Woodam — Restaurant in New York

Woodam is a stunning new addition to the Flushing food scene, and it’s already becoming a must visit for Korean cuisine lovers. From the moment you walk in, the space feels serene, modern, and intentionally designed perfect for a solo comfort meal or a relaxed dinner with friends.

Since it’s newly opened, you can tell the team is still getting into the flow. The system looked a little hectic at times, but honestly, they’re handling it well. With such a small and focused menu, I’m sure things will smooth out quickly. Despite the rush, the employees were incredibly kind and welcoming so patient and attentive, it really made the whole experience feel warm and personal.

I went for the Sogogi-Gukbap, which is a traditional Korean beef and rice soup classic soul food in Korea. It’s the kind of meal that feels like a warm hug on a cold day. The broth was deep and flavorful, and the beef was fall apart tender. You can choose original or spicy, and they also offer extra meat for a little more if you’re really hungry. I loved how nostalgic and satisfying this dish felt it’s simple but full of heart.

With the soup came a thoughtful spread of banchans: pickled cucumber and onions, kimchi, mu kimchi (pickled radish), bean sprouts, seasoned seaweed, and a soft, savory gyeranmari (Korean rolled egg omelet). These aren’t just sides they’re meant to complete the meal, and each one brought balance and texture in its own way. It felt very true to the spirit of a Korean home cooked meal.

I also ordered the Yukjeon, a pan-fried beef pancake traditionally made during special holidays and family gatherings in Korea. It was light and delicate, with marinated beef dipped in egg and seared until golden. On its own, it was subtle, but paired with the house extra-aged napa kimchi, it really came alive. The funky depth of the kimchi adds that perfect punch of flavor. The chive muchim it came with was light and herby, rounding out the plate.

For a drink, I got their Jeju Tangerine Fizz, which was not only beautiful but super refreshing. It’s made with house-aged Jeju tangerine preserve, fizzy tangerine water, and topped with a scoop of tangerine sorbet. Sweet, tart, bubbly, and a little creamy it was the perfect way to end the meal.

Although I didn’t get the Suyuk this time, but I appreciated the thoughtful detail of it being served over a small flame to keep it warm very traditional and a nice touch. The Lava Rock Cheese Tteokgalbi also looked incredible and is already on my list for next time. Tteokgalbi is usually a royal dish made with minced short rib, and their lava rock spin with cheese looked indulgent and fun.

Overall, Woodam is off to a heartfelt start. The food feels rooted in tradition, the space is calming and clean, and the staff go above and beyond to make you feel at home. Sure, there are still a few kinks to iron out ,it’s early days but you can already see the love and effort being poured into every dish and detail.

I’ll absolutely be back, and I’m excited to see this place grow into one of Flushing’s go-to spots for honest, comforting...

Woodam was very busy when I stopped by for a late weekend lunch -- the place is deceptively large, but didn't have that many tables -- and our party of two had to wait roughly 15-20 or so for some spots at the bar to open up. It was quite comfortable overall, and it was nice to see the plating and prep for some of the dishes in front of us.

The menu is not very large, so we ordered one each of the sogogi-gukbap and the suyuk to share. The sogogi-gukbap was so delicious. The broth was very fragrant without being too salty or oily (paired so well with the bowl of rice), and each slice of beef was really tender and flavourful. The banchan were all really delicious, too -- egg salad was surprisingly good.

The suyuk was also quite delicious, but a little less consistently so. Some cuts of meat were so soft and practically melted in your mouth (tasted amazing with the soy/aioli sauces), but some of the more tendon-y cuts were a little harder to chew and weren't as flavourful. It was hard to compare the two dishes, since I felt the best slices from the suyuk were better than the sogogi-gukbap, but overall the sogogi-gukbap was a more well-rounded, solid meal.

Price point was quite decent, and I think it was definitely worth the quality of this meal. I would love to come again sometime and try the tteokgalbi (basically the only other thing on the menu?)  -- it seemed quite interesting on others' tables, but we (correctly) didn't think we could finish...

Pretty surprised I could get an authentic and hearty korean beef stew set with banchan for ONLY $16.50, located in the heart of Flushing!!

It’s never too hot for a comforting bowl of korean beef stew. Woodam only opened recently, but when I visited for dinner, the place was super busy and packed.

Their menu is small so you can’t go wrong. I tried the whole menu and can confidently say it is 100% worth the wait for both the value and the quality.

＊Solgogi - Gulbap (Original/Spicy) $16.50 Honestly, at this price, the portion was WILD. I counted at least 15–17 slices of tender beef in the soup, served with rice, seaweed, and a generous spread of banchan. The whole set was packed with protein that there’s no way you’re leaving hungry.

＊Lava Rock Cheese Tteokgalbi $9 These deep-fried balls were made with galbi, pork patties and mozzarella. Super addictive, especially when I dipped it in the rosemary lime aioli.

＊ Sukyuk - Slow-Simmered Beef $21 Tender sliced beef and jelly-like beef tendon, assorted mushrooms and veggies, served with two dipping sauces. Both the fermented tangerine soy and ssamjang aioli were amazing. I literally dipped everything in them.

＊Jeju Tangerine Fizz $6.50 I highly recommend pairing this with the gukbap. It was topped with a scoop of tangerine sorbet. Super refreshing to enjoy with a...