When Murray asked a diplomat from South Korea where to find the most authentic Korean restaurant in New York, the diplomat was reluctant to respond immediately but promised to follow up. Sure enough, a short time later, the diplomat provided a list of four recommendations – three on "Korea Way" (32nd Street), and one in Flushing. Last weekend, we ate at the one at the top of the list, which was accompanied by this note: "Officials from our Ministry of Foreign Affairs like to come here for dinner." That sounded like a good recommendation to me! And so off we went ... to Kang Suh.
I tried calling in advance for a reservation but was told by the person who answered the phone that reservations would not be necessary. Sure enough, when we arrived at around 6:30 pm, accompanied by friends Carole and Wayne, the place was bustling, but we were seated immediately.
The menu is quite lengthy, including items that can be barbecued at your table, as well as stews, teriyaki, noodle dishes, casseroles, and even sushi and sashimi. But our first challenge turned out to be ordering drinks. Although we could see there was a full bar, our waitress did not speak English well enough to understand words like "martini," "gin," or "olive," so the cocktail that first arrived was a bit startling. I played it safe by ordering a Korean "OB" beer, Murray had a glass of wine, and Carole and Wayne did finally get the cocktails they wanted.
Next challenge: Figuring out what to eat and ordering it. We finally decided on the following:
Appetizers
- Mandoo Gui (broiled dumplings)
- Japchae (stir-fried vermicelli noodles, vegetables, and meat)
- Haemool Pa Jeon (seafood pancake)
- Cho Muchim (which was described as "vegetables with vinegar
dressing, and shell fish" on the menu but turned out to be a delightful plate of
mostly seafood – including octopus and salmon, as well as shrimp and clams)
Entrées
- Bulkoki (grilled tender prime rib-eye marinated in soy sauce, which is eaten wrapped in lettuce along with a bit of bean paste)
- Honguh Hwe (Raw skate fish marinated in hot sauce)
- Kigolaki (chicken with pepper, onion, cucumber and garlic)
- Bibim Bob (rice with assorted vegetables, ground beef, egg, and red pepper paste, mixed together at our table by our waitress and then served to us in individual helpings)
The waitress tried to steer us away from the skate, but when we pressed her for a reason – or an alternative recommendation – her answers made us think she was assuming non-Koreans wouldn't be so adventurous. Still, hearing her description, we decided we were more than up to the challenge.
And, in fact, all of the food was quite enjoyable, including the skate – although we cleaned every plate except for the one with the skate, and we declined to bring it home. It was tasty, but a small amount was adequate, and we were maybe a little put off by the cartilage (?) that we encountered.
The service at Kang Suh is a bit odd. I can't call it "bad service," because every staff member we encountered was quite friendly and helpful, but they were just a little too pushy and rushed. First of all, although items we ordered were listed as appetizers versus entrées on the menu, everything arrived in a haphazard manner – perhaps in the order it was ready in the kitchen - but without break, causing our table to become quite crowded. Once we finished, the staff whisked our plates away, and brought us a platter of fruit and the check. Then, as soon as the check was paid, they acted as if we were running right out the door, even though the fruit had not yet all been eaten, and I was still working on the last couple of sips of my beer.
Where and When
Kang Suh
1250 Broadway (entrance on 32nd Street)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 564-6845
Every DayOpen 24 hours
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