SEOUL TTUKBAEGI ( 서울 뚝배기 ) — Restaurant in New York

We stumbled on this little Korean place called Seoul Ttukbaegi for lunch today. It's right by the LIRR station, easy to miss if you're not looking. But man, what a find! We had no idea we were in for such an amazing meal.

As we walked in, we were immediately charmed by the cozy atmosphere and hand-painted murals. It felt like we'd discovered a local secret, and we couldn't wait to see what the menu had in offer.

We decided to be adventurous and ordered a variety of dishes: bossam, soondae, spicy beef soup with glass noodles, dried pollock and bean sprout seafood stew, and raw oysters. Each dish that arrived at our table was a delightful surprise.

The bossam was a standout. The pork belly was perfectly marinated and cooked to tender perfection. My girlfriend couldn't stop raving about how the cabbage and pickles complemented the savory meat. And the raw oysters nestled in the pickled spicy radish? An unexpected treat that elevated the entire dish.

We were pleasantly surprised when they brought us free soondae. It was so well-balanced and clearly made with care - a gesture that made us feel truly welcomed.

The spicy beef soup with glass noodles was a flavor bomb. The complex taste profile, with its slight fermented tang and tender shredded beef, had us both reaching for more. My girlfriend, who usually shies away from spicy food, found herself enjoying every spoonful.

But the real surprise was the dried pollock and bean sprout seafood stew. I'd never had dried pollock before and was a bit skeptical, but it turned out to be incredibly clean and flavorful without being overly fishy. My girlfriend loved the little clams in it, and we both appreciated how it provided a refreshing contrast to the spicier dishes.

As we savored each bite, we couldn't help but discuss how every dish seemed to be crafted with such care and attention to detail. It wasn't just good food; it was food made with love. We felt like we were enjoying a home-cooked meal prepared by a Korean grandmother who had perfected her recipes over decades.

What impressed us most was the balance of flavors in every dish. Nothing was too salty, too fermented, or too bland. It was evident that the chefs took their time to develop these flavors, tasting and adjusting until everything was just right.

Despite the humble appearance of the place, the quality of the food was top-notch. Even the raw oysters, which can be hit or miss in many restaurants, were impressively fresh and delicious.

As we finished our meal, feeling satisfied but not overstuffed thanks to the perfectly sized portions, we couldn't stop gushing about our find. We agreed that Seoul Ttukbaegi would definitely become our go-to spot for Korean food, and we were already planning our next visit to try more...

Delicious food, friendly staff (although there will be a small language barrier if you don't speak Korean), Clean and hospitable/homey environment.

The side dishes we were served were Radish kimchi and Napa kimchi, both of which were delicious. The staff was extremely friendly and would ask us if we wanted refills, cutting the kimchi at our table or scooping more radish out of a jar for us.

We ordered soondae (blood sausage) which came with a few other cuts of meat. I'm not personally a fan of soondae, but the people I went with enjoyed it. There are condiments at the table that you can have with your soondae.

We also had a seafood pancake which was crispy and filled with green onions and squid, with sauce on the side.

I ordered the Dogani-tang (Ox knee bone soup) which is one of my favorite dishes. You season this soup yourself with salt, green onions, and pepper provided at the table. The soup came with plenty of tendons/meat, more generous than a lot of places I've tried in the area.

My friends ordered the Samgye-tang (chicken soup) and the Ggogal-tang (oxtail + galbi soup) and everyone absolutely loved their dishes.

This is a restaurant I see myself returning to again...

I had one of the most shocking and disrespectful experiences at Seoul Ttukbaegi.

I paid $53 for my meal and left a $6 cash tip on the table. As I was walking out, a male employee literally followed me outside and told me the tip was “too low” and that I had to leave at least 18%.

This is completely unacceptable. Tipping is not mandatory by law, and aggressively confronting a customer outside the restaurant is beyond inappropriate — it felt like harassment.

I gave another dollar just to make the situation stop, but I left feeling humiliated and deeply uncomfortable.

I will never return, and I urge management to seriously retrain their staff on basic respect and professionalism. No customer should ever be...