Round K — Restaurant in New York

It was a dreary Saturday morning in the lower east side. My SO and I had made the arduous commute from NJ to NY, with the hopes of tasting the sweet nectar of the honey pancakes of the golden diner, just around the corner. After a 25 minute wait in the line, hiding from the rain tainted acidic from the noxious fumes of the industrial complex, sharing the protective awnings of never ending construction with piles of human excrement, the hostess of golden diner told us we'd have a 45 minute wait ahead of us. Fine. I put down my number and went to finding a cafe or book store for me and my better half to hide from the terrible weather in.

Cue Round K by Sol.

After a short walk around the block, we found Round K and were greeted by a small coffee bar with less room for walking than most smaller studio apartments in NY. We told the waitress "2 for here", wondering if "here" was even an option in this broom closet of a cafe. To our surprise, the waitress led us to the back of the bar, where a non-descript wall-colored door opened into a dark, moody, and enticing smoking room with glass candlestick holders adorning tables of marble and walls of purple velvet. If not for the early 2000s rave-pop music blaring at just too loud of a volume, I would have enjoyed it in there.

We were given a menu and approximately 25 minutes to pick our selection of overpriced, overcomplicated "specialty coffees" that sounded intriguing enough for us to take the bait. We ordered a "toasted butter latte" and an "egg cappuccino" for a total of $22. Then we waited. And waited. Perhaps 20 minutes later, we were brought out drinks. In appearance, you could have called them rustic, perhaps appetizing. As in name, they were intriguing enough to taste, and I found myself pleasantly surprised by their complexity of flavor. However, I was soon unpleasantly surprised by their two major downfalls -- the drinks were both lukewarm (perhaps due to the 20 minutes that they were probably left out for before being brought to our table) and the egg in the cappuccino quickly cooked to form a drink that was as gagging as an "omelette in an espresso" sounds.

My partner and I had barely 5 sips between the two of us.

After 10 minutes of debating complaining to the waiting staff, we asked if our drinks could be reheated. The coffees were taken from us with the promise of being returned at a drinkable temperature. Instead, the waitress returned 5 minutes later saying that she was unable to reheat the drinks as it would "change the quality of the milk in the drinks", then left. We sat, dumbfounded. A few minutes later, the barista came to our table to re-explain the issue with the milk texture before asking if she could make us new drinks. Torn between having to pay $22 + tip for 5 sips of coffee and being forced to drink another two terrible coffees, I sat at a loss for words. I politely declined, meekly spouting some excuse that we were "already too full" and dismissing the embarrassed waitress.

1/5 stars. The confused decor, the cramped layout, the nauseating drinks, and the naivety of the wait staff are excused only by the 50% refund we were given as we walked through the door for the first...

Intimacy.

I've learned about this place through social media but serendipitously found it in real life. I've learned about how the manager was an Asian immigrant wanting to experience the American dream and found kinship in Chinatown. This encouraged me to visit even more.

Whether it'd be staples that have been here for generations or a newer one, it has always been important for me to support Asian businesses, and this lovely place was well worth it.

When I first entered, I was under the impression that this was a carryout restaurant but after being kindly greeted by the staff members and placing my order, I was taken aback to find out that there's both indoor and outdoor backyard seating. You can experience the juxtaposition between in the interior and exterior, as the exterior was designed with white walls and interior with black.

I chose to sit outside. There was a large tent with heaters keeping the diners warm, string lights, plants and more. Although I was dining alone, I didn't feel along because of the ambiance. It was the perfect experience for a breezy Tuesday evening.

The "I Am Avocado" I ordered just arrived. The presentation was well-crafted and it tasted as good as it looked. What I enjoyed the most about it was how I found myself in a state of calm and pure bliss as I enjoyed my food. It was just a simple balance of flavors. Kimchi Butter, Avocado, Tomatoes, Chili Flakes and Oil.

It felt as my life and everything else in between slowed down within this immersion. All worries I've felt at the moment took a pause. This was a level of intimacy that I haven't felt in a long time. This is how food is meant to make you feel as well as how it's supposed to be enjoyed.

After finishing, I carried my plate and utensils out, and used the (well-kept) restroom. I was greeted farewell by both the staff members with warm smiles to remember. One of which was so lovely that her grin went over her mask and revealed her bright pearly whites!

This single experience alone has converted me into a returning customer. Thank you to the two kind staff members. I'm glad this made its way into Chinatown and I'm glad I made my way to you.

Until next...

I’ve been wanting to try their chicken sandwich. But when we went, they didn’t have anymore for that day so we ordered the shrimp sandwich. They initially forgot this order and we were waiting for it after we finished everything else - the owner eventually noticed and asked us what was wrong and we told him that we were still waiting for the shrimp sandwich. Honestly, he replied they were starting on it now and apologized for the wait. 5/5 for honesty! I feel like other restaurants would have made a big deal or lied and said it’ll be out in a minute.

To make up for the wait, the owner, who is very kind when you talk to him btw, added extra shrimp and avocado to our order. A nice gesture! The shrimp sandwich itself was delicious! Perfectly fried shrimp with kimchi ranch and paired well with the avocado and arugula. The honey garlic chips that came with it were also a favorite for us.

In addition, we ordered the KBBQ party toast. When it came out, we were amazed by the vibrant colors and the overall presentation of it. It looked beautiful! Everything about it was perfect including the taste of the spicy balsamic paired with the bacon and pickled slaw.

For a drink, I got the Sweet corn latte, mainly because it was made with oat milk and coconut cream- perfect for all the lactose intolerant peeps! The first sips were pretty good, you get a lot of sweet corn taste and it even comes topped with a bit of corn for visuals. Then after that, it becomes underwhelming and loses the sweet corn taste. It was great to try though. I’d probably order the Flat Purple next time.

Overall, a good experience - especially if you’re seated in the back where it’s a little cozier and much more quiet/private. Food is delicious, owner is kind, and a good spot to catch up...