Had an outstanding dinner at Jungsik last night. I was very impressed, though overall I’d call it a very strong 2* rather than a 3*. The flavors were excellent across the board, but it didn’t feel as creative as many of the other 3* restaurants I’ve been to.
One thing I really appreciated was the pacing. We were there about 1 hour and 45 minutes; it didn’t feel rushed and it was the right amount of food.
The amuse course was a strong start; each bite was delicious and beautifully presented. The octopus was probably the best I’ve had: perfectly cooked, crispy and tender. My least favorite dish was the mandoo. It leaned a bit bland for me, though the oxtail broth was flavorful.
We added the uni bibimbap and it was absolutely worth it. It was a generous portion of Hokkaido uni over crispy rice with toasted quinoa which added nice texture.
The short rib galbi with mushrooms wasn’t creative but it was great execution.
The space is elegant and comfortable, and the service was warm and polished without being stuffy. A nice place for my birthday dinner
by NYCFoodieDad
6 Comments
Looks good – i stand by my observation that the only deserving 3 stars in nyc are per se and LB.
Anyone know how to get the crust on the octopus tentacle like that?
I ate here while they were still a 2 star a few years ago and it’s probably the best tasting meal I’ve had to date.
Looks similar to what we had in their main restaurant in Seoul. That one only have 2 stars though.
Jungsik is awesome! Really enjoyed every course they served!
That’s great to hear. For the most part I always had a very enjoyable time. It and Aska always felt like old reliables. When it got 3 stars me and my family checked it out twice. First time a couple thought it was definitively the best of the city at least from what they ate. Other time we thought it wasn’t up to par outside some standout dishes like that kimbap which is still one of the best things to eat. While it was 2 stars once we got whatever the less pricier of the two menus were called and while a lot of things were good, we weren’t rly too impressed. When we went with their other menu, it rly was a consistent awesome place for the most part for us.
But yeah I’d say the peak of the dinner I had there was the first time I tried them as a 3 star. Otherwise general consistency with just prob like 2 or so times it not meeting expectations. The first with the other menu, the second with my most recent time there. Will go back. I do wish they’d return that Banana dessert from long ago. They rly like those carrots lol. Oh well, there is Lysee with the pastry chef from them with a wide variety of different desserts.