Don Don, a New Korean Barbecue Restaurant, Opens Near Bryant Park | Eater NY
"When I visited in Bryant Park on a Thursday evening I was quoted a half-hour wait after 8 p.m. at this three-week-old Korean barbecue spot run by chef Sungchul Shim, and for the first time in my life Bryant Park was exactly where I wanted to be. The restaurant leans heavily into pork—servers were carting trays of belly and jowl while diners mixed soju with beer and clanged metal spoons—offering a menu divided by pig parts (collar, belly, jowl, back rib, spare rib, soft bone, etc.) with dry-aged cuts displayed in refrigerators; single servings top out around $60, most hover near $30, and the butcher’s special ($80) is the best way to try a few meats. The space is intentionally retro and casual, with about 70 seats stretched along a railroad dining room and grilling on portable induction burners at round tables, and the banchan spread (radish and onion kimchi, a scallion pancake and many sauces) does its job; supplementary dishes like kimchi jjigae and red-hot ramyun help round out a meal for two. There are also small touches—a dosirak prepared with a mother’s touch and then shaken like a cocktail—that reinforce Shim’s aim to recreate a certain Korean culture of bonding over meat, drinks, friends and family. Don Don keeps long hours (Sunday–Wednesday 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.; Thursday–Saturday 11 a.m.–2 a.m.)." - Luke Fortney
