Kisa
Korean restaurant · Lower East Side
205 Allen St, New York, NY 10002
"At Kisa on the Lower East Side, $32 will get you an entree, soup, rice, and a wreath of banchan including kimchi, mung bean jelly, and soy-marinated shrimp. It’s a great deal, especially for the area, where that much money usually only gets you a small plate or a few shrimp with cocktail sauce. The walk-in-only restaurant is compact, bustling, and decked out like a retro Korean diner, and the waits can be multiple hours. Put your name in around 5:30pm, grab a drink somewhere, then come back and eat some bulgogi or stir-fried spicy pork." - bryan kim, kenny yang, willa moore, will hartman
"Get in and out for $32. That’s the beauty of Kisa, a snug little spot serving set meals inspired by the old-school diners of Korea that cater to cab drivers. The quality of the homestyle food is just an added bonus. Choose from a few mains that include sweet bulgogi and charred spicy pork, then enjoy a wreath of bottomless sides like raw marinated shrimp and braised beef with potatoes. If you supplement with soju, plum liqueur, or one of the other Korean spirits on hand, your check will obviously exceed $32, but do it anyway. Kisa also does lunch—you can choose between gamjatang and donkatsu, both of which are under $20." - bryan kim, neha talreja, will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick
"When you don’t want to think too much about what to order, but still want some variety on your plate, this Korean restaurant on the Lower East Side is a great option. At Kisa, each of you picks one $32 entree, which comes ringed with little bowls of banchan (around nine different kinds). This spot isn’t exactly romantic, but the vintage fans and TVs might inspire thoughts of cozy domesticity—and they do have a nice selection of soju, fruit wines and cheongju for as little as $35 a bottle. Or get a drink nearby after putting your name in—there can be a wait." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"Kisa makes things easy. For $32, choose between bulgogi, pork, squid, or bibimbap, and you’ll receive your pick—on a platter surrounded by a wreath of assorted banchan. All that’s left to do is decide if you’d like to drink clementine wine or makgeolli, and then you and your friend can work around your platters and gossip in peace." - willa moore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick
"David JoonWoo Yun and Steve JaeWoo Choi (the duo behind the playful Noho restaurant C as in Charlie), along with Yong Min Kim, channel the taxi driver restaurants of Korea, where affordability and speed are top priorities. As such, there is only one menu choice to make: What protein do you want (spicy pork or squid, etc.)? The rest is a set selection of banchan (refills welcome) like soy-marinated salmon, shredded radish with perilla, traditional Korean egg souffle with chives, and beef and radish soup. A full, and gloriously abundant meal runs $32 — a price, once not particularly noteworthy, but these days, worth celebrating. Good to know: While the menu is set, the banchan changes seasonally. And don’t skip the complimentary coffee, hot chocolate, or black bean latte from the machine on the way out." - Emma Orlow
