Raon
Korean restaurant · Upper East Side
207 E 59th St, New York, NY 10022
Highlights
Korean fine dining with 10-course kimchi tasting menu
Korean fine dining with 10-course kimchi tasting menu
"If you need caviar and truffles, Raon will deliver. The polished, 14-seat spot on the southern border of the Upper East Side is predictable in that way. But the predictability goes a little too far with a 10-course tasting that sticks to a familiar game plan. We're talking little Korean bites with French influence served on impractically large plates. Kimchi, in one form or another, is incorporated into most of the dishes, which adds a fun twist, but there isn't much here to get your heart racing. That said, you're guaranteed to enjoy your foie gras dumpling." - bryan kim, willa moore, neha talreja, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman
"If you’re looking for a Korean-inspired tasting within a block of the Queensboro Bridge, Raon is the pick. If, on the other hand, the net you’re casting is a little bit wider, let’s talk things out. Raon, from the Soogil chef, is polished, capable, and sometimes great. But even with its mild twist—most dishes incorporate kimchi in some form—the 10-course, $255 tasting ultimately sticks to a conservative game plan: Korean flavors, French influence, bite-size items, and routine luxury. photo credit: Evan Sung photo credit: Evan Sung photo credit: Bryan Kim Pause Unmute The highlight of the meal is the very first bite, a Dungeness crab tartlet under a disc of gelée infused with the flavor of soy-marinated crab. It’s followed by dainty offerings of caviar (with tuna), uni (over gimbap), and foie gras (in mandu), all of which read like pleasant variations on an upscale theme. There are no misses, but it all feels safe and overly cautious. Unlike Joo-Ok and Atomix, Raon doesn’t get much help from its setting: a 14-seat counter in a tastefully bare room with Wilco on the stereo and a view of traffic slinking past on 59th Street. It’s cut above your average date-night spot, sure, but nothing to get your heart racing. Food Rundown Crab, Oi Kimchi Usually, the first bite of a tasting is just there to prep you for more important things to come. Not the case with this tartlet. First, there’s a big pop of salty seafood flavor from the disc gelée, then creamy Dungeness crab and a burst of dill. photo credit: Evan Sung Tuna & Caviar, Baek Kimchi Even with its apple, white kimchi, and osetra caviar, this still comes across as a fancy version of the tuna tartare you'd find at your neighborhood wine bar. (Just sub potato chips for the crispy lotus root.) Good, but for $255, novelty would nice. photo credit: Evan Sung New York Bo Kimchi This probably didn’t need to be a terrine. It does look lovely, however, and the langoustine, octopus, and abalone are all perfectly delicate, if muted. photo credit: Evan Sung Galbi & Sotbap, Dongchimi Like so many others, the savory portion of this tasting ends with wagyu. The bordelaise is cliché, but the sotbap—with its plentiful mushrooms, morels, and crumbly chestnuts—is deeply comforting. photo credit: Evan Sung" - Bryan Kim
"Raon comes from the co-owners of and a couple behind Korean French restaurant Soogil — chef Soogil Lim and Sasook Youn, who have opened a high-end tasting menu restaurant to showcase the breadth of kimchi through pairings. Kimchi ranges from well-known options like baechu (napa cabbage kimchi) to less-prevalent ones like bo kimchi (wrapped kimchi). The chefs then match those with dishes such as king crab or tuna and caviar. The meal starts at around $255 for 10 courses." - Melissa McCart
"A high-end, 14-seat restaurant focused on exploring the breadth of kimchi through curated pairings; the co-owners frame kimchi as foundational to Korean cuisine, with chef Soogil Lim writing, “For Koreans, kimchi is 101,” and noting that “it is more than just a side dish.” The format runs a tasting-style, multi-course approach with beverage pairings available." - Nadia Chaudhury
"Opening next month on Tuesday, March 4, with reservations available to be booked on Resy starting on Tuesday, February 18, this high-end, 14-counter-seat restaurant is being launched by the co-owners and couple behind Korean French restaurant Soogil — chef Soogil Lim and Saook Youn — at 207 E. 59th Street, near Third Avenue in Lenox Hill. The goal is to showcase the full breadth of the fermented dish through kimchi pairings: as Lim writes to Eater over email, "For Koreans, kimchi is 101," and "It is the foundation of our cuisine and culture," noting that "it is more than just a side dish." The tasting menu's kimchi approach is akin to how wines are paired with dishes, ranging from well-known options like baechu (napa cabbage kimchi) to less-prevalent ones like bo kimchi (wrapped kimchi). Chefs match those with dishes such as the king crab and the oi kimchi salad (made with cucumbers); tuna and caviar with baek (mild white kimchi); and foie gras mandu with mukeunji kimchi (napa cabbage that is fermented for a longer time). The 10-course tasting menu is priced at $255, with beverage pairings available for $195; expect soju, cocktails, wines, and beers, with eventual additions of sake and whiskies." - Nadia Chaudhury
