recommend making a reservation, especially during peak times, but they also accept walk-ins you may just need to wait a little.

Oncheon bridges Korean and Japanese traditions gracefully, from sukiyaki to shabu shabu and their signature Chanhap Meal Boxes. Each dish is curated with balance, artistry, and respect for culinary heritage. I’ll definitely be back to try more from their menu this is the kind of place that leaves you both satisfied and already planning...

Food:

First thing that comes to mind: the side dishes were creative, delectable, and cute.

In terms of meat, our group tried both the mishima wagyu and the more premium option, and found the mishima wagyu to be the better option (better melt-in-your-mouth feel). If / when I were to come back, I'd just go for the mishima wagyu.

For the broth, I tried the sukiyaki broth, and it was solid (not outstanding but no complaints). I liked that we were given raw egg dip, which not every sukiyaki-serving restaurant outside Japan serves.

Rated the food 4.3/5 - a little better than "solid", but not quite outstanding.

On to the service:

They had wireless electric stoves. One of our stoves kept turning off, and once in particular, it took 15 mins or so for the servers to get it back in working order.

In addition, the hotpot "pots" were fairly shallow and not able to accommodate too much broth. While they do serve extra broth and water on the table (this is for the sukiyaki broth in particular - slightly different for other broths probably), we did run out of broths multiple times during our meal and had to flag down our server to get top-ups.

Service was cordial and everyone was definitely trying to be helpful, but the overall dining experience still felt tedious and time-consuming due to those factors.

Would rate service 3.7/5 but rounding up to 4 as they're new and hopefully this will get better over time.

Atmosphere was 5/5. I felt transported to a serene location the moment I entered their premises.

All in all, enjoyable meal, I will probably return, but would be nice to not have to flag servers down multiple times to get more broth and to get the stoves...

Oncheon is a Christmas Instagram paradise that can't figure out what it wants to be when it grows up.

Is it Korean hot pot? Then why does it bill itself as shabu shabu, which is Japanese? Why are the dipping sauces Japanese and Chinese?

For that matter, is it even hot pot? Then why are the pots so small, and the burners so finicky that you need to align them in perfect Indian Jones-style precision or risk being flattened by a boulder?

I don't have the answers. I just know that we had one chaotic meal for our group of 8. The Crispy Beef Belly Fritters and Seafood Kimchi Jeon that we started with were quite good, but it devolved from there. Oncheon is NOT well set up for groups larger than four. Our table was too small for the pyramids of bento boxes they heaped on us, and we only had two burners and two small pots that would've taken countless hours for everyone to cook their bites of food.

We got the Signature Doenjang and Spicy Curry for the Shabu Shabu. The former was bland, and the latter was too sweet (and not spicy at all). The 1st and 2nd Layers of veggies, wagyu, and mushrooms were fine. The 3rd and 4th Layers of additional small bites were lovely to look at, but I could've done without the fussy presentation if it meant having more space to eat without knocking over a box.

Also, our server really needed to take a Xanax because she was more high-strung than a violin on crack. There were times when WE had to calm her down and assure her things would be all right--it felt like a group therapy session.

All in all, I'll stick to grown-up hot pot restaurants that know how to handle the cuisine--not young noobs...