My spouse and I
dined at Jungsik for dinner on a Saturday night in mid-August 2017. Jungsik is
open daily for dinner only. We booked our table 30 days in advance using the
online Open Table reservation system. The restaurant has held 2 Michelin stars
since 2014 (elevated from its first star in 2013).
Jungsik opened in TriBeCa at the intersection of Harrison and Hudson Streets
in September 2011 in the space formerly occupied by Chanterelle. Seoul Korea
hosts a second outpost of Jungsik that opened in February 2009. Chef-owner Jung Sik Yim owns the restaurant,
and its name is a play on words; in Korean, “Jung Sik” means “formal dinner”. She
attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park NY, and she has worked
at Manhattan’s Aquavit and Bouley.
The restaurant’s corner location allows muted exposure to natural light. You
enter the restaurant past a small bar (with perhaps four seats) before you
reach the main dining room. A central service table accented by hanging lights
enclosed in a metal frame divides the two sides of the spacious room. A rear
dining room offers additional seating. In the main room, plush ivory banquettes
line the perimeter, fronted by tablecloth-clad tables and comfortable ivory
leather armchairs. The four corner tables offer L-shaped banquettes and the
most privacy. (We were pleased that the host granted our request for one of
these tables.)
Jungsik serves modern contemporary
Korean cuisine in one of two tasting menu formats. (Note that Jungsik once
offered a la carte dining, but it has been discontinued.) The seasonal menu
offers a few choices for its six courses for $125 (wine pairing is $105
additional, plus you can supplement with $15 truffle ice cream, $40 royal
bibimbap, or $150 gujeolpan [a platter of nine delicacies]). We chose the more
extensive 9-course, chef-selected signature menu for $200 (wine pairing is $150
additional). We passed on the wine pairings, however, because we were
celebrating a birthday, we could not resist trying the cleverly named drink
called “Live One Hundred Years”. Our courses from the signature menu follows.
·
Amuse Bouche (five different “banchan” all delivered
together “bansang” style and placed in front of each guest on tiny pedestals of
varying height; it is an impressive presentation that sets the stage of
expectation and anticipation for the rest of the meal.)
1. Caviar atop fatty tuna
belly and crispy quinoa (I am generally not a caviar fan, but this dish was
delish!)
2. Octopus charred and
served with ssamjang aioli (I sometimes find octopus tentacle too chewy, but
this version was braised for an hour to make it super-soft and yummy. I appreciate
when a skillful chef makes me love ingredients and components that I normally
shy away from.)
3. Thinly sliced wagyu, atop
which our server poured a steaming dashi broth
4. Branzino (Served atop
white kimchi, this dish was accompanied by a tiny vial of pressed sesame oil that
the chef personally brings back from Korea.)
5. Tuna kimbap (Korean sushi
rolls)
6. Foie gras mandoo
(dumpling)
7. Galbi (American wagyu
topped with fava bean and herb – an elegant composed version of Korean
barbecue.)
8. Spring garden (A
pre-dessert/palate cleanser of white asparagus ice cream atop colorful fruit
and flowers.)
9. Baby bananas (Spoiler
Alert: We will never forget how they delivered the tiny bananas set within an
actual fruit basket to make us think that they were real, when in fact they
were painted white chocolate shells that contained a Baileys banana cake,
served with coffee ice cream and crunchy bits.)
10. Omija Bingsu (Magnolia
berry granita with lemon basil sorbet and rhubarb syrup)
·
Mignardises/macarons
We loved our haute
Korean” dinner at Jungsik – we are still
talking about the “baby bananas” course!
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