Sam Sunny

So good! Very cool atmosphere. They dropped some pickled radish and kimchi on the table which was nice. They gave us salads too and the dressing was delicious, whatever it was. We had the kimchi fried rice with chicken katsu, beef skewers, and fried chicken. All very tasty. I was full but I couldn’t stop eating. The owner is a ball of gracious energy. Music was nice. Definitely a goto spot in Kip’s Bay.

The food was absolutely delicious, especially the perfectly grilled Tomahawk and flavorful korean dishes. The banchan (side dishes) were fresh and plentiful, adding great variety to the meal. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made excellent recommendations. The cozy atmosphere and traditional decor created an authentic dining experience. Overall, it's a fantastic spot for anyone craving genuine Korean cuisine.

Solid quality food with better ingredients than most Korean restaurants. Even the rice was delicious! The mushroom rice was a bit too sweet. Highly recommend. The kimchi and radish banchan were wonderful pairing with the dishes we ordered and very fresh.

Sam Sunny has been one of my favourite restaurants in NYC since I first discovered it a few years ago, and it's really heartening to see that the quality and price point has not changed very much since then! They can get busy at times (esp peak hours), but reservations are generally easy to come by. Even before you order anything, the side dishes are already worth a mention. The side salad they give is one of the best starters I've had -- the lettuce is always fresh and I adore the slightly-spicy dressing they add to it. My favourite dishes here are the bulgogi soup and the samgyupsal. The bulgogi soup is full of delicious slices of beef (so flavourful and tender), tofu, mushrooms, and glass noodles, and the broth itself is so rich and pairs with the white rice really well. The samgyupsal is always grilled perfectly -- just the right amount of char for how juicy and tender it is. The sautéed kimchi is a particular highlight - I love the hint of caramelisation that balanced the natural sour flavour of kimchi. I've also tried the spicy beef noodle soup here (yummy, if not a bit too salty for my taste) and kimchi fried rice with chicken katsu (both parts were decent but not a standout). Once I ordered the Jeju tangerine tea here, which was remarkably good -- refreshing balance to the spicy/salty dishes without being too sweet. The service is always so warm (and the bartender is very friendly, perhaps too extroverted for my taste hahaha), and the dark ambience makes eating here feel so cosy. Love this place and will be back very soon!

We went to Sam Sunny for dinner on a Monday night. The restaurant wasn’t that busy so a reservation might not have been necessary. We were quickly seated. We ordered a couple of items and the food came out at a reasonable pace. The banchan was great, maybe my favorite out of everything we ate there. The rest of the food we ordered all had a slightly sweet flavor to them that felt overwhelming by the end. The staff were really friendly and were pretty on top of the service. Overall I would recommend you check them out.

I have been here twice already and each time it’s been great! Highly recommend the tomahawk galbi, galbi dumplings, and all of the hotpot dishes. The servers were always very friendly too :)

Came twice in a week. First visit was very pleasant. Ordered grilled pork belly dish with tofu on a hot plate 4.5/5 - very tasty but dropping half a star for a slightly small portion for the price. 5/5 for the katsu chicken on kimchi fried rice with egg was super yummy. Banchan were yummy and was refillable the first visit but was told it was not refillable during my second visit. During my second visit, I ordered the Korean friend chicken as a side and it was quite a disappointment. Comes in 6 pieces boneless, slightly dry and could have been juicier. The restaurant was speak easy and nice atmosphere to have an intimate conversation with friends, which I appreciate.

Absolutely delicious food and drinks, kind staff that doesn’t rush you, and comfortable seating. Had a great dinner last night. Enjoyed their version of a Moscow mule and a selection of shareable plates. So so good.

Simply amazing! The restaurant has hugely improved since opening its doors and I can confidently call this one of my favorite casual korean spots in the city. Sam Sunny takes classics that you would see at the typical korean restaurants and makes it sharper by presentation, taste, and/or ingredients. My party was very satisfied with all the food. One issue during our meal was that service was a bit slow; this was because the restaurant was very busy and only one server took care of the entire back room, surprisingly. I would hope this is just an out of the ordinary experience though.

I had high hopes for this spot, those photos had me convinced it was a hidden gem. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to the hype. The food? Let's just say it leaned very sweet as if someone got a little too enthusiastic with the sugar. If dessert-style entrees are your thing, you might enjoy it. Me? Not so much. Portions were on the smaller side, but at least the prices were moderately... ish. Now, about the $10 egg dish that most Korean restaurants offer for free..was it outrageously priced? No. Was it worth it? Also no. My main reason for visiting was the seafood rice, which looked dreamy online. The reality? A bit of a bait-and-switch situation. It was okay, but not at all what I imagined and, like everything else, oddly sweet. The short rib was all presentation and also fell flat after the first bite. On the bright side, the service was sweet and attentive, and the ambiance was relaxed enough to briefly distract from the letdowns. The drinks, however, were an entirely different story: overpriced with tiny pours, and brace yourself...they charged for ice. Yes, ICE. Bottom line: I wouldn't recommend it unless you're into paying premium prices for petite portions, sugary flavors, and artisanal ice cubes. If that's your vibe, have at it!

