My best friend and long-time dining partner Al turned forty this year. While he and I had already enjoyed our annual dinner back in July at the excellent Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, Al's wife Megan decided she wanted to treat him to a surprise night out with them, myself, and my wife Leah. The last time we enjoyed such an occasion was the year we were all married, when, instead of wedding gifts, we went to Eleven Madison Park together.
Jungsik was a restaurant that had been on mine and Al's shortlist for years. We also considered some other options, but Jungsik had availability on the date and time that fit our schedule, and we liked the idea of their very quaint outdoor cabins.
The meal was wonderful and the dining experience in the cabin was unusual but fun. Though we agreed the food mostly didn't feel very Korean, it was all delicious nonetheless and made for a memorable celebratory evening.
A note up front - unfortunately, Jungsik's post-meal printed menu takes the fashionable approach of only describing the main ingredient in each dish. As such, I'm left solely with my memory to recall the other components that went into each course, which in most cases is very limited. I also missed three wine photos, but that's not as big a deal!
Jungsik
2 Harrison St, New York, NY
Leah and I arrived first, as the dinner itself and our participation in it was a surprise for Al. We only got a brief glimpse of the restaurant interior, but it looked lovely and inviting, especially with this beautiful Christmas tree in the foyer.
We were brought to one of a dozen+ "cabins" out on the sidewalk. We thought it was nice! Very minimal but cozy and well done, all things considered.
Al was not so surprised but was nevertheless delighted by the reveal!
Banchan 반찬
While each bite ranged from very good to extraordinary, we would never have guessed that this was supposed to represent banchan rather than a French amuse-bouche.
I included the "after" shot, showing all the empty plates that our poor server had to clear when we were finished! He was a champ though, and managed the get all but one of them on one little tray, Tetris-style.
Cocktails and Champagne
Left: Busanhaeng - Calvados, Omija Molasses, Lime, Bitters
Right: Old Fashioned - Rye Whiskey, Macallan 12 Year, Su Jeong Gwa Syrup
Both cocktails were great and represented fun, yet subtle, twists on the classic Manhattan and Old Fashioned. Al didn't order a cocktail, but was offered a glass of champagne instead.
Corbon, Brut Blanc de Blancs, Avize, Grand Cru 2010
Osetra Caviar 케비어
Our first course was a satisfying blend of buttery and salty flavors, pairing caviar with langoustine and a creamy, tangy sabayon.
Benanti, Nerello Mascalese Etna Rosato, Sicilia 2019
Scallop 관자
Light and velvety, with a bit of tartness and earthiness from the beet. A very refreshing second course.
Alvear, Pedro Ximénez, "Tres Miradas", Andalucía 2018
I'm not much of a wine drinker, but was particularly excited by this pour, as I actually knew what the server was talking about for once! Reason being that I am a big cocktail enthusiast, so I was already familiar with
Pedro Ximénez sherry, a common cocktail ingredient. It was interesting to hear about how the grape was used in an untraditional manner to make this wine instead of sherry. Octopus 문어
We were told this was Chef Yim's signature dish and once we took a bite, we realized it was for good reason. This was quite simply the best octopus dish any of us had ever eaten. It was unclear how exactly the kitchen managed to get the cephalopod this tender, but the flesh was almost creamy, with a beautiful thin crust on the exterior. Served simply with gochujang sauce, this was both the most delicious course thus far, and also the first in which we could finally taste the Korean influence.
At this point I unfortunately forgot to take photos of the wine, but I recall it pairing well with this juicy, delicate snapper.
I was introduced to kimbap in middle school by Korean friends, though I always enjoyed it less than Japanese makizushi, probably due to its emphasis on vegetables rather than fish. This roll was on another level, however, with crunchy, toasty nori and beautiful tender tuna, though the use of fish made it feel more Japanese than Korean.
The paper wrapper presentation was cute but unnecessary, given that the nori didn't leave any mess or residue on the fingers in the first place, and we all agreed that the honey mustard was an extraneous addition. I'm aware that kimbap is sometimes served with this condiment, though with the change from vegetable to tuna, it simply didn't work in this straight up approach - maybe it would have benefited from a more creative integration?
A small bowl of rich stew was served to Al, as per the Korean tradition of eating this dish on one's birthday. We each had a spoonful and found the flavors to be extraordinary.
One of the "bee knives" we were given in anticipation of our final savory course.
Lamb 양갈비
The flavors of this lamb dish with black truffles were fantastic. Al, who is effectively unable to taste truffle for genetic reasons (it's true, look it up) was gracious enough to share his extraneous truffle slices with us! That said, I'm not a fan of the sous vide method for cooking most meats, as I feel it often imparts an almost gummy texture. I also miss the outer crust that forms from searing or grilling, which I think imparts a key textural mouthfeel when enjoying high-quality meat.
Palette Cleanser
A tiny palette cleanser which looked deceptively like a confection rather than the frozen sorbet it actually was.
Donnafugata, "Ben Ryé", Passito di Pantelleria 2017
I love dessert wines and found this Italian variety paired wonderfully with our next course.
Apple 사과
Apple is one of my favorite subjects for dessert (Leah and I had an apple wedding cake). The version here included a deeply caramelized, almost gel-like apple, with rich sweetness. It was a delight next to the oat ice cream and crisp biscuit.
Mignardise
The first piece on the left was unremarkable, but we thoroughly enjoyed the black sesame macaron. The third bite was liquid inside and burst with explosive flavor, though I can't remember what it was!
Menu
As I said, the final menu was a little disappointing since it didn't describe any of the additional elements that were on each plate. Nevertheless, the meal was wonderful, if not as top-notch or memorable as some other restaurants at this price point.
One note was that while we saw a lot of creativity and refinement in Chef Yim's cuisine, we felt the Korean aspects of it were very minimal and overly restrained. This isn't an issue on its own, as Yim is free to create any food he likes (and the food certainly was delicious), but Jungsik does bill itself as offering "a modern and unique understanding of contemporary Korean cuisine." The promise of "New Korean" was a bit lost, as we felt that only a small handful of the dishes delivered on this goal rather than presenting the more familiar genres of modern French or New American cuisine.
