Danji
Korean restaurant · Midtown West
346 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019
Highlights
Danji serves up inventive Korean small plates with a chic flair, perfect for sharing, and focuses on fresh, organic ingredients in a cozy setting.
Danji serves up inventive Korean small plates with a chic flair, perfect for sharing, and focuses on fresh, organic ingredients in a cozy setting.
"Danji, from the chef behind Meju and one of our old go-tos in Hell's Kitchen, closed in April 2023 after a fire in a neighboring restaurant. They're in soft open now, but will be fully back December 27, ready with spicy rice cakes with housemade sausage, bulgogi sliders, and noodles in black bean sauce with pork belly." - will hartman, bryan kim
"A Korean restaurant reopened after a fire, known for its acclaimed dishes." - Emma Orlow
"The first Michelin-starred Korean fine-dining restaurant in New York City, reopened by Hooni Kim after being shuttered due to a fire in April 2023." - Melissa McCart
"Chef and owner Hooni Kim is finally seeing progress on the reopening of his acclaimed Danji (346 W. 52nd Street, between Eighth and Ninth avenues). A fire in April 2023 led to a year and a half closing, during which the landlord was tasked with fixing related structural damages. After Eater reported on the situation in March, repairs were expedited, according to Kim, who adds that the Department of Buildings lifted its Vacate Order last week. Danji passed the final fire inspection, and he’s awaiting FDNY’s certificate of approval letter, which ConEd needs to turn on the gas. Assuming that happens, Danji is planning to reopen by November 15. In the meantime, Kim has to replace a walk-in, a fridge, and a convection oven that broke during the closure (he has a GoFundMe), and he’s bringing back a majority of his team, he says, including his chef Álvaro Cuba Mendez. Kim is resurrecting Danji’s old menu — 90 percent of which hadn’t changed since opening day in 2010 — plus a few bestsellers plucked from Kim’s now-closed Hanjan. That means tteokbokki, crispy in a thick sauce with vegetables; kimchi fried rice; and spicy pork sliders. “I feel nervous, because this has to work,” says Kim. “Not only is there the expectation from the diners, of course, but then I have to meet the expectations of all the workers who did wait and gave up what they were doing now to come back to Danji.”" - Melissa McCart
"This Korean restaurant has a limited selection of their menu listed online for pick-up and delivery in the Columbus Circle area, like a massive plate of braised short rib and a trio of kimchi." - hannah albertine, nikko duren, bryan kim, arden shore, matt tervooren