Food was decent but nothing was particularly amazing. Best was the shrimp tofu soup and maybe the tomahawk but not as good as other places. The shrimp pancake was disappointing as was the ban chan. The chicken katsu fried rice wasn't bad but the egg got stuck on the bottom. Service was mixed. Although the food came out fast, no one ever came up to check up on us so our water was empty most of the night. Sadly probably won't return.

Finally got to try this place! I saw the Kimchi Fried Rice with Chicken Katsu on tiktok so I wanted to go try since I haven't seen that combination before. It was pretty good, but honestly wasn't super unique of a flavor. The kimchi fried rice was pretty plain, but not bad, and the katsu was a bit thin and dry. However, I still thought it was really good. A bit pricey but with the kind service and super chic interior I think it was a worthwhile experience. OH also, their kimchi was TOP TIER. Will definitely come back here even just for the kimchi.

Fun, cozy dishes in a sleek interior. Sam Sunny is a great place to take a few friends for a comfortable dinner. Ordered a few entrees to share with my friends and it was more than enough!

Delicious Korean food! The steak was cooked and seasoned to perfection- it was so tender! The bulgogi was tender as well. They give lots of sauce options for you to dip based on your liking. The food came out very fast. Very nice ambiance inside. Looks very clean, spacious, and modern. Try to make a reservation because they can get very busy.

***Amazing Service, Delicious Food, Highly Recommend*** What an experience! Highly recommend checking this place out if you're looking for Korean food. The food here was so delicious and filling. You'll definitely walk away feeling very full. Not included in the photos are the wings which were juicy and tender. Food is also easy to share and drinks are very refreshing. Our bartender Gael was very hospitable!

Great Korean spot in Kips Bay. The service and food are fantastic. Of the dishes I tried, the must tries would be galbi mandu, pork belly, and kimchi pork soup. As excited as I was for the kimchi fried rice, I felt the chicken katsu was a bit small to justify the price. The interior is cute, but space is a bit tight. Overall would still recommend, it is a handsome spot for friends, though perhaps too loud for a first date.

On the night that a friend and I came for dinner, the place was pretty packed.  Business was booming for Sam Sunny and we would soon see why.  They had the following banchan: kimchi, onions with jalapeno, daikon thinly sliced and lettuce with sauce (could be used for ssam). We ordered the Tomahawk Galbi which came with 4 dipping sauces, the seafood rice bowl (with scallops and shrimp) and the shrimp and scallop tofu soup.  We know we opted for a lot of seafood but decided to go with it anyway! As the food started to come out, everything smelled great and was super flavorful.  We loved the variety of the sauces that came with the tomahawk and I think we each quickly found a favorite.  The meat was tender and we made some mini ssam with the sauce and greens provided.  The seafood rice bowl was cooked and seasoned well.  Even though it wasn't served in a stone pot it reminded me of that because there were crispy bits and a nice char on the ingredients.  And of course the tofu soup. Definitely great for a cold day like the day we went in, so we were both satisfied with all the food that we ate! Actually, Sam Sunny would have gotten a 5 from me if they were purely rated on the food but unfortunately I have to dock them a point for service.  For two people, we weren't eating particularly slowly but they rushed us at the end and started clearing things away without asking in an attempt to shoo us along.  While I completely understand that restaurants need quick turnover when things are busy, this was not the right way to handle it and it felt incredibly rude.  We were both taken aback by this behavior and while I'd go back for the food again that does give me pause since it's fairly easy to handle this more tactfully.  I'll probably give it some time and see if it was a one time thing (though I'm in no rush).  It's unfortunate that this was the last impression they left on us before we left for the evening.

Overall I had a great meal at Sam Sunny and would consider coming back here again with friends! Would def recommend in the area I called around 3pm on a Saturday to see if they'd have availability for 5 later that night, and we were able to make a reservation for 830pm. When we arrived, our table was ready (we got a huge booth right next to the entrance) and we were excited to eat. Food Spicy squid: this was my favorite! The squid was tender and the spice sauce was flavorful and spicy but not too spicy. Pork belly: some said it was too lean or over cooked, but I just thought the slices were too thick. everyone LOVED the radish or whatever kimchi banchan it came with on the plate Tofu soup with shrimp and scallop: I only had a little bit of this but it was good! It wasn't exactly like a traditional soondubu though. Egg soufflé: a good side dish, my friends loved this as well Chicken katsu and kimchi fried rice: this was probably the one everyone was interested in, but turned out to be the least favorite. It was good, just nothing special. The server pours the egg on the hot stone at your table which was a cute party trick. Service Our server, Jerry?, was amazing!! Great and attentive service, refilled our drinks, gave us great reccs, and even brought us a round of birthday shots when we mentioned it was my birthday :) There seemed to be a wait even at 830 pm when we got there, but they have bar seating. Two restrooms in the back.

