"Brought to New York by Hand Hospitality from Seoul, Okdongsik is best known for its pork broth soup (dweji gomtang) and originally debuted in Korea in 2017 with a strict two-dish focus. After arriving as a pop-up in Manhattan in 2022 and deciding to stay more permanently, the restaurant gained further attention following a two-star review from Pete Wells in 2023; Wells noted the original shop’s practice of serving just 100 bowls a day and described the soup as made from only aromatic vegetables and muscle—without bones, offal, or trimmings—highlighting the spot’s pared-back, specialist approach. Hand is expanding the format to a second New York location in Bayside at 43-13 Bell Boulevard (a return to Queens for the group), where the menu will keep its soup and mandu but add a third dish, seafood pancakes, and the group is also working on bringing Okdongsik to Paris later this year and to Honolulu in early 2025." - Emma Orlow