HOJOKBAN NYC
Korean restaurant · Midtown East ·
Modern Korean soul food with creative plating and signature galbi
Modern Korean soul food with creative plating and signature galbi
"As the American offshoot of a trendy Cheongdam-dong restaurant, Hojokban NYC focuses on satisfying, well-seasoned anju; my favorites are the ssook-got salad (chrysanthemum greens in a creamy black sesame dressing), tender garlic-infused bossam (slow-braised pork belly), and the show-stopping ramyun fried rice, served with an inverted Shin Ramyun cup atop the rich, bacon-flecked fried rice." - Irene Yoo
"The next time you need to meet a friend for dinner after work in the area, head to Hojokban. Here, you can eat galbi served atop a carved wooden pedestal, which feels more special than eating off a regular platter. There’s an order of this house specialty on every table, along with other Korean comfort food, like budae jigae laden with Spam. It’s a casual spot, but one where you can linger over office drama in between bites of ribs and scallion salad." - sonal shah, bryan kim, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, carina finn koeppicus
"Coming to Los Angeles’s Arts District in early 2025 at 734 East Third Street, this popular South Korean restaurant first made waves in New York City in 2023 and is best known for riffing on traditional Korean dishes and playfully plating them for social media — think a TikTok-viral Shin Ramyun–topped fried rice, honey Korean fried chicken, and sliced garlic pork jowl. Its signature is a juicy sous-vide short rib flavored like grilled galbi, served with the bone and an arugula salad. Run in Los Angeles by Seoul-based GFFG Hospitality (rather than the NYC outpost’s Hand Hospitality partnership), Hojokban popped up at Melody in Virgil Village to drum up interest, where diners took in cold perilla oil noodle salads and a strawberry-flavored hamachi crudo. The restaurant aims to serve polished versions of familiar plates, including a truffle-laden gamja jeon presented like fancy nachos with truffle mayonnaise; buckwheat noodles tossed in perilla oil; tuna gimbap seasoned with tobiko; and well-diced yukhoe flavored with sweet soy and nori aioli served with fried lotus root chips, with Amber Koh heading operations and an explicit goal of appealing to Korean Americans and non-Koreans while staying rooted in classic flavors." - Matthew Kang
"Popping up at Melody in Virgil Village this weekend, I can expect classic dishes from the restaurant’s South Korean and New York locations, including Korean fried chicken, galbi, and perilla oil noodles." - Rebecca Roland
"Dandelion Pancake “It was very cold outside, so I was craving a big pot of stew. To my surprise, O:N°’s Korean gomtang hot pot with beef bone broth and brisket wasn’t the highlight of the meal - their dandelion pancake appetizer was. A thick earthy paste made from dandelion greens is spread onto the fried pancake, which is then topped with sunchokes, raisins, hazelnuts, crunchy chips made from sunchokes, and a sprinkle of parmesan on top. Each triangle slice tastes nutty and sweet. Plus the plate arrives with a side of tiny pickled cauliflower florets that make the pancake taste even brighter.” - Hannah Albertine, Staff Writer" - team infatuation