I came here recently with a group of 3 on a weekday, and there was about an hour wait, so definitely would recommend booking a reservation. The inside is very moody, with dark lighting, so would be perfect for a date. We got the korean fried chicken to share, and it was decent. Chicken wasn't super crispy, and flavors weren't that strong, but still tasted good. I got the bulgogi entree, and it was ok. Beef was a bit too stringy and fatty, so it meant I was chewing through fat a good portion of the time. Flavors were on point though. My friend got the spicy chicken and cheese, and that was really good. Super tender and flavorful chicken, and the cheese actually played off it really well. The banchan was the highlight of the dinner for me. The pickled radish was sliced thin and had great balance between sweet and savory, and their salad dressing was also amazing. Overall, worth a try, but wouldn't go out of my way to visit!

Delicious flavor on the cold noodle soup. It is veggie broth, which was really great as someone who doesn't eat meat. Good amount of noodles in the soup too. Banchan was tasty, just a weird crunchy bit in the salad that might have been a bit of grit or dirt from the lettuce, but nothing that would stop me going back and eating it again. Nice staff!

I thought I wrote a review for this place a while ago but probably not so my mistake. The atmosphere is a bit dark but it's still easy enough to see everything and the waitstaff is friendly. They gave the same banchan both times consisting of Ssam-mu/thin pickled radish, Jangajji/soy sauce pickled onions with jalapenos, Kimchi, and Sangchu-geotjeori/lettuce salad and judging by recent photos, they continue to give the same. If you want extra, they'll give more which is nice. The first time I was here was pretty soon after they had just opened for lunch. I had their Spicy Beef Noodle Soup or Yukgaejang/육개장 or spicy bone beef broth with shredded beef. I think the price used to be $20 but now it's $21. The dish is large which is expected for the price and the beef inside was tender and the soup was spicy but not too much so. The noodles had a good bounce to them being a bit different than the usual ones I'd expect for this dish. Overall it's probably my favorite dish on the menu and I will occasionally think of going back if I was in the mood for something very filling for lunch or on the slightly lighter end for dinner. I particularly liked it paired with the pickled radish banchan. The next time we were here, I was with one of my usual groups. We went here primarily for the Tomahawk 'Galbi' but also got the Spicy Pork Bulgogi, Spicy Braised Beef, and the Spicy Rice Cakes With Fried Squid. We were again going to get the spicy beef soup but one of the group members flaked last moment so we didn't have enough people to order that dish also regrettably. Very tasty was the Spicy Braised Beef/매운 갈비찜/Maeun Galbi Jjim for $31 consisting of tenderized beef short rib slow cooked with Korean spices. The beef as said was quite tender and well flavored and the sauce had some heat to it with a bit of sweetness. It was perhaps a bit small for the price but it was rich and I tend to find Galbi Jjim a bit pricey in general so I wasn't surprised with the portion size. Also there was the Spicy Pork Bulgogi/제육볶음 with Korean spicy marinated pork with scallion on a sizzling plate for $26. The pork was tender with slightly sweet gochujang and the portion was good. The meat was decent but this was likely my least favorite of the dishes outside of the appetizer. There was also the Spicy Rice Cakes & Fried Squid/떡볶이 & 오징어 튀김 for $19 which is essentially an appetizer. I was happy that the fried squid was served on the side which meant I could have the rice cakes as I'm allergic to squid. The dish was alright with pretty bouncy rice cakes and a somewhat sweet sauce with some heat to it. There was some fish cakes/eomuk in there also. The pièce de résistance was the Tomahawk Galbi for $48 consisting of a tenderized juicy whole short rib with 4 dipping sauces. Again, the short rib was tender and very juicy being quite soft. Overall, this was good also. I also got the Galbi Mandu for $13 consisting of four steamed beef dumpling. These were some of the juiciest dumplings I've had in a while. They were a bit smaller than I would like but they were still quite tasty. The food here is pretty solid. There's better Korean spots around the city but in the local area, it's very tasty. The food was consistent as well. Low 4.

Somme of the best Korean food I've ever had! I came here with a big party and the Sam Sunny staff managed to make it work! We all sat at a huge table in the back and they were so kind to continue taking our orders and check in on us pretty frequently. Drinks are amazing! The pyongyang mule is like an elevated Moscow mule and we came during happy hour so we all got some fun drinks including soju. The food was really good, I got the cold kimchi noodle soup, and tried a bunch of dishes including the Korean fried chicken, mushroom rice, japchae, seafood soup, and Galbi chicken with cheese. The chicken with cheese is a must order and the soups here are super flavorful. If you're looking for a nice night out and some elevated Korean food, Sam sunny is your spot!

