Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Oiji Serving Up Elevated Korean Comfort Food In The East Village
By
Nell Casey
Published May 21, 2015
Modified May 21, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 6
By
Nell Casey
Published May 21, 2015
Modified May 21, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
If all you know of Korean cuisine is barbecue and bibimbap, you'd do well to visit Oiji, a relaxed new restaurant that opened a few weeks ago on 1st Avenue. There, culinary school pals Brian Kim (Bouley) and Tae Kyung Ku (Gramercy Tavern) are recreating the flavors of their native Korea with a mind towards utilizing more contemporary techniques and presentations. That's all very interesting, of course, but the most important thing is that whatever they're doing in the kitchen is delicious and you should probably go there immediately. Like, now.
Start with the "Chil-jeolpan" Seven Flavors ($14), which'll be showing up on all the foodiot Instagrams within the month. Around a stack of colorful, gossamer thin rice flour crepes are delicate piles of julienned vegetables (carrot and cucumber), egg (yolk and white), beef and mushrooms. Grab a little of each, pile it on to the pancake and drizzle with mustard sauce. It's simple, but it's fun, which more food should be. Fried Chicken ($13) isn't the crust-heavy affair we're accustomed to with Southern-minded cuisines. Instead, it's dredged in tapioca flour, lending the resulting batter an ethereal quality.
If you're like me and think buttered noodles are an appropriate dinner for someone over 30, definitely get the "Jang-jo-rim" ($10). The bowl of heavily-buttered rice comes topped with ribbons of mushroom, cubes of daikon radish, strips of tender braised beef and a soft boiled egg. Equally comforting is the Truffle Seafood Broth with Sizzling Crispy Rice ($18), a fragrant bowl of rich crimson broth studded with seafood (mussles, shrimp, squid) and topped with two squares of crunchy puffed rice. Let the rice soak up some of the broth so it softens just a bit and takes on the wonderful seafood flavor.
There's no dessert menu here, but that's where the Honey Butter Chips ($5) come in. This bowl of made-to-order chips arrives hot, straight from a bath in honey, brown sugar and butter (yes, butter). Once out of the fat, they're tossed with cayenne pepper and salt. Even if you pigged out on multiple dishes before, I challenge you to restrain yourself from eating the whole bowl.
119 1st Avenue, 646-767-9050; website
Tagged
east village
korean
new restaurant and bar radar
oiji
original
Nell Casey
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .