Octo Restaurant
Korean restaurant · Midtown East ·
Korean-Chinese fusion with duck, shrimp sandwich, and dumplings
Korean-Chinese fusion with duck, shrimp sandwich, and dumplings
"Opened last December at 1 East 33rd Street on the northeastern edge of Koreatown and related to New Wonjo (a barbecue said to be the oldest in Koreatown, founded in 1993), this restaurant reflects the expanding, modern takes on Korean Chinese food — menus that pair banchan with Chinese-American and regional Chinese dishes and often use chiles the way they are used in Korea. The chef, Segun Song, who previously worked at a Korean Chinese restaurant in Seoul called Palais de Chine, has assembled a menu that incorporates Korean Chinese classics, Cantonese and Hong Kong cuisine, northern Chinese specialties from Beijing, and the food of Shanghai, embracing and reinterpreting the wildly popular soup dumplings. Kimchi soup dumplings: “It’s hard to imagine a more complete remake of this Shanghai standard. The bright orange wrapper contains carrots; the soup is sweet and sour; and the meatball inside features pork, cabbage kimchi, and Thai chiles. These wobbly babies pack a spicy punch absent from the mellower originals” (five for $15). Jajangmyeon: “black as midnight based on a mild fermented sauce shot with chunks of onion, and dotted — in this version — with bright green soybeans. As is traditional, the presentation includes the noodles concealed underneath. Mix thoroughly.” ($18, $9.95 at weekend brunch). Beijing duck is offered whole or half ($94.95, $59.95) with an optional set of side dishes that could make it the entire meal; a whole bird arrived thoughtfully portioned on two identical platters, with a dark bronze skin and little visible fat, and a second course of leftover tidbits served with lettuce leaves for wrapping. (A luxury black duck with truffles and gold leaf for $155 is available, but must be ordered two days in advance.) Cumin pork back ribs: baby backs are tender and fun to gnaw, come annealed with mild chiles and flavored with crispy garlic, inspired by the distinctive cumin lamb ribs found on most Sichuan and northern Chinese menus and a flavor profile said to have been inspired by Uyghur cuisine — here propelled in a stickier direction, “from which the cumin emerges among a concert of flavors.” ($28) Fish of the day: for us, a whole red snapper steamed in the Cantonese style that, instead of a simple flavoring of leeks and scallions, “benefit[ed] from a catalog of aromatic flavors, topped off with the restaurant’s homemade soy sauce,” arriving mainly deboned and conveniently parsed into segments. ($48) Service and ambiance are high marks: “The service ... is top tier,” a multi-course meal progressed “like clockwork,” dishes arrived in twos and threes with fresh plates and silverware provided at each juncture, water glasses were regularly refilled and drinks replenished unobtrusively. The two-level dining area is purely functional, “like an elegant diner,” with a small bar in front, booths and tables up a ramp in a well-lit dining area, a couple of colorful murals, and a busy kitchen visible at the end. Overall: this is described as the best Korean Chinese restaurant in Koreatown and may even be counted among the best Chinese restaurants in the city — “The flavors are refined, the preparation and presentation top-notch, and I guarantee you’ll have a great meal there.” Note: open at lunch and weekend brunch (with discounted items) and weekday lunch bento meals representing regions of Korea." - Robert Sietsema
"Over in Koreatown, a sibling to New Wonjo barbecue from Steve and Christina Jang, Octo is recognized for its Korean Chinese menu." - Melissa McCart
"Black truffle Peking duck with gold flakes; crispy shrimp mini sandwich with caviar and lobster hot and sour soup are the show stoppers at this spacious spot. The open kitchen restaurant specializes in share plates combining Korean and Chinese flavors. The main dining room seats up to 12, while private dining rooms accommodate 15 and 25, and can be combined to hold 40." - Eater Staff, Beth Landman
"We pre-ordered the $155 black truffle duck at this Koreatown restaurant so that you don’t have to. It’s tender, and the shiny black skin clings to a melty layer of fat, but the mountain of shaved truffles is entirely tasteless and doesn't necessitate an order. The cavernous Korean-Chinese restaurant is still worth a visit, though. Especially if you work in Midtown and sometimes eat with more than two people at a time. Octo’s big, red leather booths and readily available reservations make it a perfectly pleasant place to have a group meal. Stick to regular duck, onion-heavy jajangmyeon and other small plates, like soy crispy chicken and ma-po tofu. After a few "spicy szechuan" cocktails, you might work up the courage to ask your coworker what they do every day." - Willa Moore
"From the owners of New Wanjo, Octo is a cavernous Chinese-Korean restaurant in Koreatown. We’ve got our eye on the Peking duck section of the menu, which looks perfect to share with a few friends in one of the sunken booths in the red-and-gold space. " - Will Hartman, Willa Moore