I came on a weeknight with a group of 5. We made a reservation in advance (note there is a $30 cancellation charge per person). We probably didn't need a reservation on a Wednesday night as not all of the tables were full. The restaurant was clean and comfortable, definitely a darker ambience and fairly loud music. Service was very friendly and energetic. Most importantly, in terms of the food: Ban Chan 5/5: I really enjoyed the banchan! Weirdly, I thought this was the highlight of the food we got. The kimchi tasted very fresh and flavorful. It's complimentary, and you can get refills. Spicy chicken galbi 3/5: I shared this with my boyfriend and ordered it after seeing it recommended by others online. It comes with a side of sizzling cheese that you can dip the chicken in and lots of green onion and a small bowl of rice. I personally didn't enjoy the marinade of the chicken that much, and found the cheese a bit flavorless. However, the people around me really liked it, FWIW. Beef bulgolgi soup 4/5: This is a savory / sweet (like regular bulgolgi) soup with mushrooms and firm tofu. I appreciated how much green onion was in it! This also comes with rice. The beef was amazingly tender and the soup was very flavorful. I wish there had been more glass noodles! Tomahawk steak 2/5: I feel severely upsold on this dish. We shared it among five people. We prefaced that we wanted to order the tomahawk when ordering appetizers and that we wanted it to come with the rest of the food (having read other reviews that it can take awhile). Unfortunately, it still ended up being the last thing to come after most of our table had finished eating their orders. It was also kind of cold and the portions were not that large or really shareable. Each person got two small-ish pieces for essentially $10/person. I would honestly skip this and think it's overhyped. The sauces are also not great for the steaks (includes gochujang, barbecue sauce, bean curd, and something soy-sauce like). Overall, it was a mid experience. We each probably spent around ~$40-50 per person and left full but a bit disappointed by certain "star" menu items. I really wanted to like this place but Im not sure that I would come back.

I tried very hard to love this restaurant, it is good but hasn't blown my mind yet. Banchan (5/5) - The green salad in an interesting sauce was the best - sweet, a bit tangy. The radish dishes were also both good, very refreshing. Galbi Mandu (6/5) - I got this every time I've been here, it is so delicious. The galbi is so juicy and rich and bursts with flavor. There are small flakes on top for crunch and a dipping sauce that is sweet and sour and elevates the mandu to the next level. Egg Souffle (4/5) - Not bad. Good egg flavor, some custardy parts. However, I was not a fan of the texture, it was not as light and airy as I had hoped. Spicy Chicken Galbi (4.5/5) - The chicken is juicy and the sauce is savory. The scallion lended a freshness and texture to the dish. The cheese was a perfect mixture of melty, gooey creaminess and crispy richness on the edges from the hot stone. My only critique was that the sauce on the chicken could be more spicy, so it could elevate the dish flavor and complement the cheese even better. Kimchi Fried Rice with Chicken Katsu (3/5) - I felt this was just ok. The fried rice was relatively flavorless, I could not taste the kimchi much. The chicken katsu had a weird sauce on it that did not complement well. The hot stone made the rice crispy, which was a very nice touch. They put on an egg show, which is some fluffy fun. Spicy Rice Cakes with Fried Squid (4/5) - The spicy sauce that coats the rice cake is delicious - it is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, savory. The poached egg was delightful and so was the glass noodle. I felt the fried squid had very little synergy with the sauce however, not a good complement. Also, I requested if cheese could be added to the dish, but chef doesn't allow changes. I feel cheese would have elevated the dish to the next level and complemented the spicy sauce very well.

Originally was going to make a reservation for 2 here on a Friday night but the cancellation fee was $80 so we decided to walk-in instead of locking ourselves into a specific time. When I walked in, two people happened to be leaving the bar. My friend was arriving in about 5 mins so the host seated me. They have quite a few options so we took awhile looking at the menu. We ordered food then drinks some time after. We were almost halfway done with our food by the time our drinks were served. Disappointing service for the drinks. 5/5 Kimchi fried rice with pork cutlet - great portion. It comes with an egg which is beaten then poured onto the hot stone part of the dish so it cooks in front of you. I smelled like this after I left lol 5/5 Bulgogi soup - SO GOOD. The broth is rich and sweet with lots of shredded green onions on top. It comes with rice and has some thick clear noodles at the bottom. Really great for cold weather. There is a lot of meat in this soup too. 4/5 Departure (cocktail) - my friend ordered this. It tastes like nerd gummy candies (which we both love) so that was amazing because we had been eating these gummies right before dinner. Great flavor and fun presentation. The bartender shook it up in front of us in what looked like a whipped cream canister and dispensed the drink into the glass as a foam which slowly changed into the red color as the air bubbles popped. 3.5/5 Maldives @ Mojito (cocktail) - pretty good. The mint taste was very light so it wasn't exactly mojito-like to me. The kumquat taste was also light but it was refreshing and not too sweet. Wasn't too interesting as a drink, would try something else next time. Overall, good portions. Neither of us had eaten much that day so we completely finished our orders. I was pretty satisfied with that as my first proper meal of the day despite it being dinner time. Servers were nice but service was a little slow, especially for our drinks. This spot is cute, even bar seating is nice. There is booth seating for larger groups along the wall. The place was a little dim and had a nice vibe to it. Great for small-mid size groups, I'd say max of 6) since the place is small. Nice with friends and dates. I would come back.

A good date spot. The music vibes are really good. They have the Devialet speaker systems all over which have great acoustics. The staff here were very nice and helped me set up the perfect first date vibes. Looking at the other food reviews for this spot, I had to check it out for myself. I had the seafood rice bowl which was pretty good. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the flavor profile was amazing. The Tomahawk Galbi was my favorite thing by far. Some of the best tasting meat you can experience.

Food and vibes here were amazing. We ordered the galbi mandu, seafood rice and kimchi jjigae. Everything was flavorful and priced great. Also, super attentive service and ample space for catch up sessions with friends. Love this spot

Solid korean spot for same day res! The food was very good, nothing special, but would recommend for simple korean hits. -Galbi Mandu (4/5): Got as an appetizer to share. Extremely flavorful, sort of like a korean XLB -Egg Souffle (4.5/5): standard egg souffle but these always taste good -Scallop Shrimp Tofu Soup (4/5): a little on the oily side, but tasted very delicious with the well-textured rice. Wish there was a bit more scallop and shrimp though. They used very soft soon tofu and also had veggies! -Mojito (3/5): pretty standard drink, nothing special The banchan was very delicious though and they refilled it throughout the night!

3.5 stars I came here for a late dinner last week super excited as I heard good things about Sam Sunny! My BF and I shared 3 dishes: Cold Kimchi Noodles Soup, the Seafood Rice Bowl and the Tomahawk Galbi. The Cold Noodles tasted a little off. It was super refreshing but a bitter taste kept lingering on my tongue - sort of like the rind of a lemon. I only had a few bites of this and my BF had to finish the rest. The Seafood Rice Bowl was okay but nothing special. It was sauteed in oyster sauce and tasted similar to something I could get from a Chinese restaurant. The best thing was the Galbi - it was cooked well and super tender. Definitely recommend this to others! The service was also okay - the bartender came over when we got our food and asked if we needed bowls to share our noodles but ended up forgetting to bring them over to us. It was also difficult to flag someone down for the check at the end, even though it was no longer busy. Overall, decent experience but open to trying again with others.

1/1 Ambience; 1.5/2 Food + Beverages; 1/1 Service; 1/1 Value A friend and I went to Sam Sunny for dinner, and we were thoroughly impressed by the quality of the food and the incredible service here. The ambiance is lovely for an intimate date night with warm, dim lighting in a sleek and modern setting. They were able to accommodate us at the chic full menu service bar since we were a walk-in. We ordered the Korean fried chicken (6 pieces/$16), the bulgogi beef ($26), and the bibimbap ($20). The restaurant started us off with a complimentary set of banchan including kimchi, pickled daikon, soy marinated jalapeño and onions, and a spicy lettuce salad (which was my favorite). The highlight of the meal was definitely the fried chicken tenders, which were incredibly tender and juicy with a slightly crispy exterior! They had two flavors (soy garlic and spicy), both of which were wonderfully savory and perfectly complimented the well-seasoned chicken. We imagine if the sauces were on the side, then the chicken may have been crispier. The spicy sauce was also not super spicy, but had a nice warm kick. The bulgogi was tender, nicely seasoned, and had beautifully caramelized edges that really elevated the dish. The bibimbap was a hefty portion of rice, a variety of vegetables, the beef bulgogi (sans caramelization from the sizzling plate), and a poached egg served with gochujang. While the beef was good and the rice had some nice crispy bits, the overall flavors of the dish got lost from the overwhelming flavor of sesame oil that ended up being the dominant flavor, as well as not enough salt. The portion sizes were all very generous for the prices such that even though this was my only meal of the day, I was barely able to finish! The service alone deserves accolades as every member of the staff was super friendly, attentive, and jovial from entering the restaurant all the way to paying the bill. They shared some great laughs with us while also being helpful to all of our questions. Sam Sunny certainly sets a very high standard for the quality of service. I will certainly be returning here again given such a wonderful experience and would highly recommend!

Finally a good Korean restaurant opened up in Kips Bay! The place has a loungy vibe. Its entrance makes it feel luxe and exclusive. Inside, it's a long hallway, dimly lit, with cement floors which add to its clubby vibe. The staff are friendly and attentive despite there being many, many customers. We started with the seafood, kimchi pancakes which were delicious. My only complaint was that I wish there were more seafood on it. For such a large piece, there were only 2 scallops and 4 small pieces of shrimp. The taste, though, it still bomb. We then shared the spicy squid and the bulgogi which were both delicious also. We went for an early dinner on a Sunday so we didn't feel like drinking alcohol but the cocktails and their descriptions were very inventive and I can't wait to try them next time.

My friends and I came here for dinner and really enjoyed it!! The service was great and the drinks were good. The pork belly was sooo good which featured tofu and sauteed kimchi. We also got the cold kimchi noodles which were good but highlight was the pork belly. I would definitely come back to try some other items on the menu.

I give Sam Sunny a 4.5 but I'm rounding up for its potential and the fact that I want to come back again to try the rest of the menu. Stars of the show this time: korean fried chicken (SO TENDER), spicy rice cakes & fried squid (the fried squid is fried to perfection and light and crispy), japchae (savory, beautifully grilled vegetables, and glass noodles are always a fun texture). I'll definitely be back, given its quiet location away from Ktown and its cozy vibes. The menu at Sam Sunny is extensive, and even though we visited with a group of 7, we were only able to try a small portion of their offerings. Aside from the stars mentioned above, we also tried the mushroom rice bowl, which is great for mushroom lovers. The Kimchi shrimp scallop pancake (pajeon) was kind of small, and it wasn't better than seafood pajeon you can get at your neighborhood Korean spot. The spicy squid and bean sprout was good, and as a squid lover, I appreciated that the squid was not overcooked, but the dish didn't stand out enough to me. I didn't love the strong bbq sauce flavor of the chicken katsu in the kimchi fried rice, though I did love how beautifully the egg cooked before our eyes on the cast iron plate. I was also pretty excited to try the Departure cocktail, which is nitro-infused and promised a smooth velvety texture. I could definitely taste the "roundness" of the cocktail, though is it too greedy to want EVEN MORE nitro? I do recommend it though, as even the presentation was pretty fun. Next time I definitely want to try the tomahawk galbi, spicy braised beef, cold kimchi noodle soup, and beef noodle soup.

Nice ambiance for a yummy dinner. Between the four of us, we got the kimchi fried rice w chicken katsu, beef noodle soup, and the pork belly. The fried rice was a standout. I love how they poured the egg at the table so we could eat it a little runny. The chicken katsu was perfectly crispy. But my biggest gripe with the dish is that I didn't like the barbecue sauce they paired with the chicken. It didn't mesh well for me. The beef noodle soup was good too. The broth was light but also super flavorful. And it came with a generous amount of meat. But our noodles were a bit over-cooked/soggy, which was a bummer. The pork belly was solid too. I wish it were a bit more tender though. And that the tofu it comes with was fried, or had more flavor on its own. But I must call out the sauce that the dish came with -- it's amazing. Overall, great dinner and service. I'd say the spice level was on the higher side for me, but I'd come back for the kimchi fried rice (and maybe ask for no bbq sauce).

Sam Sunny in Murray hill is an unassuming Korean restaurant showcasing craft cocktails delivered with table side pizzaz and mouthwatering traditional Korean food with a twist. We started off with the cocktails served smoking, and in the case of the Departure, out of nitro infused canister for a smooth finish. For small plates we enjoyed the spicy rice cakes with fried squid and juicy galbi mandu. For mains we had the kimchi fried rice with chicken katsu, tomahawk galbi and vegetable bibimbap. Everything off the menu was delicious, but the kimchi fried rice won our hearts for the night with the lightly battered katsu complemented by rich gravy and flavor-packed kimchi rice. Sam Sunny is one our new favorite Korean restaurants and really impressed us with their cocktail selection

I've had a few recs to come by to this fairly-new Korean restaurant, so I was very excite4d when my friend and I had the chance to drop by for dinner on a Friday night. We had reservations for 6, and when we arrived it was getting a bit busy (but the wait time, if any, probably wouldn't have been too long regardless). We ordered the bulgogi soup and the sangyupsal [both came with bowls of rice]. Bulgogi soup was very delicious - the bulgogi was very well cooked and the thick glass noodles were so chewy which I loved. My only objection was just that the broth was a bit salty and the more soup we drank, the more cups of water we began to guzzle down too. Sangyusal was also amazing - each piece was perfectly charred and every bite so juicy and tender. The sauteed kimchi was a pleasant surprise (and much better than their side dish kimchi, which was average at best) - a bit of a spicy complement to the meat and tofu. Definitely a strong recommendation for this dish as well. The banchan was also a pleasant addition, I particularly loved the pickled (daikon) radish and the side salad, both of which were light and contrasted very well with the heavier savoury flavours of our two main dishes. Their menu is fairly large (although not inefficiently so) which means there's loads of other dishes that I'd love to come back to try - already very much looking forward to it!

Excellent Korean food with reasonable prices. Rice cakes, fried squid, good meat selections and plenty of side dishes. The side dishes are a bit lighter than normal places. Great cocktails as well. Removed from the chaos of KTown. Good alternative for good food.

Finally had the chance to visit this neighborhood gem in Kips Bay!! Sam Sunny adds its own modern twist to Korean cuisine, with trendy food, drinks, and ambiance, and is a great addition to the amazing Korean food scene in NYC. We ordered a variety of items to share: - Kimchi Fried Rice w/ Chicken Katsu (8.5/10) - Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (9/10) - Korean shrimp Scallop Pancake (7/10) - Spicy Braised Beef (6/10) This was definitely a protein and carb-heavy meal, but I left feeling satisfied! My personal favorites were the Kimchi Fried Rice w/ Chicken Katsu and Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. The Kimchi Fried Rice w/ Chicken Katsu had a unique, mildly sweet flavor that is different from your traditional kimchi fried rice, and the Beef Noodle Soup was spicy and flavorful with perfectly textured noodles. The staff were also super attentive throughout our entire meal, so service was a plus for me. The location is a bit far from major subway lines, but the trek was totally worth it!

3.5/5. Rounding up for Good food and good service! My favorites were the pork belly and kimchi fried rice with chicken katsu. Spicy pork bulgogi and kimchi pancake were both ok. Overall, I thought the portions were a little small, not dying to come back but glad I gave it a try.

Love their food and the owner is so nice! My daughter's favorite place to eat. Dessert is a MUST have!!

Stopped by Sam Sunny with a party of 4. We made a reservation for 7pm but they were able to seat us when we arrived one hour prior. - Tomahawk Galbi - This took about 30 minutes after all the other dishes arrived at the table. But it was good. It comes with 4 sauces (soy sauce, BBQ, Sweet chili, and the last one I don't know the name but that was the best one) - Spicy Pork Bulgogi - Very nicely plated, the combo of pork belly, kimchi and tofu was interesting and i enjoyed it. It came sizzling - Japchae with Chicken - This was okay, was my least favorite. Bulgogi soup - This was the best dish we had! There was so much meat and the soup was so rich and flavorful. Everyone loved it especially when we mixed it with rice. Overall, Sam Sunny is definitely a nice place to try and I would definitely come back again.

3 things about this place: 1) Great atmosphere with fantastic foods! Every staff was welcoming and very friendly. Our waiter was top notch, but not only him, everyone working did a great job. Amazing food options to choose from as well. 2) Tomahawk Galbi, Spicy Squid and Bean Sprout, Egg Souffle were ordered. I loved how they only had 4 side dishes compared to other Korean restaurants with multiple side dishes to focus on the quality of each one. The foods came out extremely fast and the platings were absolutely beautiful. I can see the hard work they put in into every single dish. By looking at the plates of food, I can immediately tell they use fresh ingredients to cook, which is a huge plus. 3) Taste wise, the Tomahawk Galbi just literally melts in your mouth and definitely one of the best galbi I've had. Seasoning was perfect and the 4 sauces that comes with the dish were paired really nice. Spicy Squid and Bean Sprout was better than I expected it to be. I didn't have high hopes with this dish but I was wrong. Flavors were perfect and the squid they used were ginormous with good amount of spice. Bean sprouts paired really well with the squid. Egg Souffle was very flavorful. I liked how they garnished only with the scallions and not overdo it like other places. Simple is best. Overall, excellent foods with great atmosphere that I would highly recommend to people who do not know which Korean restaurant to go to!

Came on Christmas after so many places closed , and the hospitality and service given to us was beyond 5 star . A Gem spot . Food is delicious everything is amazing waiters are attentive and funny. Shout out to Mike who made the night spectacular. Comfy and cozy ambiance .

Chicken Katsu Kimchi Fried Rice blew me away. Tender chicken with ultra savory and filling rice and table-cooked eggs. The service was prompt and friendly. The place is spacious, contemporary, and clean. I'd definitely come back!

We walked in with no reservation on a Monday night and were seated right away. Service was extremely friendly and attentive. This place is a bit more on the fusion side but there wasn't a single dish that we didn't like! What we ordered: Galbi Mandu - 10/10 surprisingly delicious and I highly recommend Shrimp, Scallop, and Caviar rice bowl - Probably my favorite dish! Tomahawk 'galbi' - This was pretty standard and was served with 4 different sauces. I didn't like one of the sauces because it tasted like bbq sauce and seemed out of place. Spicy beef noodle soup - The noodles were really fresh and tasty! I wouldn't be surprised if they made the noodles in house. Steamed egg - Light, fluffy, and full of flavor! Will definitely be back! :)

Got the tomahawk galbi, spicy beef noodle soup, and kimchi fried rice with chicken katsu. The katsu was really good, nice and fresh with a great crust. The egg spill was nice but might be a bit underwhelming and the flavor was only ok. The tomahawk was actually really good with the sauces that it comes with. I also recommend the noodle soups since their noodles are really nice, fresh, and bouncy. The banchans are also really good, surprisingly really good. The service was amazing and there are a lot of seating. Overall, definitely recommend this place to try for lunch or dinner and worthy of its ratings.

I had an average time here. The food, service, and decor was good but not overly memorable. The pork bulgogi had a strange texture - it was slightly rough on the outside. The tomahawk steak was ok - the presentation was beautiful and it came with a lot of sauces to dip. The seafood pancake was also ok. It had a harder texture than I was used to - I usually eat pancakes that are chewier or fluffier but this one was denser. The interior is wonderfully decorated and the people were very nice.

