Lower East Side restuarant Kisa is inspired by the Korean kisa sikdang —the country’s no-frills dining spots for taxi drivers.
Photo by Alex Lau
Korean culture has long been woven into the fabric of New York City. But where it was once largely concentrated in a handful of neighborhoods—Manhattan’s Koreatown, centered around West 32nd Street, and the Queens enclave of Flushing—that’s increasingly no longer the case. What was once synonymous with modest, homey restaurants has since spread across all five boroughs.
“While K-pop and cinema laid the groundwork, today’s momentum is fueled by many aspects of the Korean lifestyle,” says Yong Min Kim, co-owner of Kisa, a Lower East Side spot inspired by Korean restaurants that serve affordable set meals to taxi and bus drivers. “It’s no longer just about tradition—it’s about a broader taste and energy.”
Take Gramercy Park’s Takamichi Beauty Room, a gift and beauty store run by French owner Marie Saeki, which showcases emerging Korean brands for their “striking mix of creativity and self-awareness.” Or Flatiron’s Lysée, where pastry chef Eunji Lee whips up imaginative (and very photogenic) desserts like Corn, a trompe l’oeil corn mousse cake.
At Scrappleland in Greenpoint, the craft beers pair perfectly with the irresistibly crisp, juicy Korean fried chicken from the on-site, family-run counter Peeps Kitchen. And in the Meatpacking District, Genesis House—a sleek, glass-wrapped venue featuring a fine-dining restaurant, library, tea pavilion, and luxury-vehicle showroom for the eponymous South Korean automotive brand—welcomes visitors to drop in and explore at their leisure, with no reservations required.
Whether you want to check out contemporary Korean art or down a frozen Banana Milk cocktail, here’s a guide to some of the coolest spots that show how Korean culture is flourishing across New York City.
Sunn’s
Chef-owner Sunny Lee worked at Eleven Madison Park and Blue Hill at Stone Barns before opening Sunn’s in Chinatown.
Photo by Michael Carnevale (L); photo by Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet (R)
- Location: 139 Division St. | Find on Google Maps
After years of running her popular pop-ups, Banchan by Sunny, chef Sunny Lee settled into a brick-and-mortar in Chinatown in December 2024. Now simply called Sunn’s, the wine bar may be tiny—a full house accommodates just 24 diners—but it is undeniably cozy. That’s by design. “Sunn’s is built to look like a little home or apartment, filled with kitchen tools that are from my own home,” says Lee. True to that spirit, the seasonally driven menu is lean, anchored by a must-order for every guest: the signature banchan set, where punchy cabbage kimchi and pear-flecked potato salad always make an appearance. The menu rounds out with a clutch of shareable small plates, including frilly crab and chicken schmaltz dumplings brightened with snips of garlic chives and dill.
Gallery AP Space
Lee Yong-deok’s Form in Absence is on display at Gallery AP Space.
Courtesy of AP Space
- Location: 555 W. 25th St. | Find on Google Maps
Jean Park founded Gallery AP Space in 2023 to bring Korean contemporary art to the heart of Chelsea’s gallery district. “We wanted Korean artists to be part of that global conversation—not just within the Korean community, but in the broader international art world,” Park explains. The gallery’s raw, industrial space, with its snow-white interiors, allows the artworks “to breathe and connect more deeply with viewers.” Among Park’s favorite Korean contemporary artists is Lee Yong-deok, a pioneer of inverted sculpture. His practice, rooted in carving figures into concave spaces, creates a striking illusion of volume that shifts with the viewer’s perspective.
Hwaro
Chef Sungchul Shim has opened three Korean-inspired restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen.
Photo by Dan Ahn
- Location: 776 8th Ave., Floor 2 | Find on Google Maps
Chef Sungchul Shim of Michelin-starred restaurants Kochi and Mari continues his winning streak with his latest venture, Hwaro. Behind an unmarked door inside Gui, his swanky Times Square Korean steakhouse, the intimate 22-seat concept takes its inspiration from the traditional Korean brazier, which Shim describes as “symbolizing fire, warmth, and gathering.” Unlike his other restaurants, Hwaro is built around an interactive experience: Shim and his team prepare each course at a circular counter right in front of diners. Dishes include jook—a refined take on humble rice porridge—starring succulent lamb and a deeply savory jajang sauce, a Korean black bean sauce given a French bordelaise treatment. Other highlights, like abalone, marry Shim’s Korean heritage with his classical training. As an evening at Hwaro takes roughly three hours and costs $295 per guest, it’s ideal for a special occasion.
Takamichi Beauty Room
At Takamichi Beauty Room, artist Kim Hyung-Jun’s mischievous, folklore-inspired ceramics are among many unexpected finds.
Courtesy of Takamichi Beauty Room
- Location: 125 E. 17th St. | Find on Google Maps
Takamichi Beauty Room, a jewel box of a beauty and gift shop in Gramercy Park, feels more like a gallery than a typical store. That’s because of owner Marie Saeki’s uncanny knack for discovering irresistible objects from emerging brands around the world—from Ming Yu Wang’s pearl-embellished chopstick rests for Lunar New Year to Korean artist Kim Hyung-Jun’s Dogabis, mischievous folklore-inspired ceramics, and Korean Collins incense, packaged in colorful tins with cheeky names like Fluffy Pillow. “What I love about Korean brands as a buyer is their irreverence,” says Saeki. “They’re very polished and visually refined, but they’re also willing to be strange.”
Orion
Cocktails on the menu at Bushwick’s Orion include soju bombs and salty seaweed martinis.
Photo by Heami Lee
- Location: 157 Suydam St., Brooklyn | Find on Google Maps
For Irene Yoo, owner of Korean American bar Orion, having a quality snack menu is essential. “In Korea, you have to have food while you’re drinking—greasy, carby, cheesy, spicy—something that’s easy to share with friends,” she explains. The menu at this Bushwick spot reflects that approach; visitors can order small bites like kimchi powder–dusted fries alongside heartier dishes such as gooey, mozzarella–topped ddukbokki (stir-fried rice cakes). The drinks are equally playful: The frozen Space Spam—a slushy mix of aged rum, Aperol, Korean chili powder, pineapple, and rice syrup—arrives in a repurposed SPAM can. Kitted out with kitschy objects, vintage Korean posters, and a neon “yooeating?” sign above the kitchen, Orion is an easy place to linger. “A lot of the stuff is from our house,” says Yoo. “We wanted it to feel like hanging out in our home.”
More NYC Korean spots to add to your itinerary
Genesis House is a three-story cultural center in NYC owned by the Hyundai Motor Group.
Courtesy of Genesis House
Genesis House
- Location: 40A 10th Ave. | Find on Google Maps
The gleaming, 46,000-square-foot Genesis House in the Meatpacking District merges Korean design, fine dining, and, believe it or not, luxury cars.
Hana Makgeolli Tasting Room
- Location: 201 Dupont St., Brooklyn | Find on Google Maps
Among the few American producers of makgeolli—the milky, lightly sparkling Korean rice wine—Greenpoint’s Hana is the place to sample and learn everything you need to know about Korea’s oldest alcoholic beverage.
Senti Senti
- Location: multiple locations | Find on Google Maps
With locations in Chinatown and Williamsburg, Senti Senti sells all kinds of Asian skincare, but has established itself as one of New York City’s best shops for K-beauty.
Kisa
- Location: 205 Allen St. | Find on Google Maps
Modeled after Korea’s driver restaurants—where taxi and bus drivers refuel with hearty, affordable meals—Kisa enlists a similar approach with traditional sets of rice, soup, banchan, and a main protein.