A hidden korean restaurant in Kips bay with an interesting take on korean fusion. The exterior isn't immediately obvious, but once you step inside, you're instantly taken to a classy korean bar/restaurant, similar to take31, osamil, and her name is han in ktown -- except that I would argue the food options here are even more interesting. We got the chicken katsu kimchi fried rice, the tomahawk galbi, and the rice cakes. The chicken katsu was amazing - one of the stars of the meal, but I definetly wish there was more egg on the side - there was so little. The tomahawk galbi was a tender medium rare that I really appreciated, and came with four dipping sauces. The servers were great at explaining each dish and what they were known for -- the only thing is I felt that they were rushing us out for no reason. We had a reservation and ate pretty early, and there were plenty of empty tables. However, before we finished each plate, the servers would try to take them away from us. Even as my friend was finishing the last two bites, the server had his hands on the plate and took it from him as he was bringing it from the dish to his plate. The service could definetly be improved on that front.

The food was so delicious! My favorite was the Kimchi cold noodle. The noodles had the most slurping bouncy texture. It was so refreshing , satisfying, and tasty. Service was great. They brought us extra small dishes that disappeared into our bellies. The establishment was so clean and well kept. The owner, Kevin, was so charismatic and accommodating. He felt like an old time friend. It was my 1st time there. Celebrating my sister's birthday couldn't have happened at a better place!

Really nice ambiance compared with the myriad Irish pubs and bro bars in the neighborhood, and is a great alternative to the mostly takeout restaurants on Second Ave. Food was decent, though nothing to rave about. The seafood pancake was pretty standard. The Spicy Squid was way too saucy for my taste. The Kimchi Fried Rice with Chicken Katsu had great presentation but fall short in taste with a very weak pour of egg. Seems like their beef dishes are what the reviews rave about, so might come back and give that a try.

This place is friggin bomb and I'm so excited to go back here later this week and try more items on the menu! The Korean Fried Chicken here is so good and crispy and perfectly glazed. The Galbi comes with 4 different dipping sauces, and it was nice to experiment with the different flavors. The beef noodle soup is hearty and warm, perfect for colder weather. The ambiance is nice and not too loud, which I appreciated.

In my opinion, I was disappointed. I came in with high hopes from many people that this was a great spot but I think its just average. We started with the egg souffle (cant go wrong with this), then spicy rice cakes with fried squid which was good but the squid was so hard to bite down. The kimchi pancake was not good, it lacked the kimchi flavor. The steak rice bowl was way too sweet and the sauce over powered, however the steak was cooked well. Finally the seafood rice bowl was our favorite, the flavor was really good with a good amount of seafood, just a little too sweet for me. The food came out pretty fast and it was a nice spot to eat and talk with a friend.

It's nice to have a Korean restaurant on a strip filled with bars and pubs. The prices for bottled wine also seem to be reasonable. However, I had a not so great dining experience. The 25oz tomahawk "galbi" that I ordered visibly contains less pieces of meats and more thinly sliced pieces as compared to pictures posted by others (see picture). Service that night was also a hit or miss, I had to follow up several times to get a water refill. I wanted to like this restaurant, but based on my last dining experience, I do not think I will return.

Definitely a fun and trendy new Korean restaurant in kips bay! We had to make a reservation for a Saturday night and it was fairly full. Got the tteokbokki, samgyupsal, and steamed egg. It was enough food for 4 people bc of the banchan but the portion sizes were fairly small. - tteokbokki- good ratio of rice cake to fish cake to egg but thought the sauce was a bit too sweet/ketchupy - samgyupsal- really liked this but portion was quite small - steamed egg- a bit disappointing bc it wasn't as fluffy as it looked Overall I'm glad I tried it but wouldn't necessarily go back.

Been wanting to try this place for a while now but it is admittedly a little more out of the way. After trying once, would I come back? The answer is YES. Came on a weekday lunch for a birthday celebration and despite making a reservation, we really didn't need one since it was quiet. Since it was a birthday celebration, we diddd order more than we otherwise would have for a party of 2. - Tomahawk 'Galbi': **the standout dish!** We weren't asked but it was cooked a perfect medium rare (maybe worth a mention if you like your beef cooked otherwise). The meat was tender and flavorful, we didn't really even use the four sauces the dish comes with! - 'Samgyupsal' Pork Belly: delicious addictive sauce, literally devoured the whole thing myself. It comes with a tall bowl of white rice as well. - Seafood Rice Bowl: not much seafood but it was cooked perfectly! FYI I like hard chewy rice, but for those that prefer softer mushier rice, may probably not like the rice bowls here. - 'Galbi' Skewers: the one dish I would not recommend. The meat was overcooked and too charred, so not too much of a flavor profile here. - Sam Sunny Sour: our waitress recommended as a sweet cocktail as well, but it wasn't quite sweet enough for our taste. - Departure: **recommend** if you like sweet cocktails that aren't overly sweet. Hwayo apparently contains 41% alcohol and the nitro keeps the drink ice cold! Surely a drink worth the money and a few gave us quite a happy buzz!

Excellent service, fun space (with really nice speakers!), and delicious cozy food. Highly recommend for a great time.

Sam Sunny is worth the hype! It's been on my list since it opened and I finally got around to trying it. We ordered three dishes and loved every single one.